The Bible in Small Steps

Jill from The Northwoods
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The Bible in Small Steps is a gentle, chapter-by-chapter walk through Scripture for anyone who wants to understand the Bible without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Each episode lingers over a single chapter or passage, taking time to explore its meaning, historical setting, and place in the wider story of God’s Word. Rather than hurrying ahead or pulling verses out of context, the show moves at a steady, thoughtful pace—inviting listeners to slow down, listen closely, and grow in understanding one small step at a time.

  1. 2d ago

    Genesis 6 - The World Before the Flood

    Jill’s Links The World Before the Flood | Genesis 6 Genesis 6 takes us into a world where violence and corruption have spread throughout humanity. Before we get to the familiar picture of Noah’s ark, we need to understand why judgment was coming—and why Noah finding favor with God matters. We explore the difficult questions surrounding the sons of God and the Nephilim without pretending Scripture answers every question, then look at what it means to walk with God when the surrounding culture moves in another direction. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction: The World Before the Flood | Genesis 6 02:45 The sons of God and daughters of men 05:21 What do we know about the Nephilim? 08:03 The human heart and the spread of sin 10:41 God’s grief and judgment 13:23 Noah finds favor and receives instructions 16:06 Faith that responds to God 18:48 Putting the ideas together 21:28 Practical lessons and reflections 24:08 Final thoughts and next steps Genesis 6:1–22; Genesis 5; Romans 3; Hebrews 11:7; Matthew 22:30; Jude; 2 Peter Explore more episodes: https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com #JillFromTheNorthwoods #BibleStudy #Genesis https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ - Find my podcasts, videos, downloads and ways to contact me https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://x.com/NorthWoodsJill Email the podcast at NorthwoodsJill@fastmail.com “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.” Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. “The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”. Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/ Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”. By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal study, faith perspective, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, seminary-trained theologian, or biblical scholar. Any scriptural interpretation, commentary, or reflections offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, church body, or faith community. Theological understanding is a lifelong journey — I encourage you to study alongside your own tradition and trusted spiritual leaders. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.

  2. 5d ago

    Genesis and Sumer: A Shared Human Memory?

    Genesis and ancient Mesopotamian literature describe a world before a great flood, extraordinary early figures, and life afterward. I explore those similarities through a family reunion illustration while keeping the differences clear. Shared memory is the interpretation considered here, rather than an archaeological conclusion that the surviving texts can prove. Ten Generations and Ancient King ListsGenesis follows ten generations from Adam to Noah. Versions of the Sumerian King List preserve different numbers of early rulers and place kingship in ancient cities. These are intriguing structures, but the names and details do not justify matching each biblical patriarch to a Sumerian king. Lifespans, Reigns, and Different NumbersGenesis records human lifespans; the king lists record royal reigns. The enormous Mesopotamian figures also reflect a numerical tradition built around sixty. Comparing the broad patterns can be interesting, but these are different measurements and should not be treated as equivalent chronologies. Enoch and the Mesopotamian SettingEnoch occupies the seventh position from Adam, while a seventh early Mesopotamian ruler is associated with traditions of divine knowledge. That comparison does not identify them as the same person. Ancient cities and familiar biblical regions place the discussion in a real geographical setting. Similar Flood Motifs, Different TheologyWarnings, a vessel, survival, and sacrifice appear in Mesopotamian flood traditions. Genesis presents one Creator, human beings made in God's image, judgment against evil, and grace toward Noah. The theological differences remain central even when a narrative outline sounds familiar. Evidence and InterpretationFlood deposits at ancient sites show that floods occurred, but deposits from different places and periods do not automatically demonstrate one worldwide event. My belief in Genesis rests on Scripture. The shared memory illustration offers a way to think about similarities while leaving uncertain historical connections uncertain. When comparing ancient accounts, ask what the text actually says, what the evidence establishes, and what is an interpretation. Let the comparison deepen your attention to Genesis without adding another tradition to Scripture. jill@startwithsmallsteps.com and jillfromthenorthwoods.com A note on this podcast: Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 A family reunion and shared memories04:15 Genesis and ten generations05:02 The Sumerian King List07:28 Lifespans, reigns, and numbers11:35 Enoch and the seventh figure13:52 Ancient cities and biblical geography16:26 Flood traditions and shared ancestry19:25 The theological differences25:41 Flood deposits: evidence and limits27:37 Genesis keeps pointing toward God

