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. 1D AGO

    Philemon 1 - Charge It to My Account

    Have you ever had to choose between what was legally within your rights and what love would ask instead? That's the situation Paul is writing into in Philemon — the shortest of all his letters, only 25 verses, readable in four minutes. In this episode we walk through the whole letter verse by verse: a prisoner appealing to a friend, a runaway standing between law and grace, and a request that is a picture of what Christ does for every one of us. 🔑 The Setup: Prison, Debt, and a Runaway Paul is under house arrest in Rome, chained to a guard, somewhere around 60–62 AD. Philemon is a well-off believer in Colossae whose home is a house church. His bond servant Onesimus has run away — possibly after theft or some other wrong — and has found his way to Paul. Paul leads him to faith. And now he's sending him back with this letter. 🔑 A Prisoner Writing, Not a Throne Commanding Paul could invoke his apostolic authority. He says so — directly. He has every right to command Philemon to do what is right. Instead, he appeals. The logic is deliberate: compulsion is the law; a willing, joyful response is the gospel. He wants the gospel to do its work in Philemon's heart, not just issue an order. 🔑 Onesimus: Formerly Useless, Now Useful The name Onesimus means 'useful' — a common slave name, probably not his real one. He ran away, making himself useless and legally dangerous to himself. Paul makes a deliberate pun: he was once useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us. The gospel has made him live up to his name. He returns not as a fixed legal problem, but as a new creation. 🔑 What If God Was in This? Paul offers one of the most remarkable lines in the letter: perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a little while, that you might have him back forever. He holds open the possibility that God's providence was at work even in Onesimus's running away — that the mess was the means of grace. This isn't a guarantee that every bad choice leads somewhere good. It's a reminder that God can work in our failures. 🔑 Charge It to My Account Paul writes in his own hand: if he owes you anything, charge it to me. He puts his apostolic credibility and his own finances on the line. He absorbs the debt. This is the shape of what Christ does for us — standing between us and the one we've wronged, saying: whatever this person owes, put it on my account. Centuries of commentators have read this verse and heard the gospel. 🔑 Even More Than I Ask Paul closes with confidence, not a threat: I know you'll do even more than I say. He leaves room for Philemon to go above and beyond — and the door may be open to freedom for Onesimus, though Paul never commands it. A gospel-shaped heart is generous by nature. The invitation stands open. The gospel is not abstract. It changes how someone walks through your door. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    32 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Titus 3 - Justified by Grace, Renewed by the Spirit

    Titus 3 moves from practical Christian behavior in society to one of the clearest summaries of the gospel in the entire New Testament. Paul tells Titus to remind the Cretan believers how to live as good citizens — gentle, non-quarrelsome, courteous to all. Then he tells them why. And the why is everything. In this episode we walk through this rich chapter: civic behavior, the law mirror, one of the most anti-works-righteousness statements in Scripture, and a firm warning about what to do with people who stir up worthless divisions. 🔑 Civic Behavior as Gospel Witness Paul calls believers to be submissive to governing authorities — not because governments are always right, but because orderly public life opens doors for the gospel. Paul himself was in prison for refusing to call Caesar God, which tells us exactly where the line is. The submission here is voluntary, ordered, like a soldier's relationship to a commander — and it breaks entirely when the command is to sin. 🔑 Gentleness Is a Posture of Strength Don't slander, don't quarrel, be gentle, show courtesy to all people. The word for gentle here is the same word used to describe Christ himself in 2 Corinthians 10. It means measured, forbearing, not insisting on your rights at every turn. In an age of internet outrage, this is radically countercultural. Gentleness is not spinelessness — it's how you carry yourself, regardless of whether you agree. 🔑 We Were Once Those People Before calling believers to treat outsiders well, Paul holds up a mirror: we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by passions, full of envy and malice, hating and being hated. It's a law-function — showing us our natural state so that the gospel lands with full weight. Paul includes himself. This builds the humility into the ethic. 🔑 The Clearest Anti-Works Statement in Scripture He saved us — not because of works done in righteousness, but according to his own mercy. The Greek is precise: not out of any works, not out of any righteousness. Our moral record is not what's on the line. God acts in mercy, the Son is the channel, the Holy Spirit washes and renews. All three persons of the Trinity appear in the work of our salvation. We are not just forgiven — we are heirs. 🔑 Good Works Are Fruit, Not Root After making justification absolutely clear, Paul immediately says: devote yourselves to good works. The apparent tension resolves this way — good works are not the root of salvation; they are the fruit. A life washed, renewed, and justified by grace will naturally produce good fruit. The tree is healthy. The fruit shows it. 🔑 The Warning About Divisive People Warn them once. Warn them again. Then separate from them. Not because they are hopeless, but because their continuous quarrels over things not in Scripture are causing worthless division. The pattern mirrors Matthew 18. The church guards its unity not by tolerating every fight, but by recognizing when someone has become self-condemning through their own divisive choices. Titus closes the same way it opens: with grace. Everything — civic duty, gentleness, justification, good works, guarding unity — flows from one word. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    40 min

