The Biblical Passages Podcast

Eric Samuelson & Brittany Winslow Avina
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

The Biblical Passages Podcast is where biblical wisdom meets real-life application. Created for both new believers and seasoned Christians, this podcast encourages you to not only understand God’s Word but to implement it with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Proverbs teaches us to get wisdom and to get understanding. Here, we explore how to do exactly that by converting Scripture into practical strategies for everyday living, relationships, spiritual growth and leadership.If you’re hungry for deeper understanding, real-life application, and conversations that strengthen your walk with God, you’re in the right place. We’re honored to grow with you as we discover how to live out the Word of God with purpose, clarity, and intention. 

  1. 4d ago

    Your Life Isn’t Random: How to Trace God’s Hand Through Every Season

    Send us Fan Mail Feeling like you don’t have enough? Like your painful seasons were just wasted years? In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, Brittany and Eric unpack a powerful exercise called Tracing God—a practical way to look back and finally see the fingerprints of God in every season of your life. You’ll walk through the four major sources of counsel God uses: The counsel of God (Scripture, life verses, Rhema words, and timely words from others)The counsel of others (the people He strategically places—including spiritual fathers)The counsel from within (what’s happening in your mind, will, and emotions)The counsel of circumstances (the resources, skills, and even the hard experiences He’s given you)Brittany gets real about the moments she felt completely inadequate while filling out the assessment… until she realized the most painful chapters of her life had become her greatest tools for helping others. Eric shares why this exercise isn’t just a nice journal prompt—it’s discipleship training straight from Jesus’ final assignment. If you’ve ever wondered: “God, where have You been?”“Do I even have anything to offer?”“How do I actually learn to recognize Your voice?”This episode is for you. The full Tracing God tool is available at spiritual-strategies.com. Grab it, walk through it, and start seeing the intentional path He’s already been leading you on. Because looking back is often how we learn to trust Him for what’s next. Want practical tools that help you grow? All our Discipleship resources and the Spiritual Personality Assessment are available for $20/month at www.Spiritual-Strategies.com

  2. Oct 6

    Naaman: When God Humbles to Heal

    Send us Fan Mail You can be successful in one area of life and still be struggling deeply in another. You can have the career. The responsibilities. The respect. The appearance that everything is going well. And still have a “but.” Naaman did. He was a respected military commander. Powerful. Accomplished. Successful. But he had leprosy. In 2 Kings 5, Naaman’s search for healing takes him somewhere he never expected—and asks something of him that may have been harder than the journey itself: He had to humble himself. Naaman expected the prophet Elisha to come out, make a spectacle of the moment, and heal him in the way he thought healing should happen. Instead, Elisha sent a messenger with a simple instruction: wash in the Jordan seven times. Naaman was furious. Because sometimes the problem isn’t that God hasn’t answered. It’s that His answer doesn’t look like the one we wanted. In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, we unpack Naaman’s transformation in 2 Kings 5 and explore what his story can teach us about pride, control, obedience, healing, gratitude, and the difference between a transactional relationship with God and a transformational one. In this episode, we explore: What happens when one unresolved struggle overshadows everything going rightWhy we sometimes resist simple answers because they require humilityHow our expectations can keep us from recognizing God’s directionWhy the people with the least status may sometimes carry the wisdom we need mostThe difference between asking God to change our circumstances and allowing Him to change our heartsWhy God’s mercy cannot be bought, earned, or controlledHow pride and greed can distort something God intended for transformationWhat it means to trust God when His way looks nothing like oursMaybe your “leprosy” isn’t physical. Maybe it’s the relationship you can’t repair. The anxiety about what comes next. The career that looks successful but leaves you empty. The resentment you haven’t released. The financial pressure no one knows about. Or the part of your life where you keep asking: “God, why haven’t You fixed this yet?” Naaman’s story invites us to ask a different question: What if the breakthrough isn’t only about what God wants to change around you—but what He wants to transform within you? And as you listen, reflect on this: What is God asking you to do that seems simple—but feels difficult because it requires you to humble yourself? Stop guessing where God is working in your life. Get the Discipleship tools and Spiritual Personality Assessment we use for $20/month at www.Spiritual-Strategies.com