  3. Oct 19

    Enoch: What the Bible Says and What It Does Not

    Who was Enoch, what are the books attributed to him, and why does Jude quote an Enoch tradition? I distinguish the biblical account from later Jewish literature, explore the significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and consider how a noncanonical text can be historically useful while Scripture remains the standard. What Scripture Tells Us about EnochGenesis describes Enoch as walking with God and being taken by God. Hebrews speaks of his being taken without experiencing death, and Jude records a prophecy associated with him. These passages provide the biblical foundation while leaving many questions about his life unanswered. Several Books, Several HistoriesFirst, Second, and Third Enoch are distinct writings rather than volumes of one trilogy. First Enoch contains major sections developed in different periods. Attribution to an ancient figure does not demonstrate that the complete surviving work was written personally by that figure before the flood. The Watchers and Genesis 6The Book of the Watchers expands on questions raised by the sons of God, the daughters of mankind, and the Nephilim. It presents an ancient interpretation with additional details. Those details should be identified as part of that literature rather than presented as things Genesis itself states. Preservation, Qumran, and JudeEthiopian Christianity preserved the complete text of First Enoch, and Aramaic fragments at Qumran demonstrate its ancient circulation. Jude's use of an Enoch prophecy raises an important question: quoting material does not automatically declare every part of the larger source inspired Scripture. Reading History with Scripture as the StandardDifferent communities treated Enoch literature differently, and Ethiopian Christianity remains an important exception to its exclusion from most Christian canons. The idea of one universally accepted book secretly removed oversimplifies the history. Reading ancient literature can illuminate a conversation without granting it the authority of the Bible. Keep two distinctions clear as you read: what Scripture actually says, and what another ancient writer interpreted or added. Historical interest can be valuable while the Bible remains the standard for belief. jill@startwithsmallsteps.com and jillfromthenorthwoods.com A note on this podcast: Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Enoch’s brief biblical story03:03 First, Second, and Third Enoch04:03 A collection with a history05:57 Writing in an ancient figure’s name07:44 The Watchers and Genesis 610:38 Ethiopian preservation and Qumran13:43 Why Jude quotes Enoch16:42 Was Enoch removed from the Bible?19:39 Ancient tradition and what we cannot know21:31 Read with Scripture as the standard

  4. Oct 16

    Living East of Eden And Moving More East

    What happens when sin is not only one bad act, but a direction that keeps being repeated? Genesis 4 shows the progression with uncomfortable clarity. Adam and Eve hide, Cain denies, and a few generations later Lamech is openly boasting about violence. From Hiding to Denying to BraggingGenesis shows sin changing posture across generations. Adam and Eve hide, Cain denies responsibility, and by Lamech's generation violence has become something to boast about. East of EdenCain leaves the Lord's presence and settles in the land of Nod. The eastward movement becomes part of Genesis's geography of exile and separation, while Cain tries to establish a settled legacy of his own. The First City and a Human LegacyCain builds a city and names it after his son. The story begins developing a recurring biblical tension between receiving a place and identity from God and trying to secure a name for ourselves. Culture Is Not the VillainCain's descendants develop herding, music, and metalworking. Genesis does not present creativity or technology as evil in themselves. The issue is what fallen human beings do with good gifts. Lamech Magnifies VengeanceLamech takes two wives and sings about violence and retaliation. Cain's protection is twisted into self-exalting vengeance, showing how quickly sin can become normalized and celebrated. Another Line Still Calls on GodGenesis does not leave us only with Cain's trajectory. Seth's line continues, people call on the name of the Lord, and the story moves toward Noah, grace, and ultimately the answer to vengeance found in Christ. Genesis is showing us that sin grows, but it is not showing us a world that has escaped God's reach. Alongside Cain's line is another line calling on the Lord, and the Bible's answer to escalating vengeance will ultimately be escalating forgiveness and grace. Contact: jill@startwithsmallsteps.com | jillfromthenorthwoods.com A note on this podcast: Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 How sin grows across generations03:27 Adam hides, Cain denies05:17 Cain goes east of Eden07:34 Cain builds a city10:20 Lamech and the first polygamy11:38 Culture, creativity, and technology13:32 Lamech boasts about violence16:16 Seth's line still calls on God20:33 From Lamech toward Genesis 623:23 Vengeance answered by forgiveness