  3. 4D AGO

    Book of Philemon: The Overlooked Letter That Shows You the Gospel

    It's only 25 verses. You can read it in four minutes. But Philemon may be the most concentrated picture of the gospel in the entire New Testament — and one of the most overlooked books in the Bible. In this episode, we take a flyover of the whole story: a runaway slave, a wealthy believer, an imprisoned apostle, and a letter that reshapes how grace works between people. 🔑 The Setup: Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus Paul is under house arrest in Rome, chained to a guard. Philemon is a well-off Christian in Colossae whose home serves as a church. His slave Onesimus has run away — and in the ancient world, that is no small infraction. Running from a bond-service contract could mean branding, torture, or death under Roman law. 🔑 The Gospel Pattern in Miniature Onesimus ends up with Paul, comes to faith, and is now being sent back — not as a legal problem, but as a brother. Paul is stepping into the gap between debtor and contract-holder, absorbing the cost, and asking Philemon to receive this man as he would receive Paul himself. This is exactly what Christ does for us. 🔑 Appeal, Not Command Paul could order Philemon. He is an apostle; Philemon owes his entire faith to Paul's ministry. Instead, Paul appeals on the basis of love — mirroring how God works in us through grace, not coercion. A willing response from the heart is worth more than an obedient one from obligation. 🔑 Onesimus: Useful Again The name Onesimus means 'useful' — likely not his real name but the kind of label common for slaves. He ran away, making himself useless. Now, the gospel has made him live up to his name. The wordplay is deliberate, and underneath it is something profound: he doesn't earn his way back. He comes back as a new creation. 🔑 Structures That Hollow Out Paul doesn't call for the abolition of bond-servitude — but he calls Philemon to receive Onesimus no longer as a slave but as a dear brother. The gospel doesn't always dismantle unjust structures from the outside. It hollows them out from within by changing how we see each other. Philemon is the gospel getting personal — and that's what Small Steps with God is all about. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    13 min

  4. 4D AGO

    The Letter to Philemon: The Overlooked Letter That Shows You the Gospel

    It's only 25 verses. You can read it in four minutes. But Philemon may be the most concentrated picture of the gospel in the entire New Testament — and one of the most overlooked books in the Bible. In this episode, we take a flyover of the whole story: a runaway slave, a wealthy believer, an imprisoned apostle, and a letter that reshapes how grace works between people. 🔑 The Setup: Paul, Philemon, and Onesimus Paul is under house arrest in Rome, chained to a guard. Philemon is a well-off Christian in Colossae whose home serves as a church. His slave Onesimus has run away — and in the ancient world, that is no small infraction. Running from a bond-service contract could mean branding, torture, or death under Roman law. 🔑 The Gospel Pattern in Miniature Onesimus ends up with Paul, comes to faith, and is now being sent back — not as a legal problem, but as a brother. Paul is stepping into the gap between debtor and contract-holder, absorbing the cost, and asking Philemon to receive this man as he would receive Paul himself. This is exactly what Christ does for us. 🔑 Appeal, Not Command Paul could order Philemon. He is an apostle; Philemon owes his entire faith to Paul's ministry. Instead, Paul appeals on the basis of love — mirroring how God works in us through grace, not coercion. A willing response from the heart is worth more than an obedient one from obligation. 🔑 Onesimus: Useful Again The name Onesimus means 'useful' — likely not his real name but the kind of label common for slaves. He ran away, making himself useless. Now, the gospel has made him live up to his name. The wordplay is deliberate, and underneath it is something profound: he doesn't earn his way back. He comes back as a new creation. 🔑 Structures That Hollow Out Paul doesn't call for the abolition of bond-servitude — but he calls Philemon to receive Onesimus no longer as a slave but as a dear brother. The gospel doesn't always dismantle unjust structures from the outside. It hollows them out from within by changing how we see each other. Philemon is the gospel getting personal — and that's what Small Steps with God is all about. Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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 experiences, faith journey, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, theologian, or counselor. Any spiritual reflections, devotional thoughts, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, faith community, or professional mental health provider. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.

