1 00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:08,160 S1: Welcome to the radio. Backyard fence. A place of hope, 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,120 S1: a place of encouragement, a little oxygen for your soul. 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:13,880 S1: I do not know what's going on in your world today, 4 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,920 S1: but I do know whatever questions you have, there's someone 5 00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,799 S1: who cares, someone who knows you, someone who sees you 6 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:25,279 S1: and has answers for what you're facing. But sometimes it's 7 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:28,880 S1: not the answers we need most of all. Sometimes it's 8 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,440 S1: just the presence of the one who cares enough for 9 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,000 S1: us to be there to put an arm around us. 10 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:37,559 S1: And I hope that's how you feel after we get 11 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,120 S1: done with the conversation here today. All this week we've 12 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,120 S1: been focusing on the Bible as we begin 2026. And 13 00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:47,440 S1: in December, we reached out to Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. I 14 00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:51,599 S1: love talking with her about Bible journaling and her devotional life, 15 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,280 S1: and we were going to dive into the whole read 16 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,160 S1: the Bible in a year idea. But on Christmas Eve, 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:02,350 S1: her husband Robert went to the hospital, his condition deteriorated 18 00:01:02,710 --> 00:01:06,550 S1: and he's been there ever since. The Caring Bridge page 19 00:01:06,550 --> 00:01:11,229 S1: for Robert has been visited more than 700,000 times now, 20 00:01:11,230 --> 00:01:13,190 S1: so there's a lot of people who care and a 21 00:01:13,230 --> 00:01:16,190 S1: lot of people who've been praying. In the last update 22 00:01:16,190 --> 00:01:19,229 S1: I saw said that this is a critical time for 23 00:01:19,230 --> 00:01:22,150 S1: a turnaround for him, for his lungs and what the 24 00:01:22,150 --> 00:01:24,430 S1: doctors are trying to accomplish. So I want us to 25 00:01:24,430 --> 00:01:26,350 S1: pray together for Robert, and we'll do that in just 26 00:01:26,350 --> 00:01:30,510 S1: a minute. In Nancy's place today, I've invited back Joanna Weaver, 27 00:01:30,510 --> 00:01:34,190 S1: who's written some excellent books and studies and is going 28 00:01:34,190 --> 00:01:38,869 S1: through the Bible chronologically right now with some folks online. 29 00:01:38,990 --> 00:01:41,149 S1: She's going to be real with us because in an 30 00:01:41,150 --> 00:01:44,110 S1: email back to me, she said it was the whole 31 00:01:44,110 --> 00:01:47,470 S1: read the Bible in a year idea that actually kind 32 00:01:47,510 --> 00:01:49,670 S1: of discouraged her. And I want to find out more 33 00:01:49,670 --> 00:01:52,870 S1: about that. So if you're struggling with reading the Bible, 34 00:01:53,190 --> 00:01:56,270 S1: some help and encouragements coming up straight ahead on Chris 35 00:01:56,310 --> 00:02:00,590 S1: Fabry live online. Chris. Fabbri, Livorno. Let me thank our team. 36 00:02:00,630 --> 00:02:03,870 S1: Ryan McConaughey doing all things technical. Tricia is back in 37 00:02:03,870 --> 00:02:07,270 S1: the chair today. Lisa will be answering your calls and 38 00:02:07,270 --> 00:02:09,270 S1: thank you for your support. You are part of the 39 00:02:09,270 --> 00:02:12,990 S1: team just by listening here. But if you support the program, 40 00:02:12,990 --> 00:02:16,070 S1: that's extra encouragement for us at the back fence here 41 00:02:16,070 --> 00:02:20,389 S1: in January. We're offering some biblical help on a controversial topic. 42 00:02:20,389 --> 00:02:25,109 S1: How should Christians think about Israel? Does the church replace Israel? 43 00:02:25,350 --> 00:02:27,989 S1: Does God still have a plan for the Jewish people? 44 00:02:28,230 --> 00:02:31,790 S1: Our biblical compadre, Doctor Michael Melnick, has written the little 45 00:02:31,830 --> 00:02:35,829 S1: book titled How Should Christians Think About Israel? I'd love 46 00:02:35,830 --> 00:02:38,030 S1: to send you a copy. Here's how to get one. 47 00:02:38,070 --> 00:02:45,110 S1: Call 866953 or go to Chris Paul. Give a gift 48 00:02:45,110 --> 00:02:47,310 S1: of any size. We'll put one in the mail to you. 49 00:02:47,310 --> 00:02:50,269 S1: If you can't give a gift. Contact us anyway. I'd 50 00:02:50,270 --> 00:02:52,950 S1: love to put it in your hands. This might be 51 00:02:52,950 --> 00:02:55,230 S1: great to have on hand if you're talking with someone 52 00:02:55,230 --> 00:02:58,460 S1: who disagrees with you about this issue. So call or 53 00:02:58,460 --> 00:03:07,060 S1: click through today. 86695 Fabry Chris Fabry. Joanna Weaver is 54 00:03:07,060 --> 00:03:09,540 S1: the best selling and award winning author of having a 55 00:03:09,540 --> 00:03:12,380 S1: merry heart in a Martha World. Will put that on 56 00:03:12,380 --> 00:03:15,820 S1: the website today. Click through today's information. As well as 57 00:03:15,820 --> 00:03:20,540 S1: having a merry spirit, Lazarus awakening and many more. She's 58 00:03:20,540 --> 00:03:24,220 S1: a pastor's wife, mother of three, avid Bible teacher, loves 59 00:03:24,220 --> 00:03:27,020 S1: speaking to women about the powerful freedom that's found in 60 00:03:27,060 --> 00:03:31,540 S1: making Jesus Lord and trusting him for things bigger than themselves. 61 00:03:31,900 --> 00:03:36,860 S1: She lives in Hamilton, Montana, and I. It's. I'm in Arizona, Joanna. 62 00:03:36,860 --> 00:03:40,300 S1: It's really cloudy. It's kind of rainy and it's just gorgeous. 63 00:03:40,340 --> 00:03:42,460 S1: I love it when it rains. It's almost like, you know, 64 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:46,940 S1: I'm in winter time. My guess is you've got snow 65 00:03:46,940 --> 00:03:49,300 S1: on the ground or it's really cold, am I right? 66 00:03:49,820 --> 00:03:52,860 S2: Well, you know what? Actually, we got sunshine. Well, we 67 00:03:52,860 --> 00:03:56,500 S2: have clouds and they're low, but we got blue sky 68 00:03:56,620 --> 00:03:59,100 S2: and there's no snow on the ground. 69 00:03:59,140 --> 00:04:01,420 S3: Look at you. Oh, I got you. 70 00:04:01,820 --> 00:04:06,020 S2: It's definitely not Arizona warm, but it's pretty warm for January. 71 00:04:06,380 --> 00:04:08,900 S1: We will send the precipitation your way so that you'll 72 00:04:08,900 --> 00:04:13,060 S1: have a snowy January. I, I want to start here 73 00:04:13,060 --> 00:04:15,980 S1: by doing what I just mentioned is praying for Robert, 74 00:04:15,980 --> 00:04:19,460 S1: for Nancy. And and there are other people who are 75 00:04:19,700 --> 00:04:22,500 S1: going through this very same thing. Somebody you care about 76 00:04:22,500 --> 00:04:26,300 S1: is in the hospital. There's a struggle, physical struggle. But 77 00:04:26,300 --> 00:04:29,500 S1: I wonder if you would lead us for Robert and 78 00:04:29,500 --> 00:04:34,100 S1: the situation there. Uh, the four pronged prayer request were 79 00:04:34,779 --> 00:04:38,860 S1: his lungs, improvement in his kidneys, for his brain to 80 00:04:38,860 --> 00:04:42,020 S1: be functional when the medications, you know, to take him off, 81 00:04:42,300 --> 00:04:46,740 S1: and then just wisdom for medical professionals. That's what Nancy 82 00:04:46,740 --> 00:04:51,460 S1: listed on that Caringbridge website. So would you lead us, Joanna? 83 00:04:51,980 --> 00:04:56,049 S2: Absolutely, Lord, first of all, we just want to thank 84 00:04:56,050 --> 00:04:59,450 S2: you so much for Nancy and Robert and just who 85 00:04:59,490 --> 00:05:02,609 S2: they are, who they are to the world, but also 86 00:05:02,610 --> 00:05:04,890 S2: who they are to you. And Lord, I just thank 87 00:05:04,930 --> 00:05:07,210 S2: you right now that you are with them. You are 88 00:05:07,210 --> 00:05:10,330 S2: right there in the middle of this situation, but you 89 00:05:10,330 --> 00:05:12,730 S2: have called us to pray and intercede. And so, Lord, 90 00:05:12,730 --> 00:05:16,010 S2: we just join hearts together and we thank you, Lord, 91 00:05:16,010 --> 00:05:19,490 S2: for your promises of healing, that by your stripes we 92 00:05:19,529 --> 00:05:21,570 S2: are healed. And Lord, we just pray right now that 93 00:05:21,570 --> 00:05:24,409 S2: you would even speak to those lungs, that they would 94 00:05:24,450 --> 00:05:28,250 S2: begin to to breathe as they were intended to God, 95 00:05:28,250 --> 00:05:32,770 S2: that you would clear all of the the congestion. Lord, 96 00:05:32,770 --> 00:05:35,849 S2: would you speak to all the functions in his body? Lord, 97 00:05:35,850 --> 00:05:39,369 S2: you we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we just pray, Lord, 98 00:05:39,370 --> 00:05:42,010 S2: at the sound of your voice, even right now, Lord, 99 00:05:42,010 --> 00:05:45,369 S2: that everything would come into order. Lord, we just ask 100 00:05:45,370 --> 00:05:48,770 S2: that you would send warring angels to surround them. We 101 00:05:48,770 --> 00:05:50,969 S2: know there's a battle going on and we just join 102 00:05:50,970 --> 00:05:53,840 S2: together and we thank you for the victory. Lord, would 103 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:57,560 S2: you also just give Nancy supernatural peace in Jesus name? 104 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,800 S2: We're just expecting God. Beautiful things because you love them. 105 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:03,880 S2: You you have good things. And Lord, we pray for 106 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,360 S2: those out there that are also struggling. Lord, I thank you. 107 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:09,520 S2: Thank you that even in the middle of it all 108 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,039 S2: you are with us and your grace is sufficient. But Lord, 109 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:17,080 S2: we're just asking and believing for miracles and breakthroughs today. 