Set Free Stay Free: A Bible Study Podcast with Matt Dawson

MattDawsonTV
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Christianity

Set Free Stay Free is a Scripture-first Bible study podcast that walks through books of the Bible using the SOAP method—Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer—helping believers not only be set free in Christ, but learn how to stay free.

  1. 6d ago

    A Life Worthy of the Calling — Ephesians 4:1–6 | Season 2, Episode 8

    Who are you living your life for? And does the way you actually live it match what you say you believe? With one word — therefore — Paul pivots the entire letter. Everything in chapters 1 through 3 was foundation: chosen, adopted, saved by grace, sealed by the Spirit, empowered by unlimited resources. Now comes the turn. Therefore, live a life worthy of the calling you've received. In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson opens Ephesians chapter 4 and Paul gets remarkably practical right out of the gate. Not a list of rules. Not a performance checklist. Just four things — and most of us would struggle to live out even one of them on any given day. Always be humble. Always be gentle. Be patient. Make allowances for each other's faults. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks what it actually looks like to pre-decide humility before the rude text arrives, to make allowances for people's failures the way a company builds buffer into a cash drawer, and to choose peace with fellow believers not out of weakness but out of the one unifying reality that holds us all together — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone who wants to know what a life worthy of Christ actually looks like in practice — and who knows they can't pull it off without the Holy Spirit. In this episode: Why "therefore" is the hinge point of the entire letterWhat "a life worthy of your calling" actually means — and doesn't meanThe cash drawer illustration of making allowances for others' faultsWhy unity among believers isn't optional — and what it's rooted inThe one Lord, one faith, one baptism declaration and why it mattersA closing prayer for the Holy Spirit's strength to live humbly and gently today📖 Passage: Ephesians 4:1–6 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    15 min

  2. May 26

    How Wide, How Long, How High, How Deep — Ephesians 3:14–21 | Season 2, Episode 7

    Have you ever felt spiritually weak? Thin on the inside? Exhausted from trying to be faithful when you're running on empty? Paul has a prayer for that — and it's one of the most powerful passages in all of scripture. In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson arrives at his absolute favorite section of Ephesians. Chapter 3, verses 14–21. Paul falls to his knees and prays that the church would be empowered with inner strength through the Holy Spirit. That their roots would grow down deep into God's love and keep them strong. And that they would have the power to experience — even if they can't fully understand — just how wide and long and high and deep that love really is. Matt shares a deeply personal story of a November trip to a cold, nearly empty beach during one of the weariest seasons of his life — and what happened when he sat down with this passage and stared at an ocean he couldn't see the end of. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks the roots-and-branches illustration of faith versus feelings, what it means that God can accomplish infinitely more than we could ask or imagine, and why the closing doxology of chapter 3 is one of the great benedictions in all of the New Testament. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone who is spiritually weary and needs to be reminded where their strength actually comes from. In this episode: Why inner strength comes from the Holy Spirit — not from trying harderThe roots and branches illustration of faith, feelings, and what keeps us strongA personal story of experiencing God's love at an empty November beachWhat "more than you could ask or imagine" actually looks like in a real lifeWhy Paul closes chapter 3 with glory to God in the church — and what that meansA closing prayer for weary believers to be strengthened by God's unlimited resources📖 Passage: Ephesians 3:14–21 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    22 min

