Bible for Newbies

Russ Michaels
  • 5.0 (40)
  • Christianity
  • Semiweekly

This podcast is for you if you're new to reading the Bible or if you've been reading for a while and you want to go deeper. The goal is to help untangle the confusing stuff so your Bible reading feels rewarding and life-giving, not frustrating or overwhelming. One of Jesus' disciples, Peter, wrote that the scriptures are like light shining in a dark place. Reading the Bible is like flipping your headlights to high beam when you're driving on a dark country road. Suddenly, things get clearer, you can see the road ahead and avoid the ditches. So come take a ride with me and let's turn on the light.

  1. 4d ago

    Can You Keep Sinning and Still Be Forgiven?

    Russ shares a study insight from preparing his message on Hebrews 9 and 10 for Connect Church. He follows the warning in Hebrews 10:26-31 back to Numbers 15 and forward to 1 John. The result is a clear distinction between stumbling into sin and practicing it. This is a solo episode and it is a heavy topic. In this episode: Why Hebrews reads more like a sermon than a letter, and why Russ encouraged his church to read or listen to the whole book in one sittingHow Hebrews 9 presents Jesus as the final offering for sin, using tabernacle imagery: the holy place, the most holy place, and the veilThe pivot at Hebrews 10:19, where the book moves from theology to exhortationThe sobering warning in Hebrews 10:26-31 about deliberately continuing to sin after receiving knowledge of the truthNumbers 15: the old covenant made provision for unintentional sin but drew a sharp line at brazen, deliberate defianceHow 1 John holds together two ideas: forgiveness when we stumble, and the call to obeyRuss's own practice of self-examination and of reorienting to Jesus each day, even after a bad day

    Can You Keep Sinning and Still Be Forgiven?

  2. 6d ago

    How to Vote if Jesus is Your King

    Russ explains how Christians can think about voting without making politics their ultimate allegiance. The episode centers on three questions: who is my king, what matters to my king, and how do I represent my king? It’s a practical guide to civic engagement shaped by Scripture, humility, and the reign of Jesus. Inside the episode: In this episode, Russ defines the kingdom of God as the reign of Jesus, not merely heaven or the church.He emphasizes that Christ followers are kingdom citizens before they are American citizens.He argues that Christians should vote with a kingdom mindset, not as loyalists to a political party.He uses Jeremiah 29 to show that God’s people should seek the welfare of the place where they live.He urges listeners to think beyond self-interest and consider the common good, including schools, housing, economic opportunity, public safety, vulnerable people, and the unborn.He points to Micah’s call to do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.He encourages believers to pray for wisdom, study candidates and issues carefully, and discern in an AI-saturated media environment.He warns against using Scripture to justify preexisting political convictions instead of letting Scripture shape them.He says Christians should be known by love, not by political agreement, and should reject contempt toward people made in God’s image.He closes by urging prayer for leaders in authority and reminding listeners that election results do not determine whether Jesus reigns.

    How to Vote if Jesus is Your King

  3. Oct 21

    How to Use the Filament Bible App to Go Deeper into Scripture

    Russ walks through the Filament Study Bible app, shows how the print Bible and app work together, and then uses the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 to model a simple Bible study. The episode matters because it shows how a study Bible can help you read more carefully, compare translations, and follow cross references into deeper interpretation.In this episode, Russ explains the app’s main features, reads the Lord’s Prayer aloud, and then follows study notes into Matthew 4, Matthew 26, James 1, and 1 Chronicles 29 to explore temptation, testing, and the doxology tradition. It’s a practical, beginner friendly look at how to let Bible study tools shape your reading. Inside the episode: Russ introduces the Filament Study Bible, which combines a print Bible with the Filament app.He gives a quick tour of the app’s main tabs, including Home, Reading Plans, Scan, Audio Bible, and More.The Reading Plans section includes options like a one year Bible plan and a seven day plan on anxiety and God’s peace.The Scan feature is used to pull up Matthew 6 through 8 from the printed page.The Audio Bible feature offers multiple voices, and Russ chooses the one he finds most listenable.The More tab includes settings for Bible translation, reminders, audio speed, text size, theme, tutorials, and support.Russ reads Matthew 6:8 to 13 and compares the NLT wording with more traditional renderings of the Lord’s Prayer.He notices footnotes on phrases like “Give us today the food we need” and “Don’t let us yield to temptation.”A study note links the temptation line to Matthew 4:1 to 11, showing how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.Russ reflects on the difference between temptation and testing, and how the Spirit may lead into a wilderness place without God being the source of temptation.Another cross reference sends him to Matthew 26:41, where Jesus tells the disciples to watch and pray so they do not give in to temptation.James 1:13 reinforces the point that God does not tempt anyone.The final study note explains that the doxology in some manuscripts may have been added later, possibly influenced by 1 Chronicles 29:11 to 13.Russ reads David’s praise in 1 Chronicles 29 and connects it to the familiar ending of the Lord’s Prayer.He closes by encouraging listeners to read the Bible with the intention of hearing God speak.