110 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,320 S2: In Jesus name, Amen. 111 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,880 S1: Father, I agree with Joanna, I. I agree about this 112 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,120 S1: turnaround and I just pray that that would happen in 113 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:29,800 S1: Robert's life and Nancy's life. But I, I thank you 114 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:33,560 S1: for what the hundreds of thousands of people who visited 115 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:40,279 S1: that caringbridge site have seen evidence of the struggle of 116 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,600 S1: the the suffering of the affliction, but also the hope, 117 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,239 S1: the the anchored hope that Nancy and everybody who cares 118 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,760 S1: about Robert that they have for him. And so I 119 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,839 S1: just thank you that that that anchored hope can be 120 00:06:58,120 --> 00:07:01,800 S1: all of ours, that it's not just for the select few, 121 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,880 S1: but it's for all of us who put our full 122 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,839 S1: hope and trust in you. And I thank you for 123 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:11,160 S1: Joanna being able to be here in Nancy Stead today, 124 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,400 S1: and look forward to what you're going to do in 125 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,280 S1: this hour. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. 126 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:17,600 S2: Amen. 127 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:21,720 S1: There is there is this overwhelming just feeling for me, 128 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:27,239 S1: this overwhelming overflow that's coming because, you know, we look 129 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:30,960 S1: at it with a situation like Robert's is like, here's God, 130 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,960 S1: this is what we want you to do. But God 131 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:38,400 S1: looks at it from an eternal perspective, you know, from eternity. 132 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:41,640 S1: And he's doing things in people's lives that we can't 133 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:46,120 S1: understand or even comprehend. Do you agree with that? 134 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,470 S2: Amen. Amen. I believe that so thoroughly. I think we 135 00:07:50,470 --> 00:07:53,990 S2: get so addicted to how we think life should go, 136 00:07:54,030 --> 00:07:57,430 S2: that we we really do miss the opportunities that come 137 00:07:57,430 --> 00:08:00,670 S2: in these sort of moments. And I find it crazy. 138 00:08:00,670 --> 00:08:02,230 S2: I don't know if it's true for you, Chris, but 139 00:08:02,270 --> 00:08:06,070 S2: I I've found that God has been more clearly seen 140 00:08:06,070 --> 00:08:10,110 S2: in my broken places, in my needy places, than in 141 00:08:10,110 --> 00:08:13,470 S2: the places where I've had it together, where things have 142 00:08:13,470 --> 00:08:15,070 S2: gone the way I wanted them to go. 143 00:08:15,350 --> 00:08:19,510 S1: Well, the growth happens right there in the fallow. You know, 144 00:08:19,790 --> 00:08:22,230 S1: there are a lot more things grow when manure is 145 00:08:22,230 --> 00:08:25,110 S1: spread over it than when it's not, you know, and 146 00:08:25,110 --> 00:08:26,910 S1: it's a crass way to put it. But I grew 147 00:08:26,910 --> 00:08:29,310 S1: up on the farm and it's like, you've got to 148 00:08:29,310 --> 00:08:33,030 S1: have that fertilizer. And it seems like the struggle and 149 00:08:33,030 --> 00:08:35,470 S1: the suffering is the place where God does some of 150 00:08:35,470 --> 00:08:39,109 S1: his best work and best growth in our hearts, and 151 00:08:39,110 --> 00:08:41,470 S1: in that trust quotient that you've written about. 152 00:08:41,470 --> 00:08:46,270 S2: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I think so often I don't know 153 00:08:46,270 --> 00:08:49,070 S2: about anyone else, but I've sort of at times have 154 00:08:49,070 --> 00:08:52,270 S2: had a formula, Christianity, that if I do this and 155 00:08:52,270 --> 00:08:55,430 S2: I do that, then God will will obviously do this 156 00:08:55,429 --> 00:09:01,069 S2: because that's what Scripture says. But God is so incredibly 157 00:09:01,270 --> 00:09:05,310 S2: intricate and he's weaving all of our good. He says 158 00:09:05,910 --> 00:09:09,790 S2: all things work together for good, for those who love God, 159 00:09:09,990 --> 00:09:12,670 S2: for those who are called according to my purpose. That's 160 00:09:12,670 --> 00:09:15,829 S2: a plural, that's plural. That's not just Joanna. You're going 161 00:09:15,870 --> 00:09:18,709 S2: to get everything you want. But I'm also reminded of, 162 00:09:18,750 --> 00:09:21,790 S2: you know, how Paul he had he had a thorn. 163 00:09:22,070 --> 00:09:24,790 S2: And I'm pretty sure it was a fleshly affliction, and 164 00:09:24,790 --> 00:09:28,470 S2: he begged God to take it away. And yet, each 165 00:09:28,470 --> 00:09:32,110 S2: and every time, each of those three times, God responded with, 166 00:09:32,590 --> 00:09:36,870 S2: my grace is sufficient for you. My power is made 167 00:09:36,870 --> 00:09:41,030 S2: perfect in weakness. And but what's really interesting to me 168 00:09:41,070 --> 00:09:46,030 S2: is just before that Paul writes, there was a messenger 169 00:09:46,030 --> 00:09:49,580 S2: of Satan sent to me with a thorn. And I 170 00:09:49,580 --> 00:09:52,900 S2: wonder if, if in our struggles, in our afflictions, in 171 00:09:52,900 --> 00:09:54,860 S2: those times where we prayed and prayed and we're not 172 00:09:54,860 --> 00:09:57,780 S2: seeing breakthrough. I think the thing we have to really 173 00:09:57,780 --> 00:10:01,580 S2: be careful of is what message are we believing? Are 174 00:10:01,580 --> 00:10:04,300 S2: we believing the message of the enemy that says he 175 00:10:04,300 --> 00:10:07,860 S2: doesn't care? He's forgotten you. He's not good. Or are 176 00:10:07,860 --> 00:10:10,460 S2: we listening to that heart of God who says, come here, 177 00:10:10,500 --> 00:10:14,460 S2: let me hold you. My grace is sufficient for you. 178 00:10:15,460 --> 00:10:18,820 S1: See. And that's why it's so important to let God 179 00:10:18,820 --> 00:10:21,220 S1: define the breakthrough. Yeah, it's. 180 00:10:21,220 --> 00:10:22,100 S3: Hard because. 181 00:10:22,140 --> 00:10:23,699 S4: You know, it's like breakthrough means. 182 00:10:23,700 --> 00:10:27,780 S1: This. God, why aren't you doing this? But. But that, uh, 183 00:10:27,780 --> 00:10:31,179 S1: the passage in Ephesians, you said grace is sufficient. For 184 00:10:31,179 --> 00:10:34,459 S1: by grace are you saved through faith? It's not of yourselves, 185 00:10:34,620 --> 00:10:39,219 S1: not of works, lest anyone should boast. We are his workmanship, 186 00:10:39,540 --> 00:10:43,540 S1: created in Christ Jesus to do good works that he's 187 00:10:43,540 --> 00:10:47,130 S1: prepared in advance for us to do. so. I really 188 00:10:47,130 --> 00:10:49,530 S1: believe that not only, you know, the stuff that I 189 00:10:49,530 --> 00:10:53,850 S1: would call good and breakthrough that that's in there, but 190 00:10:53,850 --> 00:10:57,490 S1: that it's the hard stuff, the suffering stuff, the people 191 00:10:57,490 --> 00:11:01,370 S1: who are looking at what Nancy and Robert and everybody 192 00:11:01,370 --> 00:11:05,690 S1: around the family, what they're going through. That's part of 193 00:11:05,690 --> 00:11:08,689 S1: the work that God has given to for us to 194 00:11:08,730 --> 00:11:13,850 S1: do and to be faithful in, and then to allow 195 00:11:13,850 --> 00:11:18,250 S1: him to define what the breakthrough is. So that's a 196 00:11:18,250 --> 00:11:20,610 S1: great way to start the program. Joanna Weaver is with 197 00:11:20,610 --> 00:11:22,330 S1: us today. We're going to take a quick break. We'll 198 00:11:22,330 --> 00:11:25,770 S1: come back and I want to hear from Joanna's heart 199 00:11:25,770 --> 00:11:29,370 S1: about why she wrote to me and said it was 200 00:11:29,370 --> 00:11:33,410 S1: reading the Bible in a year that kind of discouraged 201 00:11:33,410 --> 00:11:36,330 