  3. Sep 29

    God Called You—So Why Are You Hiding? | 1 Samuel 9–10

    Send us Fan Mail What if the thing disrupting your life isn’t just a problem to solve—but part of the path God is using to move you forward? Saul wasn’t looking for his calling. He was looking for lost donkeys. Yet that ordinary assignment led him directly into a future he never expected. God called him. God confirmed him. God changed his heart. And when it was finally time to step forward? Saul hid. Maybe you understand that feeling. You know there’s something more for you, but you don’t feel ready. You’re questioning your career. Navigating a relationship. Trying to figure out your next move. Wrestling with self-doubt. Or wondering why God would allow this particular disruption in your life. Sometimes the hardest part isn’t discovering that God is calling you. It’s believing you can actually step into what He’s calling you to do. In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, “God Called You—So Why Are You Hiding? | 1 Samuel 9–10,” we look at Saul’s unexpected journey from searching for lost donkeys to being anointed as Israel’s first king. In this episode, we unpack: Why an unexpected problem may become an unexpected redirectionWhat to do when God’s direction doesn’t match how you see yourselfWhy confirmation doesn’t always eliminate fearThe difference between being called and feeling readyHow listening and obedience can open doors you never saw comingWhy transformation often changes how others see youWhat happens when you finally step forward—and not everyone supports youHow to recognize the “equipment” you may be hiding behindIf you’ve been asking, “God, what am I supposed to do next?” this conversation may help you look at your circumstances through a different lens. 🎧 Listen to the Biblical Passages Podcast Episode: “God Called You—So Why Are You Hiding? | 1 Samuel 9–10” As you listen, consider this: What are your “lost donkeys”? What feels like a disruption today that God may be using to lead you somewhere you never expected to go? #ChristianPodcast #GodsCalling #FaithOverFear #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianMillennials

  4. Sep 1

    When Your Faith Runs Dry, Borrow Someone Else’s | Mark 2 (#0019)

    Send us Fan Mail What do you do when you don't have the faith to keep going? When you've prayed all the prayers… Read all the verses… Tried to stay positive… And you're still exhausted, discouraged, and barely hanging on? In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, Brittany and Eric explore one of the most overlooked and hope-filled stories in Scripture: the paralytic man who was lowered through the roof by his friends. Most of us have heard this story and focused on the miracle of healing. But what if the real miracle began before the man ever stood up? What if the story is actually teaching us something powerful about faith, friendship, and the body of Christ? Together, Brittany and Eric unpack a surprising truth: Sometimes, when your faith is weak, God allows someone else's faith to carry you. Together, they discuss: • Why it's okay to admit that your faith feels weak sometimes  • The powerful significance of Jesus seeing their faith instead of the paralytic man's faith • What it means to "borrow faith" from other believers during difficult seasons • Why God never intended us to walk through life alone • The importance of having people in your life who are willing to carry you to Jesus when you can't get there yourself • How vulnerability and community become lifelines in seasons of suffering • Why faith isn't just belief—it's belief that moves into action • The beauty of the body of Christ working together, each part supplying what another person lacks • Real-life examples of borrowing faith during hospital stays, grief, addiction recovery, and moments of desperation • How God often uses ordinary people to become answers to someone else's prayers This episode also asks an important question: Who are the people in your life that would carry you to Jesus if you couldn't get there on your own? And equally important: Whose mat might God be asking you to carry? Because throughout Scripture, we see a beautiful pattern: The woman with the issue of blood reached out in faith. Friends tore through a roof because they believed. Believers prayed for one another. And time after time, God honored faith—even when it came through someone else. If you've been sitting in a waiting room, struggling through a difficult season, battling discouragement, or simply feeling like your grip on faith is getting weak, this conversation will remind you of something incredibly important: You were never meant to carry your burdens alone. Sometimes God's answer isn't to give you more strength immediately. Sometimes His answer is to surround you with people who have enough faith to carry you until yours grows again. Join Brittany and Eric as they explore the surprising biblical truth that sometimes the greatest gift God gives us isn't a miracle… It's a friend willing to climb onto a roof and carry us to Jesus.