  3. May 22

    Why the Church? — Ephesians 3:1–13 | Season 2, Episode 6

    Have you ever looked at the church — with all its mess, its hurt, its broken people and broken leadership — and wondered why God would choose this as his plan? Paul has an answer. And it's bigger than you might expect. In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson opens Ephesians chapter 3 and lands on one of the most surprising statements in Paul's entire letter. God's purpose in bringing Jews and Gentiles together into one people wasn't just about them. It was to use the church to display his wisdom — in all its rich variety — to rulers and authorities across the heavenly realms. That was his eternal plan. Plan A through Z. The church. Not a gas station. Not an airport hub. A display of God's wisdom to the watching world. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks Paul's deep sense of privilege in being called to bring this mystery to the Gentiles, why the church matters more than we often give it credit for, and what it looks like to walk boldly and confidently into God's presence because of what Christ has done. He closes with a personal reflection on what it means to consider suffering in ministry an honor — and a challenge to share this study with someone this week. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone who has underestimated what God actually wants to do through his church. In this episode: Why Paul calls himself the least deserving of all God's peopleThe mysterious plan revealed — Jews and Gentiles as one new peopleWhy God chose the church as his eternal plan to display his wisdomWhat it means to come boldly and confidently into God's presenceWhy Paul considers his suffering in prison an honor, not a burdenA closing prayer for the church to embrace its calling with courage📖 Passage: Ephesians 3:1–13 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    17 min

  4. May 19

    No Longer Outsiders — Ephesians 2:11–22 | Season 2, Episode 5

    Have you ever felt like an outsider? Like you didn't quite belong, weren't quite included, didn't quite make the cut? That's exactly where the Gentiles stood — and Paul wants to make sure they never forget how far they've come. In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson continues the Season 2 Ephesians Bible study with chapter 2, verses 11–22. Paul draws another sweeping contrast: once you were strangers, foreigners, excluded from the covenant promises of God, living without hope in the world. But now — through the blood of Christ — you've been brought near. The wall of hostility has been torn down. And two groups that were deeply, historically hostile toward one another have been made into one new people. That's not a small thing. That's a miracle. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks why Jewish and Gentile hostility was so deeply rooted, what it cost Christ to end it, and what it means that we are now the temple — the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, carefully joined together with Christ as the cornerstone. The application lands somewhere practical: we're still building that temple, one person at a time, as we share the hope of Christ with those who are still on the outside. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone who has forgotten how far grace actually brought them. In this episode: What it meant for Gentiles to be called "outsiders" in the ancient worldThe deep historical hostility between Jews and Gentiles — and why it matteredHow Christ ended that hostility by ending the law's dividing powerWhat it means that we are now God's temple and dwelling placeThe cornerstone illustration — and how the whole building depends on ChristA closing prayer for sharing the good news with those still far away📖 Passage: Ephesians 2:11–22 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    17 min

  5. May 15

    But God — Ephesians 2:1–10 | Season 2, Episode 4

    Have you ever tried to change something about yourself and found that no amount of effort, resolve, or doubling down could actually do it? Paul has a reason for that — and two of the most powerful words in all of scripture to answer it. In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson opens Ephesians chapter 2 and Paul draws the sharpest contrast in the entire letter. Before Christ? Dead. Not struggling, not wounded, not mostly dead — fully, completely, without-hope dead. And dead people can't do anything to save themselves. But God. So rich in mercy. So full of love. That even while we were dead, he gave us life. Not after we cleaned ourselves up. Not after we proved ourselves worthy. When we believed — that's when grace moved. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks why this passage is one of the clearest summaries of the gospel in all of scripture, revisits the gift card versus discount card illustration to show why we can't contribute even a dollar to our salvation, and lands on one of the most encouraging truths in Ephesians: you are God's masterpiece, created for things he planned long ago. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone still trying to bring something to a gift that was already paid in full. In this episode: Why Paul starts chapter 2 with the bleakest possible picture of our starting pointWhat "dead in trespasses and sins" actually means — and why it mattersThe gift card vs. discount card illustration of graceWhy salvation can't be a reward — and what that frees us fromWhat it means to be God's masterpiece created for good worksA closing prayer of gratitude for grace that required nothing from us📖 Passage: Ephesians 2:1–10 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    15 min