S1: me and and pushed me away from God's word. And 202 00:11:36,330 --> 00:11:52,770 S1: we'll take your questions and calls today. (877) 548-3675. I am 203 00:11:52,770 --> 00:11:55,290 S1: so glad you could join us today at the Radio 204 00:11:55,290 --> 00:11:57,890 S1: Backyard Fence. We're talking about the Bible all this week. 205 00:11:57,890 --> 00:12:02,810 S1: We talk with Ray Pritchard on Monday. Yesterday, doctor Josh 206 00:12:02,850 --> 00:12:06,089 S1: Moody talked about the verses every Christian should know. Tomorrow 207 00:12:06,090 --> 00:12:09,410 S1: we're doing Bible memorization. You'll be here tomorrow we're going 208 00:12:09,450 --> 00:12:12,130 S1: to memorize the whole Bible. No we're not. Uh, and 209 00:12:12,130 --> 00:12:14,530 S1: then Friday we're going to the Psalms and see how 210 00:12:14,530 --> 00:12:18,050 S1: the Psalms can change us from the inside out. If 211 00:12:18,090 --> 00:12:21,250 S1: you have a situation in your life where you you 212 00:12:21,290 --> 00:12:23,890 S1: talk to yourself and we all talk to ourselves in 213 00:12:23,890 --> 00:12:28,209 S1: some way, or we listen to the enemy's lies about this, uh, 214 00:12:28,210 --> 00:12:31,290 S1: about ourselves, about a situation. I want you to hear 215 00:12:31,290 --> 00:12:34,530 S1: what my pal John Geiger has to say. About what 216 00:12:34,570 --> 00:12:38,210 S1: the how the Psalms can change our self-talk. So that's 217 00:12:38,210 --> 00:12:40,170 S1: what we're doing all this week. Today was going to 218 00:12:40,170 --> 00:12:44,800 S1: be the Read the Bible in a year. and Nancy DeMoss, 219 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,080 S1: Wolgemuth was going to join us. And obviously she couldn't. 220 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:52,440 S1: She can't do that. We'll have her back on later on. But, um, 221 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,920 S1: Joanna Weaver said, I've been going through the Bible chronologically. 222 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,439 S1: I'd love to talk with you, Chris, about that, but 223 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:00,600 S1: but the thing that I really like to talk about 224 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:03,720 S1: is to share how God helped me fall in love 225 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:06,360 S1: with His Word. And that's one of the reasons why 226 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,640 S1: our featured resource today is having a Mary heart and 227 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,280 S1: a Martha World. Um, because she tells that story in there. 228 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,839 S1: And we're going to talk about the chronological thing here, 229 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:18,480 S1: but I want you to tell me why reading the 230 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:22,160 S1: Bible in a year, why that kind of repelled you 231 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,599 S1: at some point and took you away from the Bible. 232 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:31,520 S5: Well, basically, because I'm not as disciplined as some people, 233 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:35,520 S5: and because I also happen to be an all or 234 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:36,800 S5: nothing girl, if I. 235 00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:39,360 S2: Can't do it all, then I end up doing nothing. 236 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:43,280 S2: But I also believe that, you know, whether it was 237 00:13:43,720 --> 00:13:48,440 S2: implied or actually stated. I picked up this idea. Born 238 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,040 S2: in the church. Loved Jesus with all my heart. Um, 239 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,280 S2: since I was a little girl. Uh, but I picked 240 00:13:55,280 --> 00:13:58,520 S2: up this idea. If you were a good Christian, you 241 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:00,720 S2: had to read through the Bible in a year. But 242 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,040 S2: you know what, Chris? I mean, I don't know where 243 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:04,520 S2: that is in the Bible, do you? 244 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,680 S1: I've never seen it. I mean, I think it's a 245 00:14:07,679 --> 00:14:11,120 S1: good idea, but it's not thou shalt or thou shalt 246 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,000 S1: not only read a chapter a day type of thing. 247 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:17,640 S2: Right. Well, well, the interesting thing for me was every, 248 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,800 S2: you know, every January 1st I'm like, okay, Lord, you 249 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:22,360 S2: and me, I'm going to do it, I'm going to 250 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,480 S2: do it. And I would get through Genesis and Exodus 251 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,040 S2: and I'd do all right, I. But then about Leviticus 252 00:14:30,040 --> 00:14:34,120 S2: or numbers, I mean I would just, I would, I 253 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,600 S2: would just get confused. I would get overwhelmed. I didn't 254 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,310 S2: quite see how it applied to my life. and um, 255 00:14:41,310 --> 00:14:44,030 S2: and so I would go, well, uh, and then I'd 256 00:14:44,030 --> 00:14:46,550 S2: fall behind. Right. And then I'm like, oh, man, I've 257 00:14:46,550 --> 00:14:48,750 S2: got all this. Because to read through the Bible in 258 00:14:48,750 --> 00:14:51,550 S2: a year, you have to read 3 to 4 chapters. And, 259 00:14:51,550 --> 00:14:54,070 S2: and let me just let me preface all of this 260 00:14:54,110 --> 00:14:57,950 S2: to say, I think there's great value in reading the 261 00:14:57,950 --> 00:15:01,310 S2: Bible in a year, mainly because it is a goal 262 00:15:01,310 --> 00:15:03,790 S2: and it gives you a focus. But can I just say, 263 00:15:03,790 --> 00:15:06,110 S2: I wonder if it wouldn't be better to take that 264 00:15:06,150 --> 00:15:10,630 S2: in a year off of that? And, and really just 265 00:15:10,630 --> 00:15:14,990 S2: because I believe for me, when I started reading less 266 00:15:15,430 --> 00:15:19,830 S2: and really meditating more, that's when I fell in love 267 00:15:19,830 --> 00:15:23,510 S2: with the Word of God, because otherwise, I mean, I 268 00:15:23,510 --> 00:15:27,270 S2: was living in the Pentateuch year after year after year because, 269 00:15:27,310 --> 00:15:30,190 S2: you know, if you fall behind and you give up, 270 00:15:30,190 --> 00:15:32,390 S2: then you have to wait till January 1st to start 271 00:15:32,390 --> 00:15:33,310 S2: all over again. 272 00:15:33,750 --> 00:15:35,590 S1: Yeah. And that's not the Bible either. 273 00:15:35,830 --> 00:15:37,390 S2: No, not at all. 274 00:15:38,710 --> 00:15:42,619 S1: I like that I like. And so it is really 275 00:15:42,620 --> 00:15:46,340 S1: your own heart and, and maybe part of what you 276 00:15:46,340 --> 00:15:49,980 S1: intuited then in the church is I'm less than if 277 00:15:49,980 --> 00:15:52,980 S1: I don't do this, or the people who do it 278 00:15:52,980 --> 00:15:57,500 S1: are super spiritual and I'm back here. And that's not 279 00:15:57,500 --> 00:16:01,260 S1: true either. And here's the the dirty little secret about 280 00:16:01,300 --> 00:16:04,860 S1: is it's a the box that you check. You can 281 00:16:04,860 --> 00:16:08,220 S1: read the whole Bible every day, you know, uh, read 282 00:16:08,220 --> 00:16:10,300 S1: the whole thing all the way through every day and 283 00:16:10,300 --> 00:16:13,820 S1: be as lost as a sock because you're not allowing 284 00:16:13,820 --> 00:16:17,300 S1: it access to your heart. It's it's just an obligation 285 00:16:17,300 --> 00:16:21,260 S1: to you. So that's not what God wants of us 286 00:16:21,660 --> 00:16:23,860 S1: is to check a box, right? 287 00:16:23,900 --> 00:16:28,380 S2: Absolutely, absolutely. In fact, you know, Jesus says something really 288 00:16:28,380 --> 00:16:32,820 S2: interesting in John 539 through 40. He says, you search 289 00:16:32,820 --> 00:16:35,860 S2: the scriptures because they think they will. You think they 290 00:16:35,860 --> 00:16:39,220 S2: will give you eternal life, but you will not come 291 00:16:39,220 --> 00:16:42,700 S2: to me so that you can have life. You know 292 00:16:42,740 --> 00:16:46,700 S2: I love the Word of God. But listen, Jesus is 293 00:16:46,700 --> 00:16:49,660 S2: the Word of God. And if we're reading it as 294 00:16:49,660 --> 00:16:53,020 S2: just religious duty, then yeah, we can feel really good 295 00:16:53,020 --> 00:16:56,420 S2: about ourselves and and we can check it off our list. But, 296 00:16:56,460 --> 00:16:58,620 S2: you know, I can read through the Bible, but can 297 00:16:58,620 --> 00:17:01,100 S2: I read through the read in such a way that 298 00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:05,100 S2: the Bible gets through to me that it actually transforms me? 299 00:17:05,100 --> 00:17:10,820 S2: And for me, it really helped to start reading less because, because. 