  5. Aug 25

    You’ve Memorized the Lord’s Prayer—But Do You Understand It? (#0018)

    Send us Fan Mail It's one of the most famous passages in all of Scripture. Many of us memorized it as children. We've recited it in church services, family gatherings, and moments of crisis. But have we ever really stopped to ask: What was Jesus actually teaching us? In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, Brittany and Eric slow down and unpack one of the most familiar—and often overlooked—teachings of Jesus: The Lord's Prayer. Because when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He could have taught them anything. He could have taught them how to perform miracles. How to preach. How to cast out demons. How to lead. Instead, He gave them a short, simple, and profoundly powerful prayer that has shaped believers for generations. Together, Brittany and Eric explore: • Why the first two words, "Our Father," completely changed humanity's relationship with God • What it means to approach God as a Father rather than merely a distant authority • Why "Hallowed be Your name" is about honoring God's reputation and character • What Jesus meant when He prayed, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done" • How believers are called to bring the culture of Heaven into everyday life • Why "Give us this day our daily bread" is a declaration of complete dependence on God • The powerful connection between receiving forgiveness and extending it to others • What "Lead us not into temptation" really means in light of trials and testing • Why spiritual protection matters in a world filled with competing influences • The surprising depth behind one simple word: Amen This conversation also asks a challenging question: Have we become so familiar with the Lord's Prayer that we've stopped being formed by it? Because the Lord's Prayer was never meant to become empty repetition. It was meant to become a way of thinking. A way of relating to God. A way of living. Simple enough for a child to memorize… Yet deep enough to spend a lifetime studying. If you've ever rushed through these words, repeated them from memory, or wondered what Jesus was really teaching His disciples, this episode will invite you to slow down and listen again. Because maybe the goal was never simply to pray these words… but to become the kind of people who actually live them. Join Brittany and Eric as they walk phrase by phrase through the Lord's Prayer and discover how this short, simple prayer contains a blueprint for relationship, dependence, forgiveness, and life in the Kingdom of God.

  6. Aug 19

    When God Opens the Door, Will You Be Ready? | Nehemiah Pt. 2 (#0017)

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever carried a burden so heavy that you didn't know what to do with it? You prayed. You waited. You sat with it. And then suddenly… an opportunity appeared. The question is: Would you be ready when the door opened? In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, Brittany and Eric continue the story of Nehemiah and discover that his anguish wasn't the end of the story—it was only the beginning. After four months of praying, fasting, and carrying a burden for a city he'd never even seen, Nehemiah finds himself standing before the most powerful man in the world: the king of Persia. One question changes everything: "What do you request?" Through this remarkable story, Brittany and Eric unpack what happens when God begins to move on behalf of the burdens He has placed in our hearts. Together, they explore: • Why some burdens refuse to leave us alone  • The significance of Nehemiah serving as the king's cupbearer  • Why God often prepares our hearts long before He opens a door  • The importance of having an answer when opportunity finally arrives  • What it means that Nehemiah prayed in the middle of a conversation  • Why we cannot manufacture intimacy with God in moments of crisis  • How God often provides resources in ways we never expected  • Why opposition after an open door doesn't necessarily mean you're on the wrong path  • The difference between walking by analysis and walking by faith  • How ordinary people become part of extraordinary assignments This episode also asks a deeply personal question: What breaks your heart? Because throughout Scripture, God often begins His greatest works by placing a burden inside someone's heart. A burden for a city. A burden for a people. A burden for justice. A burden for healing. A burden for restoration. And sometimes, the very thing that keeps you awake at night… may be the thing God is inviting you to help rebuild. If you've been carrying something that won't leave you alone, if you've been wondering why a particular issue keeps stirring your heart, or if you're waiting for God to open a door, this conversation will encourage you to stay faithful in the waiting. Because when God's timing meets a prepared heart… a single question can change everything. "What do you request?" Join Brittany and Eric as they explore how prayer, faith, and holy burdens often become the starting point for God's greatest assignments in our lives.