  6. May 12

    Open My Eyes — Ephesians 1:15–23 | Season 2, Episode 3

    What if your greatest spiritual problem isn't that you don't know enough — it's that you can't see what you already know? That's the prayer Paul prays for the church in Ephesus. Not that they would learn more, study harder, or achieve greater things. He prays that God would open their eyes. That they would have spiritual wisdom and insight. That their hearts would be flooded with light so they could walk in the confident hope that's already theirs in Christ. In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson finishes out Ephesians chapter 1 with verses 15–23. Paul's closing prayer for the Ephesian church is one of the richest in all of scripture — and it cuts straight to something most believers quietly wrestle with. It's not a lack of knowledge. For most people who have grown up in church, the knowledge is already there. The question is whether we can actually see it, connect the dots, and walk in the freedom and inheritance we already have. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks Paul's two-part prayer — open their eyes to who God is, and help them understand where true authority really lies. In a culture full of competing voices, rulers, and pressures, Paul's answer to the Ephesians is the same answer we need today: the power that raised Christ from the dead lives in you, and Christ is head over everything. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone who already knows the right things but needs God to make them real. In this episode: Why Paul prays for wisdom and insight rather than more knowledgeThe difference between knowing truth and being able to see itWhat "confident hope" looks like as a daily way of livingWhy Paul emphasizes Christ's authority over all rulers and powersThe laminin illustration — from the cosmos to our DNA, he fills all thingsA closing prayer for open eyes and a deeper sight of God's power and grace📖 Passage: Ephesians 1:15–23 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    15 min

  7. May 8

    Sealed — Ephesians 1:7–14 | Season 2, Episode 2

    How do you know your salvation is going to last? How do you know God won't take it back? And when life falls apart, how do you hold onto the idea that any of this is part of a plan? In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson continues the Season 2 Ephesians Bible study with chapter 1, verses 7–14. Paul moves from the wonder of being chosen to something even more grounding: the guarantee. Your inheritance isn't held together by your effort, your consistency, or how well you finish. It's sealed by the Holy Spirit of God himself — and what God seals cannot be broken. But Matt doesn't rush past the harder question. What do we do with the idea of God's plan when we're standing in the middle of real pain, real loss, real brokenness? This episode holds that tension carefully — helping listeners understand the difference between God's sovereign plan and the brokenness of a world still waiting to be fully restored under Christ. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks what the sealing of the Holy Spirit actually means, why context matters when we read scripture, and why the evidence of the Spirit at work in you is often found in the very fact that you're still wrestling. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone who needs something more solid than their feelings to stand on. In this episode: What it means that God purchased our freedom through Christ's bloodHow to read "God's plan" passages without losing people in their painThe difference between written to us and written for usWhy the Holy Spirit is described as a seal and a guaranteeWhat the evidence of the Holy Spirit actually looks like in a believer's lifeA closing prayer for trust in God's plan beyond our current circumstances📖 Passage: Ephesians 1:7–14 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    18 min

  8. May 5

    Chosen Before the World Began — Ephesians 1:1–6 | Season 2, Episode 1

    How much of your life is driven by trying to prove yourself? To be good enough, faithful enough, successful enough? What if God settled your worth before you ever had the chance to earn it? Welcome to Season 2 of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast. Host Matt Dawson opens the Ephesians Bible study right where Paul begins his letter — not with a challenge or a warning, but with something that reorients everything: your identity was established before the foundation of the world. Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, a thriving port city in what is now modern-day Turkey, where he spent two remarkable years planting and growing a community of believers. And from a prison cell in Rome, he opens this letter not with theology to master or rules to follow, but with a declaration that cuts straight against every cultural pressure to perform, achieve, and prove: God chose you. Before you did anything. And it gave him great pleasure to do so. Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt unpacks what it means to be adopted into God's family — not as a last resort, not by default, but because of grace so glorious it has nothing to do with what you brought to the table. This Ephesians Bible study is for anyone still trying to earn a place they've already been given. In this episode: A brief introduction to the city of Ephesus and Paul's time thereWhy Paul starts his letter with identity, not instructionWhat it means to be chosen in Christ before the world was madeThe adoption language — and why it matters more than we realizeA closing prayer of gratitude for grace that required nothing from us📖 Passage: Ephesians 1:1–6 (New Living Translation) 🔍 Keywords: Ephesians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast

    16 min
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Set Free Stay Free is a Scripture-first Bible study podcast that walks through books of the Bible using the SOAP method—Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer—helping believers not only be set free in Christ, but learn how to stay free.

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