300 00:17:10,980 --> 00:17:13,780 S2: And the other problem was when I was always feeling 301 00:17:13,780 --> 00:17:16,220 S2: like I had to do it in a year. There's 302 00:17:16,220 --> 00:17:18,340 S2: a lot of people out there just like me that 303 00:17:18,340 --> 00:17:21,900 S2: are like, yeah, I mean, I've tried or yeah, I'd 304 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:24,460 S2: like to, but I don't have time. And then we 305 00:17:24,460 --> 00:17:29,140 S2: blow up out of proportion what's required. And we kind 306 00:17:29,180 --> 00:17:31,300 S2: of think it's maybe to be a good Christian. That's 307 00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:34,060 S2: what you do. But man, I have found like five, 308 00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:36,970 S2: ten minutes in the word on those really busy days, 309 00:17:37,250 --> 00:17:41,250 S2: going to the word, asking the Holy Spirit to speak 310 00:17:41,250 --> 00:17:45,169 S2: to me, to to make Jesus real. Oh my goodness, I, 311 00:17:45,210 --> 00:17:49,410 S2: I can find so much richness in reading. Less than 312 00:17:49,450 --> 00:17:51,410 S2: feeling obligated to read more. 313 00:17:51,609 --> 00:17:52,050 S3: Yes. 314 00:17:52,450 --> 00:17:56,169 S1: And that's that's the goal is to not to get 315 00:17:56,170 --> 00:17:59,730 S1: you to finish reading whatever, you know, the reading plan 316 00:17:59,730 --> 00:18:01,570 S1: that you have. And we've got some of those and 317 00:18:01,890 --> 00:18:04,090 S1: we're going to put those on your, your website. We're 318 00:18:04,090 --> 00:18:07,410 S1: going to link to that. Um, but it's, it's to 319 00:18:07,450 --> 00:18:11,610 S1: get the word into you so that you begin to 320 00:18:11,650 --> 00:18:14,649 S1: live it. Well, one of your books is about sitting 321 00:18:14,650 --> 00:18:18,130 S1: at the feet of Jesus. That's what you really want 322 00:18:18,170 --> 00:18:23,090 S1: to foster here, where you're not studying the Bible just 323 00:18:23,090 --> 00:18:28,690 S1: for knowledge, but asking God, change me from the inside out. 324 00:18:28,730 --> 00:18:32,050 S1: That's what the this whole discipline is about. 325 00:18:32,609 --> 00:18:37,450 S2: Absolutely. And it's it's a prayer that Jesus loves to answer. 326 00:18:37,890 --> 00:18:41,090 S2: You know, he he wants to reveal himself. In fact, 327 00:18:41,090 --> 00:18:43,890 S2: one of my favorite verses to pray before I sit 328 00:18:43,890 --> 00:18:48,050 S2: down to for my time in the word is Ephesians 117. 329 00:18:48,570 --> 00:18:51,730 S2: Oh Lord, may you give me the spirit of wisdom 330 00:18:51,730 --> 00:18:55,170 S2: and revelation, so that I may know you better. And 331 00:18:55,170 --> 00:18:57,850 S2: I think so many times, if we're again making it 332 00:18:57,850 --> 00:19:02,730 S2: a religious discipline or even a spiritual discipline, but we're 333 00:19:02,730 --> 00:19:06,929 S2: doing it apart from the Spirit of God. Well, the 334 00:19:06,930 --> 00:19:10,810 S2: Bible says the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. 335 00:19:11,010 --> 00:19:14,210 S2: And so, as I've kind of let myself off of 336 00:19:14,210 --> 00:19:17,490 S2: the hook to do it perfectly now, I love reading 337 00:19:17,490 --> 00:19:19,930 S2: through the Bible and and I have done it. And 338 00:19:19,930 --> 00:19:24,690 S2: I've got two different plans that kind of give different approaches. Um, 339 00:19:26,050 --> 00:19:29,890 S2: what's been sweet is because I've learned how to meditate 340 00:19:29,890 --> 00:19:33,800 S2: and receive from the Holy Spirit by reading less. Now 341 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,720 S2: I take that into my Bible in a year and 342 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:40,760 S2: I can still come away with with something, a nugget 343 00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,320 S2: that I can meditate on it through the day. And 344 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:45,440 S2: that's really kind of what the Lord wants us to 345 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:48,720 S2: do with his word is to meditate on it day 346 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:49,480 S2: and night. 347 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:49,920 S3: Yeah. 348 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,399 S1: Uh, Ray Prichard on Monday said that he and his wife, Marlene, 349 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:57,040 S1: had been doing for a couple of years now. Have 350 00:19:57,040 --> 00:20:00,040 S1: been listening to the Bible. Uh, and that's a great 351 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,280 S1: way with the Old Testament, if you get stuck on 352 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:05,240 S1: the the words and the pronunciation of all those names 353 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:09,560 S1: and all that, if you listen to it, someone else 354 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:13,280 S1: reading it to you. Uh, you're in the car, you're 355 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:15,400 S1: doing that, or you do it as you're sitting at 356 00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,640 S1: home or before you go to bed. I don't think 357 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:24,840 S1: there's any, uh, there's there's great advantage in reading it yourself, 358 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,240 S1: letting your eyes do that. There are some people who 359 00:20:27,240 --> 00:20:32,000 S1: can't who literally cannot do that. And hearing an audio 360 00:20:32,109 --> 00:20:35,550 S1: Bible can be another one of those things, either as 361 00:20:35,590 --> 00:20:38,990 S1: a primary or a supplement to what we're talking about, 362 00:20:39,030 --> 00:20:39,790 S1: don't you think? 363 00:20:40,230 --> 00:20:43,070 S2: I love that. I think that's a great idea. You know, 364 00:20:43,430 --> 00:20:47,990 S2: even there's on YouTube, there's whole whole channels that just 365 00:20:47,990 --> 00:20:52,070 S2: read the word over you, over music during your sleep. 366 00:20:52,109 --> 00:20:55,270 S2: You know, I think I think there's great benefit in 367 00:20:55,270 --> 00:20:59,390 S2: just soaking in God's word. But I also think there's 368 00:20:59,390 --> 00:21:02,950 S2: something powerful about for me, this is another thing that 369 00:21:02,950 --> 00:21:05,629 S2: helped me fall in love with the word is sitting 370 00:21:05,630 --> 00:21:09,470 S2: down with a journal and and a pen and and 371 00:21:09,470 --> 00:21:11,750 S2: actually learning. And I know this can be a little 372 00:21:11,790 --> 00:21:15,430 S2: bit off putting for some people, but actually underlying key 373 00:21:15,470 --> 00:21:17,990 S2: things that speak to me. And then writing in my 374 00:21:17,990 --> 00:21:22,230 S2: journal that that verse word for word and just responding 375 00:21:22,230 --> 00:21:26,230 S2: it to the Lord. You know, sometimes paraphrasing it back 376 00:21:26,230 --> 00:21:30,949 S2: in prayer or asking God questions or, um, one of 377 00:21:31,070 --> 00:21:34,190 S2: the beautiful things is just going to Scripture, not just 378 00:21:34,190 --> 00:21:36,869 S2: for application for ourselves, but for the things that we 379 00:21:36,869 --> 00:21:41,109 S2: can discover about God. And so there is something I 380 00:21:41,109 --> 00:21:45,670 S2: totally agree that hearing the word is so powerful. But 381 00:21:45,670 --> 00:21:50,790 S2: I would just encourage people start small, but begin. Open 382 00:21:50,790 --> 00:21:54,030 S2: the word. Even like I said, I've done this exercise 383 00:21:54,030 --> 00:21:58,350 S2: at women's conferences where, you know, girls are. They all say, 384 00:21:58,350 --> 00:22:00,230 S2: I want to, I know I need to, but I 385 00:22:00,270 --> 00:22:03,229 S2: don't know how. And we just sit down with a 386 00:22:03,230 --> 00:22:06,350 S2: portion of Scripture and we ask the Lord to speak 387 00:22:06,350 --> 00:22:08,870 S2: to us. And then just in the quiet, they read 388 00:22:08,869 --> 00:22:11,470 S2: through it. And I say, here's one thing that really 389 00:22:11,470 --> 00:22:15,350 S2: helped me. I took a discipleship course, and they taught 390 00:22:15,350 --> 00:22:20,990 S2: us to read Until God speaks. And that's been really powerful. 391 00:22:21,310 --> 00:22:23,669 S2: Sometimes I only get a couple of verses into the 392 00:22:23,670 --> 00:22:27,550 S2: chapter and and he speaks and I have to respond, 393 00:22:27,710 --> 00:22:29,860 S2: and then I'll go back and read the rest. If 394 00:22:29,859 --> 00:22:32,460 S2: I feel so. Or sometimes the next day I pick 395 00:22:32,500 --> 00:22:35,300 S2: up right there and I just go on. And it's. 396 00:22:35,340 --> 00:22:39,619 S2: What's beautiful about that approach is you're actually living in 397 00:22:39,619 --> 00:22:43,140 S2: a book, rather than just going from one position to another, 398 00:22:43,140 --> 00:22:47,300 S2: one chapter to another, you're actually really dwelling in the word. 399 00:22:47,300 --> 00:22:49,179 S2: And I love that verse. It says, if you know, 400 00:22:49,220 --> 00:22:52,460 S2: if my words abide in you and you know you 401 00:22:52,460 --> 00:22:57,540 S2: abide in me, something beautiful happens not only in answered prayer, 402 00:22:57,540 --> 00:23:01,780 S2: but in the very life of Jesus being transposed in 403 00:23:01,780 --> 00:23:03,459 S2: and on our lives. 