  5. Oct 12

    Genesis 5: From Hiding to Bragging

    Genesis 5 is one of those chapters people are tempted to skim because it looks like a long list of names, ages, sons, and deaths. But the repetition is doing important work. This genealogy tells us what happened to the image of God, whether death really came as God warned, and how God's promise keeps moving through generation after generation. Why Not Skip the Genealogy?Genesis 5 can look like a list of names and enormous ages, but it answers questions left hanging after Cain and Abel. The chapter carries the story from creation and the fall toward Noah while showing what has and has not changed. The Image of God Has Not DisappearedGenesis deliberately returns to the language of image and likeness. Humanity is fallen and living outside Eden, but human beings remain God's creatures and still bear his image. And He DiedThe genealogy develops a steady rhythm of life, children, long years, and death. The repeated ending answers the serpent's denial in Genesis 3: death really has entered the human story. Life Keeps Moving TooThe chapter does not only repeat death. Sons and daughters continue to be born, generations continue, and God's purpose moves through history even in a world marked by the curse. Enoch Interrupts the PatternAfter Genesis trains us to expect the words 'and he died,' Enoch's story breaks the rhythm. He walks with God, and God takes him, a brief but striking reminder that death does not have authority over God. Noah and the Hope of ReliefThe genealogy ends with another Lamech, very different from the violent Lamech in Cain's line. This Lamech names Noah while longing for relief from the cursed ground, setting up the next major movement in Genesis. Genesis 5 is not filler between Cain and the flood. It is a chapter about death, continuing life, the image of God, Enoch walking with God, and a promise that survives every funeral in the genealogy and carries the story forward to Noah. Contact: jill@startwithsmallsteps.com | jillfromthenorthwoods.com A note on this podcast: Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Genesis 5 matters02:42 The image of God continues04:55 Seth and the family line07:27 The repeated words: and he died10:03 Life continues under the curse11:39 Long life is not eternal life12:45 Enoch breaks the pattern15:31 Two family lines outside Eden18:26 Lamech longs for relief21:20 The genealogy carries the promise

  6. Oct 9

    Biblical Sacrifice Explained: Abel to Jesus

    Why would God ask for sacrifices at all? It's easy to picture a God who is hungry, needy, or waiting to be bribed, and plenty of ancient religions thought exactly that. In this episode I step back from Genesis 4 to trace what sacrifice meant from Cain and Abel all the way to Romans 12, and why the question underneath every offering in Scripture is the same one: do you trust God enough to let go? **God Is Not Hungry (Psalm 50)** Psalm 50:12-13 answers the pagan idea head on. If God were hungry, He wouldn't tell us, because the whole world already belongs to Him. Sacrifice was never about feeding God. It was about trust. **Two Brothers and No Rulebook (Genesis 4)** Before any altar, priesthood, or law, Cain and Abel bring what they have. Abel gives the firstborn and the fat portions, the richest and most useful part of the animal. Cain brings "some" produce. One gift says "I trust you with my best." The other is what happened to be in the purse. **From Possessions to a Person (Genesis 8 and 22)** Noah steps off the ark into an empty world with nothing to spare and builds an altar first. Then Genesis 22 raises the stakes: Abraham is asked for Isaac. The ram in the thicket introduces substitution, one life in place of another, and a promise that God Himself will provide. **A Nation Trusts the Blood (Exodus 12 and Leviticus)** At Passover, sacrifice becomes corporate and commanded. Every household trusts its life to the blood of a lamb on the door. Leviticus then formalizes offerings for atonement and relationship with God, built on the same trust Abel showed without instructions. **When Ritual Replaced Trust (Samuel, Psalms, Micah)** The prophets pushed back hard when people started trusting the system instead of God. "To obey is better than sacrifice." "A broken spirit." "Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly." They weren't canceling sacrifice. They were calling people back to what it meant. **Once for All, and a Living Sacrifice (Hebrews 10 and Romans 12)** Every sacrifice pointed to one that none of them could finish. Hebrews says Jesus was offered once for all. Then Paul turns it toward us: no more stand-ins. Offer yourselves as living sacrifices, in ordinary obedience, every day. God never needed anything from us. He wants us. The question sacrifice has always asked is whether we'll loosen our grip on what we're afraid to lose and find out we're safe in His hands. You can find everything I do at jillfromthenorthwoods.com, and you can reach me directly at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. --- **A note on this podcast:** Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 What is sacrifice, really? 01:33 God isn't hungry (Psalm 50) 02:58 Cain and Abel's offerings (Genesis 4) 04:44 Noah's altar (Genesis 8) 05:39 Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) 07:21 The Passover lamb (Exodus 12) 08:17 Leviticus and the prophets 12:05 Once for all (Hebrews 10) 13:19 A living sacrifice (Romans 12) 16:11 Meditate, pray, share

  7. Oct 5

    Genesis 4 - From the Fall to the First Funeral (Genesis 4)