    How to Use the Filament Bible App to Go Deeper into Scripture

  4. Oct 19

    Meet the Filament Bible: The Best of Print and Digital

    Russ reviews his new NLT Filament Enabled Bible and explains why it stands out as a practical, newbie-friendly print Bible. He also reflects on the 500th anniversary of English Bible translation, connecting the Bible’s design and purpose to William Tyndale’s legacy and the goal of making Scripture understandable in everyday language.In this episode, Russ walks through the Bible’s physical features, front matter, and back matter, then previews how the companion app will work alongside the print edition. If you’re curious about Bible bindings, translation philosophy, or how to choose a print Bible that’s easy to use, this episode is packed with useful observations. Inside the episode: Why Russ bought a print NLT Bible after primarily teaching from the NLT without owning a substantial print copyThe 500th anniversary of English Bible translation and William Tyndale’s translation workHow the Filament Enabled Bible connects print reading with digital resources through its companion appThe difference between genuine leather and bonded leather bindingsThe Bible’s readable text—and the challenge of its very small reference printThe NLT’s translation philosophy, publication history, and ongoing updatesThe Tyndale Verse Finder, a newbie-friendly tool for locating verses by topicVisual overviews and infographics about Israel’s calendar, the Psalms, the prophets, Jesus’ ministry, and moreWhy Russ expects to use his print Bible and the Filament app together

    Meet the Filament Bible: The Best of Print and Digital

  5. Oct 14

    How to Use Notes, Footnotes, and Cross-References in Your Study Bible

    Russ walks through a practical example from Matthew 6 to show how study Bible tools can deepen personal Bible reading. He focuses on the Lord’s Prayer, using notes, footnotes, and cross references to unpack prayer, temptation, and translation details. Inside the episode: In this episode, Russ explains how notes, footnotes, and cross references each serve a different purpose in a study Bible.He uses Matthew 6:9 to show how a study Bible note frames the Lord’s Prayer as a model for prayer, not just a memorized passage.Russ breaks the prayer into categories: adoration, God’s kingdom and will, daily needs, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil.He distinguishes footnotes from commentary notes, showing how footnotes often give alternate translations or clarify difficult wording.He uses a footnote on “daily bread” to demonstrate how translation choices can reveal meaning and why he reads footnotes carefully.Russ explains cross references as a way to trace themes across Scripture, comparing Matthew 6:13 with John 17:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and James 1:13.He highlights John 17 as Jesus’ prayer for believers, connecting the Lord’s Prayer to Christ’s intercession.He uses 2 Thessalonians 3:3 to emphasize God’s faithfulness to strengthen and guard believers from evil.He uses James 1:13 to stress that temptation does not come from God and should not be blamed on Him.Russ closes by discussing a footnote about the doxology, explaining why some newer translations omit it while older manuscripts and traditional versions include it in the notes.

    How to Use Notes, Footnotes, and Cross-References in Your Study Bible

  6. Oct 12

    What's Hiding in Your Study Bible?

    Russ gives a practical walkthrough of the study helps found in a print Bible, using his Harper Study Bible as the example. This episode shows how much useful material is often sitting in the front and back of a Bible that many readers never open.This solo episode focuses on educational guidance. Russ explains the purpose of the front matter, study notes, concordance, and maps, then previews a follow-up episode on cross-references. Inside the episode: Why Russ returned to print Bibles and paper journals after being challenged to revisit older spiritual practicesWhat makes a study Bible different from a regular Bible, and why these helps existFront matter, including the title page, copyright details, preface, table of contents, abbreviations, pronunciation guides, and alphabetical book listingWhy the RSV was revised from the King James tradition and how translation choices affect clarityHow book introductions help readers understand authorship, purpose, and outline before reading a biblical bookHow the index to annotations helps readers find commentary on themes like blood, covenant, and faithHow a concordance works, using “shepherd” and Psalm 23:1 as an exampleHow Bible maps help readers visualize Exodus, the patriarchs, the 12 tribes, David and Solomon, divided Israel and Judah, exile routes, Jesus’ time, Paul’s missionary journeys, and the Roman EmpireWhy listeners should explore the tools in their own study BibleA preview of the next episode on cross-references

    What's Hiding in Your Study Bible?