404 00:23:04,140 --> 00:23:08,580 S1: Because if the Bible is true about what it says 405 00:23:08,580 --> 00:23:13,660 S1: about itself, that the word is living and active and 406 00:23:14,420 --> 00:23:18,900 S1: cuts between, you know, it enters, then you can trust 407 00:23:18,900 --> 00:23:21,100 S1: that it is going to do that. That happened to 408 00:23:21,100 --> 00:23:23,619 S1: me this morning. I read a Psalm a day. I 409 00:23:23,619 --> 00:23:27,740 S1: was in Psalm 25 and verse four says, make me 410 00:23:27,740 --> 00:23:32,730 S1: to know your ways, O Lord. Teach me your paths. 411 00:23:33,250 --> 00:23:36,850 S1: And then, um, in verse nine, he leads the humble 412 00:23:36,850 --> 00:23:41,290 S1: in what is right and teaches the humble his way. 413 00:23:41,490 --> 00:23:44,930 S1: And it's like, so I really can you really want 414 00:23:44,930 --> 00:23:47,810 S1: to teach me the way, the path. Because I can 415 00:23:47,810 --> 00:23:49,810 S1: go all over the place, in the road, you know, 416 00:23:49,890 --> 00:23:52,650 S1: make all kinds of different decisions. But it sounds like 417 00:23:52,650 --> 00:23:56,050 S1: there's something that he was trying to impress upon me 418 00:23:56,090 --> 00:24:01,129 S1: about the path, his his good path that he will 419 00:24:01,130 --> 00:24:05,090 S1: teach me if I will slow down long enough to 420 00:24:05,130 --> 00:24:09,090 S1: listen to him and to try to discern what that 421 00:24:09,090 --> 00:24:12,930 S1: path is. So that's an example of what you're talking about, 422 00:24:12,930 --> 00:24:13,450 S1: I think. 423 00:24:13,810 --> 00:24:20,090 S2: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Because on everything, it always is toward 424 00:24:20,090 --> 00:24:24,370 S2: relationship with the Lord. That's why we go to his word. 425 00:24:24,369 --> 00:24:28,129 S2: It's his love letter to us and you know, and again, 426 00:24:28,130 --> 00:24:31,050 S2: it's not it's not just a textbook for life. Although 427 00:24:31,050 --> 00:24:35,850 S2: there's so much wisdom, it really is a conversation that 428 00:24:35,850 --> 00:24:37,850 S2: he wants to have with us. And I think that's 429 00:24:37,850 --> 00:24:42,250 S2: what journaling really changed my time in the word because 430 00:24:42,250 --> 00:24:45,409 S2: he would speak to me. I love that the Hebrew 431 00:24:45,450 --> 00:24:50,330 S2: word for for Bible is mikra the calling out of God. 432 00:24:50,609 --> 00:24:54,250 S2: He's talking to us, and then we respond in prayer. 433 00:24:54,250 --> 00:24:57,450 S2: And for me, those have been written prayers in my journal, um, 434 00:24:57,490 --> 00:25:00,970 S2: just like you just shared with us. Just talking back 435 00:25:00,970 --> 00:25:04,129 S2: to the Lord. Lord, I hear you saying that really, 436 00:25:04,130 --> 00:25:06,930 S2: you'll be with me like, I don't have to figure 437 00:25:06,930 --> 00:25:10,010 S2: this out on my own. I mean, and this is 438 00:25:10,010 --> 00:25:13,250 S2: where it gets so exciting because I think so many 439 00:25:13,250 --> 00:25:16,210 S2: times we hear you just got to get in the word. 440 00:25:16,210 --> 00:25:18,930 S2: You just got to get in the word. Right? Well, uh, 441 00:25:19,090 --> 00:25:22,570 S2: that feels like a whole lot of should, like, like, 442 00:25:22,570 --> 00:25:24,930 S2: if I just do it, like, I take it like 443 00:25:24,970 --> 00:25:28,320 S2: a vitamin, then somehow it's going to have this magical thing. No, 444 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,080 S2: it's a relationship. And the Holy Spirit wants to open 445 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:34,040 S2: the word and give me what I need. 446 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:40,120 S1: That word we've heard all three days. Relationship, relationship. And 447 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:44,680 S1: another word is God. Would you open my eyes? Open 448 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:47,879 S1: my heart. I'm going to take your calls for Joanna Weaver. 449 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:52,080 S1: Straight ahead. (877) 548-3675. 450 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:04,960 S3: Thanks for joining. 451 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:06,040 S1: Us here on this seventh. 452 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,280 S3: Day of January, 2026. 453 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:10,760 S1: As we discuss how to read the Bible, how to 454 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:14,320 S1: make it a relationship and not a duty, how to 455 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:18,160 S1: listen to God, how to interact with him through His Word. 456 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:22,440 S1: Joanna Weaver has written some great books. We gave away. 457 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,160 S1: It was in August of a couple of years ago. 458 00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,760 S1: Embracing trust. Just a game changer. But she's written a 459 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,840 S1: lot of other books, and at her website she has 460 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:37,359 S1: some Bible reading plans that we're going to talk about here. 461 00:26:37,359 --> 00:26:40,800 S1: But I want to give you access to her. And 462 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:43,960 S1: Sherry's first up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hi, Sherry. Why did 463 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:44,840 S1: you call today? 464 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:48,840 S6: Well, I'm 79, and I've never read through the Bible 465 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:51,360 S6: completely like that. And I would like to do it 466 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,240 S6: one time before I die. And I wondered what the 467 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:58,359 S6: easiest one that I can do for my age. And 468 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:01,040 S6: maybe go between the Old and New Testament. 469 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:02,400 S3: Great question. 470 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:03,199 S1: Joanna. 471 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:07,679 S2: I love that so much. In fact, that's one of 472 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:11,040 S2: my favorite ways to read the Bible. Uh, that's one 473 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:13,920 S2: of my plans that I have called covenant, that it 474 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:16,199 S2: takes you from the new to the old, because I 475 00:27:16,200 --> 00:27:20,239 S2: think it's so important that we really hear the the 476 00:27:20,240 --> 00:27:22,560 S2: good news of the gospel, even as we're reading the 477 00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:26,230 S2: Old Testament. So, um, I applaud that. I think that's 478 00:27:26,230 --> 00:27:30,470 S2: a great idea. I do think, you know, using audio 479 00:27:30,470 --> 00:27:33,750 S2: Bible when you need to sometimes, you know, maybe in 480 00:27:33,750 --> 00:27:35,710 S2: some of those Old Testament books that are a little 481 00:27:35,710 --> 00:27:40,230 S2: heavy and long, you know, turning, turning on the Bible 482 00:27:40,230 --> 00:27:44,070 S2: app on your phone or, or a cassette or CD, 483 00:27:44,150 --> 00:27:47,510 S2: whatever you have. Um, so I think maybe you could 484 00:27:47,510 --> 00:27:50,350 S2: come up with a hybrid approach, but I really want 485 00:27:50,350 --> 00:27:54,230 S2: to encourage you. I highly recommend going back and forth 486 00:27:54,230 --> 00:27:55,830 S2: between the Old Testament and New. 487 00:27:56,390 --> 00:27:59,630 S1: The covenant approach, the covenant plan that you have is 488 00:27:59,630 --> 00:28:00,670 S1: that on your website? 489 00:28:01,109 --> 00:28:05,670 S2: It is, it is. I'm just finalizing the journal today, but, uh, 490 00:28:05,670 --> 00:28:07,550 S2: you can sign up for him and I will send 491 00:28:07,550 --> 00:28:10,230 S2: you all four, all four different journals, and you can 492 00:28:10,230 --> 00:28:13,310 S2: just choose the schedule that works best for you. But 493 00:28:13,310 --> 00:28:16,149 S2: the other thing I would suggest is go for it, 494 00:28:16,190 --> 00:28:20,790 S2: aim for in a year, but don't don't get overwhelmed 495 00:28:20,790 --> 00:28:24,700 S2: or disappointed. If you can't make it through, you know, 496 00:28:24,740 --> 00:28:28,340 S2: maybe it'll take 13 months, maybe 14 months, maybe a 497 00:28:28,340 --> 00:28:31,780 S2: year and a half. That's okay. The goal is to 498 00:28:31,820 --> 00:28:35,500 S2: get through the whole Bible. Not not necessarily to meet 499 00:28:35,500 --> 00:28:39,260 S2: some date on the calendar, though I understand the desire. 500 00:28:39,260 --> 00:28:41,500 S2: So I'm going to be praying that the Lord helps you. 501 00:28:41,700 --> 00:28:44,980 S1: Well, and if you get to a place where you're, 502 00:28:45,220 --> 00:28:47,740 S1: as we were talking about, you know, God is really speaking, 503 00:28:48,300 --> 00:28:50,660 S1: this is impressing me. And you get through half of 504 00:28:50,660 --> 00:28:53,020 S1: the chapter and you're there. You know, here's the goal. 505 00:28:53,020 --> 00:28:55,060 S1: I got to get through the chapter. It's like, no 506 00:28:55,220 --> 00:28:59,459 S1: time out. Let's let God speak to me the way 507 00:28:59,500 --> 00:29:03,140 S1: on on his timetable rather than mine here and not 508 00:29:03,140 --> 00:29:05,420 S1: push that aside. Would you agree with that? 509 00:29:05,900 --> 00:29:10,860 S2: Absolutely, absolutely. Uh, and you know, what's so beautiful is 510 00:29:11,100 --> 00:29:13,459 S2: you can spend time talking to the Lord about it 511 00:29:13,460 --> 00:29:16,340 S2: and then come back into it. Or, you know, maybe, 512 00:29:16,340 --> 00:29:19,260 S2: maybe you have to set it down, uh, for a 513 00:29:19,260 --> 00:29:21,380 S2: part of the day, and you come back to it later. 