  7. Aug 11

    The Burden You Can’t Shake May Be Your Assignment | Nehemiah pt. 1 (#0016)

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been so burdened by something that you couldn't move on? Not just stressed. Not just disappointed. But completely and utterly broken. The kind of anguish that keeps you awake at night. The kind that sits deep in your soul while everyone else seems to carry on with life as usual. In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, Brittany and Eric explore a powerful and often overlooked truth: What if anguish isn't something to avoid? What if it's something God uses to get our attention? Through personal stories, biblical examples, and practical application, they unpack how some of Scripture's most influential figures experienced deep anguish—and how God responded to it. Together, Brittany and Eric discuss: • Why anguish is different from everyday stress and disappointment • How Jesus experienced unimaginable agony in the Garden of Gethsemane before the cross • The remarkable medical condition that explains Jesus sweating drops of blood • Why Paul described carrying "unceasing anguish" for the salvation of others • Hannah's heartbreaking story of infertility, rejection, and unanswered prayer • How God transformed Hannah's deepest pain into a blessing beyond what she could have imagined • Why anguish often reveals the true condition of our hearts • The overlooked story of Nehemiah and how a burden for something bigger than himself changed history • The five powerful responses Nehemiah demonstrated when his heart was broken • How God often positions people long before they understand their calling This conversation challenges a culture that tells us to numb our pain, distract ourselves, or move on as quickly as possible. Throughout Scripture, we see a different pattern: Jesus prayed through His anguish. Hannah poured out her soul before the Lord. Paul carried an unceasing burden for others. Nehemiah sat down, wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed. And in every story… God offered a historic response. If you've been carrying a burden, wrestling with grief, or wondering why something won't leave your heart, this conversation may help you see it differently. Maybe the thing you've been trying to shake… is the very thing God is trying to use. Join Brittany and Eric as they explore how anguish can reveal purpose, deepen faith, and become the beginning of God's movement in our lives. And discover why sometimes our deepest burdens are not obstacles to God's plan—they're invitations into it.

  8. Jul 14

    God Doesn’t Run on Your Clock | Faith, Timing & Surrender (#0015)

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever prayed for something, waited… and waited… and wondered: "God, where are You?" Why does it feel like some prayers are answered immediately while others seem to sit in silence for months—or even years? In this episode of the Biblical Passages Podcast, Brittany and Eric explore a powerful truth that changes the way we view God's timing: God doesn't operate by clocks. He operates by conditions. Through Scripture, personal stories, and practical application, they unpack the difference between Chronos time—the time measured by calendars, deadlines, and schedules—and Kairos time—those divine moments when heaven breaks into earth because the right spiritual conditions have come together. Together, Brittany and Eric discuss: • Why our desire for control often reveals a lack of faith  • What Scripture means by "the process of time" and "the fullness of time"  • Why Hannah had to wait for Samuel and why God's promises often unfold through a process  • The difference between waiting on God's timing and preparing for God's timing  • How faith creates the conditions for God to move  • The woman with the issue of blood and what it means to "touch heaven" by faith  • Why some seasons that feel like silence may actually be preparation  • Abraham and Isaac's journey up the mountain—and the ram they couldn't yet see  • How surrender and obedience position us for breakthrough  • Why discernment matters more than urgency when seeking God's direction This episode asks a difficult but necessary question: What if the thing you're calling a delay… is actually God preparing something you cannot yet see? Sometimes the answer isn't, "God, why haven't You moved?" Sometimes the better question is: "God, is there something You're developing in me while I wait?" Because throughout Scripture, we see the same pattern: Hannah waited. Abraham trusted. The woman with the issue of blood pressed through the crowd. And in each story, heaven touched earth in a moment that couldn't be forced, rushed, or controlled. If you've been frustrated by God's timing, wrestling with unanswered prayers, or wondering whether anything is happening at all, this conversation will encourage you to view your circumstances through a different lens. Because what feels like silence… may actually be preparation. And what feels like delay… may simply be God waiting for the fullness of time. Join Brittany and Eric as they explore how faith, surrender, and spiritual discernment position us for the moments when heaven breaks through and changes everything.

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About

The Biblical Passages Podcast is where biblical wisdom meets real-life application. Created for both new believers and seasoned Christians, this podcast encourages you to not only understand God’s Word but to implement it with clarity, confidence, and purpose. Proverbs teaches us to get wisdom and to get understanding. Here, we explore how to do exactly that by converting Scripture into practical strategies for everyday living, relationships, spiritual growth and leadership.If you’re hungry for deeper understanding, real-life application, and conversations that strengthen your walk with God, you’re in the right place. We’re honored to grow with you as we discover how to live out the Word of God with purpose, clarity, and intention. 

Information

  • Creator
    Eric Samuelson & Brittany Winslow Avina
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © 2026 The Spiritual Strategies Institute
  • Show Website
    The Biblical Passages Podcast