  7. Oct 7

    The Psalms Aren’t Only in the Psalms

    This bonus episode wraps up the Psalms series by showing that psalm-like poetry appears all over Scripture, not just in the book of Psalms. Russ traces examples from Exodus, 2 Samuel, Jonah, Luke, Revelation, and the lesser-known Psalm 151 to show how biblical worship and song span the whole Bible.He also explains why Psalm 151 is fascinating, why it appears in some ancient traditions but not most modern Bibles, and what its existence suggests about the wider world of ancient Jewish worship texts. Inside the episode: Russ revisits the core idea that a psalm is a kind of poetry meant to be sung, not just a section title in the Bible.In Exodus 15, Moses and Israel sing after crossing the Red Sea, celebrating God’s rescue from Pharaoh’s army.In 2 Samuel 22, David sings a deliverance song that appears again almost word for word as Psalm 18.Russ highlights the small but meaningful opening difference between 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, where Psalm 18 begins, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.”Jonah 2 is presented as a psalm-like prayer from the belly of the fish, full of poetic imagery, distress, and thanksgiving.Russ points out that Jonah’s prayer ends with the declaration, “Salvation belongs to the Lord.”In Luke 1, Mary’s Magnificat is introduced as a psalm of praise, centered on God’s mercy, reversal, and faithfulness to Israel.Russ notes that Luke chapters 1 and 2 are filled with song and poetry, showing that psalmody continues into the New Testament.Revelation is described as ending the Bible with repeated bursts of worship that echo the themes and structure of the Psalms.Psalm 151 is introduced as a real ancient psalm found in some traditions, especially the Septuagint and certain Orthodox Bibles, though not in most modern Protestant or Jewish collections.Russ explains that Psalm 151 also appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in Syriac, suggesting it has deeper historical roots than many readers realize.The episode closes by stressing that ancient Jewish people preserved more psalms than the 150 included in the standard biblical book of Psalms.

    The Psalms Aren’t Only in the Psalms

  8. Oct 5

    The Psalms as a Book: The Story Behind the Songs

    This episode wraps up a Psalms series by showing how the book of Psalms is not a random collection of 150 songs, but an intentionally arranged whole with a clear movement and story. Russ uses David Crowder concept albums as a creative lens to explain how the Psalter moves from wisdom and kingship through crisis and then into sustained praise. Inside the episode: Russ frames the book of Psalms like a concept album, especially comparing it to David Crowder’s albums A Collision, B Collision, and American Prodigal.He explains that Psalms is not just a loose collection of songs, but an intentionally arranged book often called the Psalter.He highlights Psalms 1 and 2 as the introduction to the whole collection.Psalm 1 emphasizes wisdom through listening to God’s instruction, or Torah.Psalm 2 emphasizes wisdom through following God’s anointed king, the Messiah, or Christ.He points out the five-book structure of Psalms and the doxologies that mark the end of each book.Psalm 89 is presented as a turning point where David’s kingdom appears to fail, raising the question of God’s promises.Book 4 shifts the focus to the truth that Yahweh is king, even when human kings and kingdoms fall.Book 5 closes with Psalms 146 through 150, a crescendo of praise that feels like a symphony.Russ closes by emphasizing that Psalms teaches believers how to bring every emotion to God, ending with praise.

    The Psalms as a Book: The Story Behind the Songs
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About

This podcast is for you if you're new to reading the Bible or if you've been reading for a while and you want to go deeper. The goal is to help untangle the confusing stuff so your Bible reading feels rewarding and life-giving, not frustrating or overwhelming. One of Jesus' disciples, Peter, wrote that the scriptures are like light shining in a dark place. Reading the Bible is like flipping your headlights to high beam when you're driving on a dark country road. Suddenly, things get clearer, you can see the road ahead and avoid the ditches. So come take a ride with me and let's turn on the light.

Information

  • Creator
    Russ Michaels
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    161
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Russ Michaels
  • Show Website
    Bible for Newbies