514 00:29:21,420 --> 00:29:23,980 S2: You know, I just think so many times we kind 515 00:29:23,980 --> 00:29:27,060 S2: of set ourselves up to fail. And just to know 516 00:29:27,060 --> 00:29:30,860 S2: that that Jesus just delights, that you want to know 517 00:29:30,860 --> 00:29:35,020 S2: his word. And I just want to encourage you. You know, 518 00:29:35,060 --> 00:29:38,300 S2: the other thing for me, like now, we have been 519 00:29:38,300 --> 00:29:42,100 S2: reading a chapter a day in my Bible reading challenges, um, 520 00:29:42,100 --> 00:29:45,020 S2: that I do each year. And now we're coming back 521 00:29:45,020 --> 00:29:48,220 S2: to going through the Bible chronologically. And so we're reading 522 00:29:48,220 --> 00:29:51,020 S2: a whole lot more. Last year we did we read 523 00:29:51,020 --> 00:29:54,460 S2: through the New Testament, which is another plan I'll have available. 524 00:29:54,460 --> 00:29:58,100 S2: And oh my goodness, it was so rich just to 525 00:29:58,140 --> 00:30:01,700 S2: live in the New Covenant. And that was only like 526 00:30:01,700 --> 00:30:06,060 S2: 30 verses a day on average. And so I would 527 00:30:06,060 --> 00:30:09,540 S2: just say what I'm doing now, coming back to now, 528 00:30:09,780 --> 00:30:12,820 S2: having to read, you know, 3 or 4 chapters is 529 00:30:12,820 --> 00:30:16,620 S2: I'm asking the Holy Spirit to speak, and I'm, I'm 530 00:30:16,660 --> 00:30:20,290 S2: reading and I'm Listening, but I'm not feeling like I 531 00:30:20,290 --> 00:30:22,610 S2: have to. Like, I don't know if this makes sense, but, like, 532 00:30:23,050 --> 00:30:27,770 S2: deep dive into every word or really concentrate. Sometimes it's 533 00:30:27,770 --> 00:30:31,570 S2: almost like, you know, you, you read lightly and then 534 00:30:31,570 --> 00:30:33,650 S2: all of a sudden something kind of just stands out 535 00:30:33,690 --> 00:30:35,690 S2: on the page. I don't know how to explain it. 536 00:30:35,690 --> 00:30:38,330 S2: And you're like, oh, wait a minute, there's something there. 537 00:30:38,650 --> 00:30:41,170 S2: And the Holy Spirit kind of brings you back to that. 538 00:30:41,170 --> 00:30:43,650 S2: And so then I'll meditate on that. I'll respond to 539 00:30:43,650 --> 00:30:46,290 S2: the Lord on that. But then I pick up and 540 00:30:46,290 --> 00:30:49,810 S2: I continue my reading and finish. And sometimes he does 541 00:30:49,810 --> 00:30:53,130 S2: take me into some beautiful, deep Bible studies. I love that, 542 00:30:53,130 --> 00:30:55,770 S2: but don't go in expecting that. You have to have 543 00:30:55,770 --> 00:30:57,010 S2: that kind of pressure. 544 00:30:57,370 --> 00:31:01,330 S1: Yeah. Sherry, is there a is there a fear that 545 00:31:01,330 --> 00:31:04,890 S1: you have you know, is it like that? I'll start 546 00:31:04,890 --> 00:31:07,450 S1: and I won't finish and I won't get through it 547 00:31:07,450 --> 00:31:10,450 S1: or I'll get distracted. Is there any kind of fear 548 00:31:10,450 --> 00:31:11,810 S1: that you have about this? 549 00:31:12,930 --> 00:31:16,850 S6: Yes, probably that I think that I'll, uh, will fail. 550 00:31:16,930 --> 00:31:19,250 S6: I guess you know, we hate to fail the Lord, 551 00:31:19,250 --> 00:31:22,170 S6: but I just have never started it because I thought, 552 00:31:22,170 --> 00:31:26,330 S6: I just can't do it. And but I really have said, Lord, 553 00:31:26,330 --> 00:31:29,210 S6: I guess speaking to me this year is really challenging 554 00:31:29,210 --> 00:31:31,410 S6: me that I need to do this. I think I 555 00:31:31,410 --> 00:31:32,690 S6: will learn so much. 556 00:31:33,490 --> 00:31:36,050 S1: Well, and I would say about that, that you can 557 00:31:36,050 --> 00:31:38,690 S1: lean on him and you can say, God, I feel 558 00:31:38,690 --> 00:31:40,810 S1: like I'm I'm not going to be able to do this, 559 00:31:40,810 --> 00:31:44,130 S1: and I really need you to empower me to do that. 560 00:31:44,130 --> 00:31:45,890 S1: So if I'm going to be if I'm going to 561 00:31:45,890 --> 00:31:48,930 S1: get all the way through from Genesis to Revelation, you're 562 00:31:48,930 --> 00:31:50,610 S1: going to have to help me and I'm going to 563 00:31:50,610 --> 00:31:53,890 S1: lean on you. So you put the onus back on him. 564 00:31:53,930 --> 00:31:55,770 S1: And of course, you know, you got to respond to that. 565 00:31:55,770 --> 00:31:57,570 S1: You got to wake up and you got to you 566 00:31:57,610 --> 00:32:01,770 S1: got to read the scriptures, but you're inviting him into 567 00:32:01,770 --> 00:32:04,250 S1: the fear and the struggle that you have. What do 568 00:32:04,250 --> 00:32:05,490 S1: you think about that, Sherry? 569 00:32:06,330 --> 00:32:10,290 S6: Yes. That's like I'm thinking as I get older is 570 00:32:10,290 --> 00:32:12,930 S6: I lean on him more and more. 571 00:32:13,450 --> 00:32:14,690 S2: Yes, yes. 572 00:32:15,210 --> 00:32:16,320 S7: Isn't that great, Joanna? 573 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,240 S2: Oh my goodness, Cherie. Here's the thing. I just want 574 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:22,479 S2: you to know I feel God's delight over you right now. 575 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,840 S2: Like just his delight. And I feel like he's saying, oh, Cherie, 576 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:30,200 S2: I gave you that desire and I'm going to help you. 577 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:32,520 S2: You don't have to do this on your own. You're 578 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:35,640 S2: not performing for me. For me. We're going to do 579 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:36,640 S2: this together. 580 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:38,080 S7: Yes. 581 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:41,640 S6: I appreciate that. So you said the covenant plan is 582 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:44,760 S6: will be on. I can get to it through Chris's website. 583 00:32:45,200 --> 00:32:47,640 S2: Through they'll be put a link, but you can go 584 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:53,240 S2: to Joanna Weaver Books.com reading plans. One word forward slash 585 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:54,480 S2: reading plans. 586 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,400 S6: Okay. Let me I'm. 587 00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:59,800 S1: Going to write that down for you, Cherie. Hang on. 588 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:04,920 S1: And Tricia will tell you, but it's Joanna Weaver. Books.com. 589 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:07,480 S1: Forward slash reading. 590 00:33:07,840 --> 00:33:08,920 S2: Reading plans. 591 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:14,830 S1: Plans. Plural. Okay. Books. Joanna Weaver books.com. Got it. And 592 00:33:14,830 --> 00:33:17,950 S1: we will put a link up at Chris. Org if 593 00:33:17,950 --> 00:33:20,350 S1: you can't remember all of that you can't write that down. 594 00:33:20,550 --> 00:33:24,270 S1: Just go to Chris. Org. There's so much in there. 595 00:33:24,310 --> 00:33:27,230 S1: You know Sherry tomorrow we're going to talk about um 596 00:33:27,230 --> 00:33:32,630 S1: Bible memorization. And this for me as a getting older 597 00:33:32,750 --> 00:33:35,110 S1: and it's I can't there's a lot of stuff that 598 00:33:35,110 --> 00:33:37,550 S1: I'm forgetting and I can't remember this, that and the 599 00:33:37,550 --> 00:33:41,310 S1: other thing. And I had Glenn and Marshall come on, 600 00:33:41,310 --> 00:33:45,310 S1: and she started talking about memorizing scripture, and I was like, 601 00:33:45,950 --> 00:33:48,230 S1: I don't know, Glenn, if I can do that. I 602 00:33:48,230 --> 00:33:51,070 S1: don't know if. And she challenged me. She's like, yes, 603 00:33:51,070 --> 00:33:53,590 S1: you can, you can do. And what it will do 604 00:33:53,590 --> 00:33:57,350 S1: for the synapses, what it will do for your heart 605 00:33:57,670 --> 00:34:01,270 S1: is something. And so I said, well, Glenn says I 606 00:34:01,270 --> 00:34:04,110 S1: can do it. Then, you know, I might as well try. 607 00:34:04,630 --> 00:34:07,190 S1: And I started to do it, and I, I do. 608 00:34:07,230 --> 00:34:10,430 S1: I remember, you know, Psalm 63 is what I started 609 00:34:10,430 --> 00:34:13,589 S1: with and then went to Psalm 19. And that's a 610 00:34:13,590 --> 00:34:16,549 S1: beautiful song, but it's 14 verses long. It's like, how 611 00:34:16,550 --> 00:34:18,310 S1: am I going to get that? And I'll wake up 612 00:34:18,310 --> 00:34:20,670 S1: in the in the middle of the night. It's like 613 00:34:20,670 --> 00:34:22,350 S1: by the time I get to verse eight, I'm back 614 00:34:22,350 --> 00:34:27,390 S1: to sleep again. But I could do the whole thing. Uh, 615 00:34:27,910 --> 00:34:31,470 S1: being empowered. I'm not saying that to, uh, to puff 616 00:34:31,469 --> 00:34:35,390 S1: me up. I'm saying that the fear that Sherry has 617 00:34:35,390 --> 00:34:38,270 S1: that she can't do this. I think you can do 618 00:34:38,270 --> 00:34:40,830 S1: more than you think. Do you agree with me, Joanna? 