    13 min

  5. 5D AGO

    Titus 2 - What Grace Actually Does to a Person

    Grace doesn't just forgive you — it trains you. That's the argument Paul makes in Titus 2, and it's one of the most carefully structured chapters in all of his letters. In this episode we walk through Paul's instructions to every group in the Cretan church — older men, older women, younger women, younger men, bond servants, and Titus himself — and discover why self-control is the most repeated quality in the chapter, and why that matters in a chaotic culture. 🔑 Sound Doctrine Produces a Sound Life Paul opens with a sharp contrast. Chapter 1 described the false teachers causing disorder. Chapter 2 flips the coin: this is what sound doctrine looks like when it produces a good life. Like training Secret Service agents to recognize real currency rather than cataloguing counterfeits, Paul shows Titus what genuine faith looks like in a community. 🔑 The Six Qualities for Older Men — and What They Cost Sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, love, and steadfastness. In a culture of impulsiveness and excess, a clear-headed, steady older man was countercultural. Self-control is the thread Paul keeps pulling through the whole chapter — it appears five times, threaded through every group. 🔑 Older Women, Younger Women, and the Teaching Ministry of Mentoring Older women are called to a real teaching ministry — not from a pulpit, but through mentoring. The Greek word is the same root that means training someone in the art of sound-minded living. The goal for every instruction in this section is the same: so that the word of God may not be reviled. The Christian household is a witness. 🔑 Bond Servants and the Word 'Adorn' The instruction to bond servants closes with a striking word: adorn. It's the root of our word 'cosmetics' — to make beautiful. Even the most lowly person in the most difficult circumstances, by how they live, can make the gospel look attractive. Every person in the church has a part to play in presenting the gospel beautifully. 🔑 Grace as Teacher — The Theological Engine Verses 11–14 are the engine that powers everything in the chapter. Grace has appeared. The second coming is coming. We are living between those two moments. And in that middle stretch, grace is not passive — it is training us. The Greek word for 'training' here is the same word used for a tutor instructing a child. We are being made into something. Where is grace asking you to renounce something right now? That question is worth sitting with this week. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    37 min

  6. APR 17

    Titus 1 - What Does a Healthy Church Leader Look Like?

    Titus 1 is dense, practical, and urgent. Paul wastes no time getting to what matters: who should lead this church, why false teachers are a serious threat, and what real godliness looks like versus the counterfeit version. The chapter begins with a carefully constructed theological foundation and ends with one of Paul's sharpest warnings. The Theological OpeningPaul's greeting to Titus is three long, carefully constructed verses — packed with foundational ideas before a single practical instruction. He is a servant belonging wholly to God and an apostle sent with God's authority. He's writing for the sake of the faith of the elect and their knowledge of the truth — not surface-level knowledge, but the full, existential understanding that reshapes a life. And this was all promised before time itself, by a God who never lies. That last phrase is pointed: it addresses a church embedded in a culture known for lying. Elders in Every TownPaul's first instruction: appoint elders in every town. The Greek word is presbyteros — the same root as 'Presbyterian.' The church structure Paul envisions is not a single strong personality leading everything, but a plurality of elders providing shared oversight. The reason matters: if one person goes astray, a plurality keeps the congregation anchored. These elders are described as God's stewards — not accountable to Yelp reviews or congregational popularity contests, but to God himself. What an Elder Must Be — and Must Not BeThe qualifications Paul lists aren't exotic. They're descriptions of common human weaknesses successfully managed: not arrogant, not quick-tempered, not controlled by substances, not violent, not greedy for money. The positive list is equally practical: hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, disciplined. These are fruits produced by the gospel over time. None of them are naturally achieved — they are marks of a person being formed by God. The False TeachersPaul identifies 'many' who are insubordinate, empty talkers, and deceivers — particularly those insisting Gentiles must be circumcised and follow Jewish ceremonial law to be saved. These teachers weren't outsiders. They were insiders distorting the gospel by adding requirements to it. And their damage was not merely theological — they were upsetting whole households. In a church that met in homes, destabilizing a family destabilized the whole congregation. Professing God, Denying Him in PracticeChapter 1 closes with one of Paul's most sobering sentences: they profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. The word 'unfit' means failing a test — counterfeit, rejected after examination. Real doctrine produces real life change. An elder's character and his doctrine must reinforce each other. When one is absent, what looks like ministry is actually something else entirely. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    37 min