    Genesis 3 gave us the fall. Genesis 4 gives us the first funeral. In this episode I walk through the whole chapter, from two brothers bringing two very different offerings, to God's warning about sin crouching at the door, to the first murder, the mark of Cain, Lamech's violent song, and a quiet new beginning through Seth. This is where sin stops being something two people did in a garden and starts becoming something people do to each other. **Two Brothers, Two Offerings (Genesis 4:1-5)** Cain brought "some" produce. Abel brought fat portions from the firstborn of his flock. The difference wasn't meat versus vegetables. It was the heart behind the gift, and Hebrews 11:4 tells us Abel offered his by faith. **Sin Crouching at the Door (Genesis 4:6-7)** Instead of judging Cain and moving on, God talks to him. For the first time, Scripture pictures sin as a predator waiting at the threshold, desiring Cain, using the same "desire" and "rule" language as Genesis 3:16. God's warning comes with a promise: Cain still has agency, and he can rule over it. **The First Murder and a Familiar Pattern (Genesis 4:8-9)** Cain plans it, draws Abel into the field, and kills him. When God asks "Where is your brother?", Cain doesn't just deflect the way Adam did. He lies and sneers. The pattern from the garden repeats and gets worse. **Blood That Cries Out (Genesis 4:10-16)** Abel's blood cries from the ground, a thread that runs through the law, Revelation, and Hebrews 12:24, where Jesus' blood speaks a better word. Cain is driven from the soil he worked, yet God marks him for protection. Judgment and grace stand side by side as Cain settles in Nod, east of Eden. **Cain's Line: Culture and Violence Together (Genesis 4:17-24)** Cain builds a city. His descendants raise livestock, make music, and forge bronze and iron tools. Human giftedness keeps growing right next to human sin, until Lamech turns God's sevenfold protection into a seventy-sevenfold boast of revenge. **Seth and Calling on the Lord (Genesis 4:25-26)** The chapter doesn't end with Lamech. God grants Eve another son, Seth, and in the days of his son Enosh, people begin to call on the name of the Lord. One line builds monuments to itself. The other turns back to God. Genesis 4 is a warning and a mercy at the same time. Sin is still crouching at the door, and we're still called to rule over it. But the same God who restrained violence in Cain's story is the God people began calling on in Seth's. You can find everything I do at jillfromthenorthwoods.com, and you can reach me directly at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. --- **A note on this podcast:** Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 From the fall to the first funeral 01:06 Two offerings (vv. 3-5) 06:17 Sin crouching at the door (vv. 6-7) 10:24 The first murder (v. 8) 11:28 "Am I my brother's keeper?" (v. 9) 12:59 Abel's blood cries out (vv. 10-12) 16:14 Who was Cain afraid of? 19:12 The mark of Cain and the land of Nod 22:07 Cain's line and Lamech's song 27:08 Seth and calling on the Lord

  8. Oct 2

    Why Do People Hide From God? God Never Hides From You.

    Why do people hide from God? Not just Adam and Eve in the garden, but why is it still the default setting of the human heart thousands of years later? This episode traces the anatomy of hiding, from Genesis 3 all the way through Jonah and the Psalms, and lands on why hiding never actually works. **The Anatomy of Hiding** It starts with hearing God in whatever form that takes for you, moves to fear, not of a stranger but of being seen accurately, and ends in hiding, which for us usually looks like busyness, distraction, or cynicism rather than literal trees. **Guilt Over What We've Already Done** God's question to Adam, "where are you," wasn't for his own information. It's the same question a parent asks a kid hiding under the bed who already knows they've been found. **Jonah: Hiding From an Assignment, Not Guilt** Jonah wasn't running from past sin. He was running from a job he didn't want to do. We look at how this second kind of hiding shows up anytime God asks something that collides with our own preferences. **Why Hiding Never Works** Psalm 139 and Isaiah 59 both describe the same inescapability of God, one that terrifies you when you're hiding and comforts you when you feel lost. **God Was Never the One Hiding** Genesis 3 turns tender here: God seeks Adam and Eve out, asks questions, and gives them the chance to be honest, then covers their shame himself before ever sending them out. **Saying It Out Loud** The episode closes on Adam's honest sentence, "I heard you, and I was afraid, and I hid myself," as the starting point for coming out of hiding instead of muscling through it. This podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes only. I'm not a licensed pastor or theologian, just a layperson studying Scripture alongside you. Verses referenced from the CSB, ESV, and NET translations. Find all of Jill's podcasts and videos at jillfromthenorthwoods.com. Questions or topic requests? Email jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why Do People Still Hide From God? 02:06 The Anatomy of Hiding 04:05 Guilt Over What We've Already Done 05:12 Jonah: Hiding From an Assignment, Not Guilt 08:30 Why Hiding Never Works 10:46 God Was Never the One Hiding 11:55 Saying It Out Loud

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About

The Bible in Small Steps is a gentle, chapter-by-chapter walk through Scripture for anyone who wants to understand the Bible without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Each episode lingers over a single chapter or passage, taking time to explore its meaning, historical setting, and place in the wider story of God’s Word. Rather than hurrying ahead or pulling verses out of context, the show moves at a steady, thoughtful pace—inviting listeners to slow down, listen closely, and grow in understanding one small step at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Jill from The Northwoods
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
  • Show Website
    The Bible in Small Steps