619 00:34:41,590 --> 00:34:43,989 S2: I really do. I really do, and I think we 620 00:34:43,989 --> 00:34:46,989 S2: have to remember, we have an enemy that wants to 621 00:34:46,989 --> 00:34:49,830 S2: do all he can to keep us from God's word. 622 00:34:49,989 --> 00:34:53,030 S2: He wants to tell us what we can't do, what 623 00:34:53,030 --> 00:34:55,990 S2: we better not try. But I think God just loves 624 00:34:55,989 --> 00:34:59,390 S2: it when we go. Okay, daddy. Okay. I hear your 625 00:34:59,390 --> 00:35:02,870 S2: voice and I am responding. And then the Holy Spirit 626 00:35:02,870 --> 00:35:06,390 S2: comes with all his power and his grace. And he 627 00:35:06,390 --> 00:35:09,150 S2: enables us to do what we couldn't do on our own. 628 00:35:10,310 --> 00:35:14,260 S1: All right, so there's Sherry, Here's Brooke in Florida. Hi, Brooke. 629 00:35:14,260 --> 00:35:15,060 S1: Go right ahead. 630 00:35:16,140 --> 00:35:21,020 S8: Hi, Chris and Joanna. I kind of got tongue tied here. 631 00:35:21,180 --> 00:35:23,580 S8: I've never called into your show before, but when I 632 00:35:23,580 --> 00:35:26,219 S8: heard that Joanna was going to be on, I thought, oh, 633 00:35:26,260 --> 00:35:30,540 S8: my gosh, I have to do it. Joanna. You have, um, 634 00:35:31,180 --> 00:35:34,540 S8: guided my life like you just won't believe. Um, I 635 00:35:34,660 --> 00:35:38,299 S8: received your book in 2012, uh, from a friend as 636 00:35:38,300 --> 00:35:41,660 S8: a birthday gift, and I have read it every single year. 637 00:35:42,100 --> 00:35:46,940 S8: My poor book is falling apart. I write notes on it. Uh, 638 00:35:46,940 --> 00:35:49,700 S8: stuff that happened to me in the daytime. Uh, when 639 00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:52,739 S8: you've got your read, say, a Psalm 22 and a 640 00:35:52,739 --> 00:35:57,339 S8: question under it. I've answered the questions, and, um, you know, 641 00:35:57,380 --> 00:36:00,460 S8: I could go on and on, but, um, reading your 642 00:36:00,460 --> 00:36:05,340 S8: book and having this, um, I am now, after several years, 643 00:36:05,340 --> 00:36:10,260 S8: I'm a biblical counselor. I'm a mentor for university women. Um, 644 00:36:10,540 --> 00:36:13,819 S8: I have shared this book in different pages with. I'm 645 00:36:13,820 --> 00:36:19,339 S8: also women's ministry leader at our church. It's phenomenal and 646 00:36:19,340 --> 00:36:21,820 S8: I've looked for it to get another copy that wasn't 647 00:36:21,820 --> 00:36:26,060 S8: falling apart. And but I haven't found one. Are they? 648 00:36:26,100 --> 00:36:30,259 S2: Well you. Right. Yeah they are, they are. You you 649 00:36:30,380 --> 00:36:32,739 S2: get Ahold of me. We will make sure you get 650 00:36:32,739 --> 00:36:35,780 S2: my address, my email, and we will make sure that 651 00:36:35,820 --> 00:36:39,220 S2: you get another one. Oh, this means so much to me. Oh, 652 00:36:39,660 --> 00:36:41,180 S2: thank you, thank you, thank you. 653 00:36:41,219 --> 00:36:44,300 S8: I've given it to so many people. And the best, 654 00:36:44,340 --> 00:36:47,580 S8: the most wonderful person that was so impressed was my mother, 655 00:36:47,980 --> 00:36:51,379 S8: who was 85 years old and didn't really know much 656 00:36:51,380 --> 00:36:54,180 S8: about the Bible. And I gave her this book and 657 00:36:54,660 --> 00:36:57,100 S8: she read it, and she died just a few years 658 00:36:57,100 --> 00:36:59,340 S8: after that. But I'm sorry I interrupted you. 659 00:37:00,420 --> 00:37:04,060 S1: No, no, no, you're you're good. Uh, yes. Please get 660 00:37:04,060 --> 00:37:06,620 S1: Brooks email because we want to send you a copy 661 00:37:06,620 --> 00:37:09,650 S1: of that, and we'll pass that along to Joanna. This 662 00:37:09,690 --> 00:37:12,729 S1: and that is music to your ears, isn't it? Joanna. 663 00:37:12,770 --> 00:37:15,450 S2: Oh my goodness. Yeah. That means that means so much. 664 00:37:15,489 --> 00:37:18,770 S2: I have devotionals that have been precious to me. I mean, 665 00:37:18,770 --> 00:37:21,690 S2: we could even talk about that. Just like I call it. 666 00:37:21,690 --> 00:37:25,890 S2: Like a devotional supplement to my Bible reading, where I'll 667 00:37:25,890 --> 00:37:29,570 S2: read a daily portion. Interestingly, at the feet of Jesus, 668 00:37:29,570 --> 00:37:34,089 S2: the devotional has this, uh, Bible reading plan that I 669 00:37:34,090 --> 00:37:37,210 S2: feature in covenant. So it takes you back and forth. 670 00:37:37,210 --> 00:37:39,049 S2: And so you have it all in one place. You've 671 00:37:39,050 --> 00:37:41,810 S2: got your daily Bible reading, and then you've got a 672 00:37:41,810 --> 00:37:44,170 S2: reading plan in the back of the devotional. 673 00:37:44,410 --> 00:37:48,969 S1: Yeah. Brooke, uh, really encouraging. Please. Hang on. I want 674 00:37:49,010 --> 00:37:51,529 S1: Tricia to get your information so that we can get 675 00:37:51,530 --> 00:37:53,650 S1: you a new copy of that. Take a picture of 676 00:37:53,650 --> 00:37:55,569 S1: the old one, though. Joanna wants to. 677 00:37:55,570 --> 00:37:55,770 S7: See. 678 00:37:55,810 --> 00:37:58,410 S1: It. I want to see it. And we'll take a break. 679 00:37:58,410 --> 00:38:01,730 S1: If you go to Chris, we got a lot of 680 00:38:01,730 --> 00:38:05,290 S1: resources for you. And one of those is a link 681 00:38:05,330 --> 00:38:08,240 S1: to what we just talked about, the reading plans. Joanna 682 00:38:08,239 --> 00:38:12,440 S1: Weaver Books.com forward slash plans will have the link there 683 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:28,560 S1: at Chris Dot more straight ahead on Moody Radio. Do 684 00:38:28,560 --> 00:38:32,600 S1: you hear the hope in Joanna Weaver's voice? The the 685 00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:34,759 S1: trust that she has that God is going to do 686 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:41,200 S1: something in you, through you, by you being exposed to 687 00:38:41,239 --> 00:38:44,759 S1: His Word, by reading it, by hearing it. Uh, I 688 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:48,040 S1: hope you're catching that today. And if you're listening to 689 00:38:48,080 --> 00:38:50,919 S1: the enemy's voice, you've heard the enemy's voice. You can't 690 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:53,920 S1: do that. You're too old. You're too young, you're too busy. 691 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:58,880 S1: You're too whatever. Uh, don't don't listen to that. Listen 692 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:01,239 S1: to the voice of the one who, as I said 693 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:04,520 S1: at the beginning of the program, cares about you the most. 694 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:08,480 S1: Who wants to spend time with you. That's what we're 695 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:11,520 S1: talking about all this week here on Chris Fabry Live. 696 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:14,000 S1: Mark's in Illinois. Mark, why did you call today? 697 00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:20,640 S9: Yeah, I am totally blind. And I have determined that 698 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:23,120 S9: I am going to read the Bible in a year 699 00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:25,640 S9: or less. And I have a I have an audio 700 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:28,960 S9: book of the Bible. I'm using the Eugene Peterson version. 701 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:34,760 S9: And the reason is that he specifically designates his version 702 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:38,000 S9: as a reading Bible. He says, if you want to 703 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:41,799 S9: study the Bible, you know, use other versions alongside of mine, 704 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,239 S9: or use a good study Bible that has footnotes. But 705 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:48,160 S9: if you just want to read the Bible with freshness 706 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:52,319 S9: of language and modern idiom, read mine. And so I'm 707 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:57,560 S9: reading his and I'm already into the, uh, last third 708 00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:02,160 S9: of Leviticus. And after I'm done with the first five 709 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:05,470 S9: books of Moses, I'm going to read, uh, at least 710 00:40:05,469 --> 00:40:07,710 S9: the first gospel. So I'm going to do that Old 711 00:40:07,750 --> 00:40:12,870 S9: Testament New Testament alternation. And I'm I found out that 712 00:40:12,870 --> 00:40:16,310 S9: this version of the Bible, which is totally unabridged, is 713 00:40:16,310 --> 00:40:20,430 S9: 78 hours and 30 minutes. 714 00:40:21,950 --> 00:40:23,190 S1: It's a long time. 715 00:40:24,030 --> 00:40:27,190 S9: That's equivalent to three days, six hours and 30 minutes. 716 00:40:27,190 --> 00:40:30,950 S9: And because I'm listening with the speech compressor, it's actually 717 00:40:30,950 --> 00:40:33,910 S9: going to take me less time. But I am really 718 00:40:33,910 --> 00:40:37,989 S9: looking forward to this, just getting the overall flavor and 719 00:40:37,989 --> 00:40:42,150 S9: tone of the Bible just by reading it day by day? 720 00:40:43,030 --> 00:40:43,390 S7: Yes. 721 00:40:43,390 --> 00:40:46,270 S1: Do you do it at a specific time each day? Mark. 722 00:40:47,710 --> 00:40:52,590 S9: Uh, yeah. Usually I'm a night owl. I've been doing 723 00:40:52,590 --> 00:40:55,510 S9: it between like one and three in the morning. 