  7. APR 15

    2 Timothy 4 - Fought the Good Fight

    If you knew these were your final words, written from a cold prison pit while awaiting execution, what would you say? Paul knew. And what he wrote is one of the most personal, theologically rich, and quietly moving passages in the entire New Testament. Preach the Word — Always, Not Just When It's WelcomePaul opens chapter 4 with a charge to Timothy that sounds almost like a courtroom oath: I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead. The command is to preach the word — as a herald, not a journalist. A herald doesn't poll the audience or adjust the message for approval. He delivers exactly what was given to him. This preaching is to happen in season and out of season — when the congregation is receptive, when it's not, when the culture agrees, when it doesn't. Itching EarsPaul's warning about people who will 'not endure sound teaching but accumulate teachers to suit their own passions' is striking for how modern it sounds. The Greek word for 'sound' is the same root as 'hygiene' — healthy doctrine, not just technically correct but spiritually nourishing. When people turn away from it and go shopping for teachers who tell them what they want to hear, they aren't just choosing a different opinion. They're walking away from spiritual health. I Have Fought the Good FightPaul's final personal testimony — I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith — is not a boast. He's not claiming he won every argument or lived without failure. He's testifying that what God sustained him to do, he did. He didn't desert. He finished. The credit flows back to the one who kept him in the fight. Alone in Court, but Not AlonePaul describes his first defense before Roman authorities: everyone deserted him. His response is not bitterness but forgiveness — echoing Stephen's dying prayer and Christ's words from the cross. And then the theological heart of the section: the Lord stood by him and strengthened him, not so Paul would be more comfortable, but so the message would be fully proclaimed. His ministry was never sustained by institutional support. It was sustained by the presence of Christ. A Departure, Not an EndingPaul describes his coming death as being poured out as a drink offering — an act of worship. The Greek word for 'departure' suggests untying a ship from the dock, taking down a tent after a stay. This is not extinction. It is a transition. His confidence in God's faithfulness is the structure of his inner life now, not just the content of his teaching. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    35 min

  8. APR 14

    Titus: A Letter Written for Chaotic Times

    Some letters in the New Testament feel written for a specific ancient crisis. Titus doesn't feel that way — it feels written for right now. A young, unstructured church, false teachers already at work, a surrounding culture known for instability and self-indulgence, and one trusted person left to sort it all out. That's not just first-century Crete. That's familiar territory. Who Was Titus?Titus doesn't appear in Acts at all, which is striking given how much Paul relied on him. He shows up in Paul's other letters as a Gentile believer whom Paul trusted with the hardest assignments — representing Paul to the troubled Corinthian church, organizing famine relief for Jerusalem, and now, being left in Crete to establish order in a chaotic young congregation. He was not famous, but the early church functioned because of people like him. Where Is Crete and Why Does It Matter?Crete is the largest island in Greece, a busy Mediterranean crossroads with a history going back to the Minoans. By the time of this letter, it was a Roman province with a Jewish population — some of whom had been in Jerusalem for Pentecost, heard Peter's sermon, believed, and carried the gospel home with them. The church likely started that way: ordinary people with extraordinary news. But the island had a well-known cultural reputation for dishonesty, self-indulgence, and instability, and that culture was seeping into the congregation. The Three Pillars of the LetterPaul's response to the chaos in Crete was built on three things: get the right people into leadership (chapter one), make the teaching sound, and let the gospel visibly reshape how people actually live — at every age. These aren't three separate programs. They flow from the same source: grace that saves and grace that transforms. Two Theological AnchorsThe letter contains two of Paul's most compact theological summaries. Titus 2:11–14 describes grace as an active force — not just forgiveness received, but a power that trains believers to live differently. Titus 3:4–7 is among the clearest statements of justification by grace in all of Paul's letters: saved not because of righteous works, but by God's mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Why This Letter, Why NowEvery generation has its own version of Crete — moral confusion, distorted teaching, cultural pressure toward self-indulgence, and people inside the church going through the motions. Paul's answer is always the same: faithful leadership, sound doctrine, and lives that actually look like the gospel is true. Those three things together make a church stable even in a very difficult place. Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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 experiences, faith journey, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, theologian, or counselor. Any spiritual reflections, devotional thoughts, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, faith community, or professional mental health provider. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content. Download blank templates, schedules here: https://schmern2.notion.site/Downloads-Template-Word-and-Excel-Schedule-67439d14449d4c20bfe00efe069f78b8 Logos RAMPS Workflow - RAMPS Bible Study - The Bible in Small Steps in Logos Workflows Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://twitter.com/schmern Email the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.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.

    19 min
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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
    252
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
  • Show Website
    The Bible in Small Steps