724 00:40:55,630 --> 00:41:01,750 S1: Really interesting. I hear life in your voice. Do you 725 00:41:01,750 --> 00:41:04,070 S1: hear that, Joanna? The same thing I'm hearing. 726 00:41:04,110 --> 00:41:07,790 S2: Absolutely. Yeah. I love it, I love it. You know, 727 00:41:07,830 --> 00:41:09,910 S2: I was thinking I was thinking, well, of all the 728 00:41:09,910 --> 00:41:14,430 S2: versions to read, if you want. That's the longest one. Yes, 729 00:41:14,469 --> 00:41:17,190 S2: but but I love that. I love how it's speaking 730 00:41:17,190 --> 00:41:19,910 S2: to you. And I really. I mean, my heart just 731 00:41:19,910 --> 00:41:22,509 S2: leaps when I hear you saying that you're going to 732 00:41:22,510 --> 00:41:24,830 S2: go to the New Testament as well, you know, and 733 00:41:24,830 --> 00:41:28,350 S2: I love, I love my plan actually breaks up, um, 734 00:41:28,390 --> 00:41:30,790 S2: the Old Testament and breaks up the Gospels. So you're 735 00:41:30,790 --> 00:41:34,270 S2: not reading gospel after gospel, but you're you're really you're 736 00:41:34,270 --> 00:41:37,029 S2: in and out of the, the Old Testament and then 737 00:41:37,030 --> 00:41:40,229 S2: into the new. And and I reading that way has 738 00:41:40,230 --> 00:41:45,190 S2: really helped me see the New Covenant as it's foreshadowed 739 00:41:45,190 --> 00:41:48,989 S2: really powerfully through the Old Testament. So well done. I'm 740 00:41:48,989 --> 00:41:51,430 S2: excited for you. And I can hear that life. 741 00:41:51,670 --> 00:41:54,830 S1: Here is the other thing that you do as you journal. 742 00:41:54,870 --> 00:41:59,390 S1: Keep the questions, you know, keep a book or, uh, 743 00:41:59,390 --> 00:42:02,190 S1: I have note cards that are all over the place. 744 00:42:02,340 --> 00:42:05,259 S1: Still have those though. They're trying to help me with 745 00:42:05,260 --> 00:42:07,900 S1: my clutter, but it's just okay. Here's a I didn't 746 00:42:07,940 --> 00:42:11,339 S1: I didn't read that before here in Joshua or Judges. 747 00:42:11,860 --> 00:42:14,940 S1: I didn't know that about this. Why is why did 748 00:42:14,940 --> 00:42:17,620 S1: he say that? Just write the question down. Don't let 749 00:42:17,620 --> 00:42:22,860 S1: it stop you or hinder you. Um, and keep reading 750 00:42:22,860 --> 00:42:24,660 S1: so that you have the question that you can come 751 00:42:24,660 --> 00:42:27,459 S1: back to later. I think that's a good discipline. Just 752 00:42:27,460 --> 00:42:31,819 S1: like in prayer, if you think of something that distracts 753 00:42:31,820 --> 00:42:35,700 S1: you in prayer. What I've tried to do now is 754 00:42:35,700 --> 00:42:38,740 S1: not to beat myself up and say, oh, how terrible 755 00:42:38,739 --> 00:42:40,899 S1: I am. I should be thinking about you, God, and 756 00:42:40,900 --> 00:42:43,660 S1: here I am. It's like, no, I'll write it down. Lord, 757 00:42:43,660 --> 00:42:45,819 S1: here's something I'm thinking about. And now I'm going to 758 00:42:45,820 --> 00:42:48,700 S1: get back to this and be gentle. Be kind to 759 00:42:48,739 --> 00:42:53,220 S1: myself rather than judgmental about myself. Do you agree with that? 760 00:42:54,460 --> 00:42:59,980 S2: Absolutely. Absolutely. Again, you know, Jesus said to the Pharisees, 761 00:42:59,980 --> 00:43:03,290 S2: he said, You're tying up heavy burdens and you're putting 762 00:43:03,290 --> 00:43:06,290 S2: them on people's backs. And I feel like sometimes we 763 00:43:06,290 --> 00:43:08,810 S2: can do that. Even with reading the Bible, we know 764 00:43:08,810 --> 00:43:12,250 S2: it's a should. We we know that we it would 765 00:43:12,250 --> 00:43:15,610 S2: be good for us, but just the heavy weight and 766 00:43:15,610 --> 00:43:19,330 S2: expectations that we put on ourselves can be crushing. And 767 00:43:19,330 --> 00:43:22,610 S2: when you read it lightly like that and and refuse 768 00:43:22,969 --> 00:43:26,090 S2: the enemy's attempts to derail us with guilt or shame 769 00:43:26,090 --> 00:43:29,770 S2: or even pride when we do it well, you know 770 00:43:29,810 --> 00:43:33,410 S2: that we're just like, no, Lord, we're doing it together. And, 771 00:43:33,450 --> 00:43:37,170 S2: you know, I was thinking another another verse that came 772 00:43:37,170 --> 00:43:39,210 S2: to mind as we were talking about the importance of 773 00:43:39,210 --> 00:43:43,330 S2: Bible reading. You know, Jesus said in John 16 verse 12, 774 00:43:43,370 --> 00:43:45,529 S2: he said, I have much more to say to you, 775 00:43:45,530 --> 00:43:48,489 S2: more than you can now bear. But when he, the 776 00:43:48,489 --> 00:43:52,370 S2: spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. 777 00:43:52,650 --> 00:43:55,009 S2: And he goes on to say, he will bring glory 778 00:43:55,010 --> 00:43:58,410 S2: to me by taking from what is mine and making 779 00:43:58,410 --> 00:44:02,930 S2: it known to you. So this is again a relationship where, 780 00:44:02,969 --> 00:44:05,370 S2: you know, we've got the word of God, but then 781 00:44:05,370 --> 00:44:08,489 S2: the Holy Spirit. I'm sure you've experienced, Chris, where all 782 00:44:08,489 --> 00:44:12,649 S2: of a sudden something you've read 100 times comes alive 783 00:44:12,650 --> 00:44:16,170 S2: in a brand new way? Yes, that's Jesus through the 784 00:44:16,170 --> 00:44:20,650 S2: Holy Spirit, taking something new and depositing in our life. 785 00:44:20,650 --> 00:44:23,850 S2: And that truly is I mean, that has actually made 786 00:44:23,850 --> 00:44:27,689 S2: me a very disciplined Bible reader. I don't miss very 787 00:44:27,690 --> 00:44:31,210 S2: many days anymore. It's taken a long time to get there. 788 00:44:31,610 --> 00:44:35,530 S2: But but I it's just a part of my being. 789 00:44:35,530 --> 00:44:39,570 S2: It's it's it is like bread and water. It's it's life. 790 00:44:39,850 --> 00:44:43,450 S2: But that doesn't come from religious shoulds and have tos. 791 00:44:43,450 --> 00:44:45,210 S2: It comes from relationship. 792 00:44:45,930 --> 00:44:49,810 S1: Okay. You said something before our last break or in 793 00:44:49,810 --> 00:44:53,810 S1: the break that God is going to increase our understanding. Yes. 794 00:44:53,969 --> 00:44:55,770 S1: Tell me about that before we end here today. 795 00:44:55,770 --> 00:44:59,279 S2: Yes, yes. Well, I know if if there's people out 796 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:02,200 S2: there that are like me, especially if we're older, we're thinking, 797 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,479 S2: I'm so old. I you know, I haven't done it. 798 00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,919 S2: It's too late. I really believe that if we will 799 00:45:07,960 --> 00:45:11,399 S2: begin to read again, start small, but begin. God is 800 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:17,279 S2: going to exponentially increase our spiritual knowledge because again, this 801 00:45:17,280 --> 00:45:20,440 S2: is something spiritual. This is not head knowledge. This is 802 00:45:20,440 --> 00:45:23,240 S2: the Spirit of God making the Word of God alive 803 00:45:23,239 --> 00:45:26,200 S2: to us. So just start and watch what God's going 804 00:45:26,239 --> 00:45:26,680 S2: to do. 805 00:45:27,040 --> 00:45:31,080 S1: Amen, Amen. And if you need a plan, we have 806 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:35,760 S1: a link at Chris Dot from Joanna Joanna Weaver Books.com 807 00:45:35,760 --> 00:45:38,920 S1: forward slash plans. If you can't remember that, just go 808 00:45:38,920 --> 00:45:45,360 S1: to Chris. And allow God's Word to wash over you, 809 00:45:45,360 --> 00:45:49,919 S1: to wash through your life and see if see what happens. 810 00:45:50,120 --> 00:45:54,239 S1: See if there's not some kind of breakthrough in your life, 811 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:57,800 S1: meaning the kind of breakthrough that God wants to make 812 00:45:57,840 --> 00:46:01,560 S1: that that he might wake you up to some things 813 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:03,920 S1: that you need to see, that you can't see on 814 00:46:03,920 --> 00:46:06,560 S1: your own, that he'll show them to you. That can 815 00:46:06,560 --> 00:46:09,719 S1: be hard as well. It can be challenging, but it's 816 00:46:09,719 --> 00:46:13,279 S1: also good. And I hope you've been encouraged today. Joanna, 817 00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:16,479 S1: thank you for being available. And, uh, thanks for coming 818 00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:18,480 S1: alongside us here at the back fence today. 819 00:46:19,400 --> 00:46:21,520 S2: Uh, it's been an honor any time. Chris. 820 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:25,319 S1: Again, the author of Embracing Trust Having a merry heart 821 00:46:25,360 --> 00:46:29,160 S1: in a Martha World and more, she has those reading plans. 822 00:46:29,160 --> 00:46:31,320 S1: We have a link right there at the website. Chris. 823 00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:36,759 S1: Chris Fabry live. If reading the Bible in a year 824 00:46:36,760 --> 00:46:39,160 S1: is something you want to do, you can do it. 825 00:46:39,160 --> 00:46:42,880 S1: You can do it. Trust him. Keep reading and come 826 00:46:42,880 --> 00:46:46,279 S1: back tomorrow. For Chris Fabry live production of Moody Radio, 827 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:48,720 S1: a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.