As Christians, we want to experience God through the Bible… we really do!
But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way. What should feel dynamic and important and alive often feels confusing and boring and irrelevant. But it doesn’t have to feel this way.
In this bible study podcast, pastor and Bible teacher Nicole Unice brings life back to reading the Bible by walking listeners through her Alive Method of Bible study, helping us personally encounter God through His Word by giving us a practical, clear road map for understanding, interpreting and applying Scripture to our lives.
Topics covered in this podcast:
💡 Three Common Obstacles to Understanding the Bible 💡The Basics of Bible Study (Observation, Interpretation) and How to Apple the Bible to Your Life 💡Deep Dive into Bible Studies by Books of the Bible (We've covered Ecclesiastes, Romans, Matthew, and more!) 💡 Topical Bible study lessons on Joy, Contentment, Prayer and more 💡 Spiritual Rhythms: Creating New Rhythms in Your Life 💡 4 Principles You Need to Interpret Difficult Scripture
Joy Is Not the Absence of Suffering: Lessons from Jesus Washing the Disciples' Feet (John 13)
Monday, February 3, 2025 • Duration 22:07
In this week's episode, we read through the story of Jesus washing the disciples' feet in John 13. In this incredibly powerful chapter, Jesus gives us these living metaphors and these pictures because he wants us to have a new idea in our mind, a new understanding of what reality truly is. Because from those places in us where reality truly is, when we ask the question, okay, what does this mean for us? What does this mean? That reality is Jesus reshaping the concept of what matters in life. He's reshaping the activity that leads to joy. He's saying love plus security plus humility equals joy.
What Does It Say?
Jesus loves them to the end
Jesus’ power - “He knew he had all power” - what would you do next if you knew you had all power? No one would pick the thing that Jesus does next. Because Jesus knew all these things, SO he got up, and washed his disciple's feet.
Backstory -
Footwashing was a common act of hospitality in that time, usually performed by a slave. If someone of standing were to do it, it would have been seen as an ultimate act of honor.
What Does it Mean?
Jesus’ foot washing was a metaphor, an image of what love means - settled, confident, secure love. Service with humility and sacrifice. He's doing a menial act, but what he's really doing is saying, “if you want to be a part of me, this is what he says to Peter, if you want to be a part of me, you have to let me do this.”
What Does It Mean for Me?
If you want to experience life with Jesus, you have to let him love you. You have to let him care for you. You have to let him see you for who you really are, which is a person who does need to be cleansed, right? And Jesus is saying to them, like, hey, you don't need to do this over and over again. It's not like a baptism over and over again. You already know me, you're clean and you're in me, but this is an act of me caring for you. This is an ongoing, this is what ongoing relationship looks like with me. What I'm doing for you, I am asking you do to for others.
The Aroma of Devotion: Understanding Mary’s Act of Worship in John 12
Monday, January 27, 2025 • Duration 24:16
The Backstory
The episode begins by establishing the setting of John 12, which takes place just before the Passover in Bethany, where Jesus shares an intimate dinner with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. This gathering is not just a meal; it is a moment filled with deep significance as it marks the beginning of the Passion Week—the final week of Jesus' earthly ministry leading up to His crucifixion. The atmosphere is celebratory, yet it foreshadows the impending sacrifice of Jesus.
Mary’s Extravagant Worship
Mary’s act of anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume is highlighted as a lavish display of love and devotion. The fragrance of the perfume fills the house, symbolizing the beauty of worship and the acknowledgment of Jesus’ impending death. This act stands in stark contrast to Judas Iscariot’s utilitarian perspective, where he questions the wastefulness of such an extravagant gesture, suggesting that the money could have been better spent on the poor.
The Aroma of Christ
The podcast draws a parallel between Mary’s act and the metaphor of aroma found in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, where believers are described as the aroma of Christ. This metaphor serves to illustrate the dual nature of following Jesus: for some, it is a fragrance of life, while for others, it represents death. Nicole points out that Mary’s devotion brings life and joy, while Judas’ reaction embodies the disgust and misunderstanding that can accompany a life devoted to Christ.
What Does it Mean? The Reality of Following Jesus
Following Jesus often leads to persecution and misunderstanding. She reminds listeners that being a follower of Christ means embracing the tension of love and rejection. Just as Mary faced criticism for her extravagant worship, believers today may encounter similar responses when they express their faith. The call to love, even in the face of persecution, is a central theme in the episode, reinforcing the idea that true devotion to Christ may not always be understood or accepted by others.
Balancing Individual Piety and Social Activism
10 Bible Verses that Help Us Choose Gratitude, Even in Difficult Circumstances
Monday, December 2, 2024 • Duration 19:40
In this special in-between episode, we're going to explore the spiritual practice of gratitude and its significance in our everyday lives, especially during challenging times. We're going to talk about four ways to choose gratitude. One of the things that's always been really challenging for me as a believer is separating my gratitude and thanksgiving from my circumstances. And I wish after all these years of walking with God that I had improved in this area, I think maybe I'm growing in this area, but the reality is I know my own heart, and I know that when things are in a joyful place circumstantially, In fact, I wrote in my journal this morning, Lord, help me to have as much joy for you in the hard times as I do in the good times. And I wanted to bring us to, you know, we hear all about choosing gratitude and about being thankful to God. So that's what we're going to talk about today as we move into the Christmas season and transition into our Advent series on John. We're going to look at 10 verses in the Bible where God instructs us to choose gratitude, no matter what circumstances we're facing.
Matthew 5:13-16: 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Properties of Salt and Light:
Two normal things that most people like and have around them.
Specific Properties of Salt:
A mineral that our bodies need.
Makes bland food good.
It amplifies all other flavors around it
Specific Properties of Light:
Illuminates what is around you.
You’re not looking at the light, you’re looking at what the light is shining on.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Questions to ask the text: What Does it Mean That God’s People Are Salt and Light?
We are useful in the kingdom of God.
“You are the Light of the World” Cf John 8:12 – Jesus says he is the light of the world. We are called to be like Jesus!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?
Questions to Self-Examine Yourself With:
This Is What it Really Means to Be Blessed (A Bible Study on Matthew 5:1-10)
Monday, May 1, 2023 • Duration 20:48
This week, Nicole and her friend Rev. Rachel dive into Matthew 5 together and discuss the implications of the greatest sermon ever told.
For now, the invitation is just to read the Sermon of the Mount. Let it sit with you. Don’t worry about perfect understanding. Over the coming weeks, we will dive deep and unlock interpretation and application.
Let’s set the context for the sermon of the mount. What happens right before chapter 5? (How to Study the Bible Tip) When you don’t understand a phrase in scripture, often you can use cross references to get a better sense of what is going on.
Matthew 4:23: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Jesus is sharing the good news of the kingdom, and how you access that kingdom. He is embodying it before he explains it. He is reversing everything that sin and death have done by going into these villages and healing the sick. He is giving people back whole life in this action, and then he switches to teaching about what full life looks like in him.
Matthew is writing to Jews. He is building directly on important Old Testament references. The cross-references will help you interpret Matthew correctly!
The listeners would have made connections between what Jesus was preaching and their knowledge of Moses’ law and the themes of the Prophets. The first words out of his mouth would have alluded to the Psalms. So the whole of the Old Testament – the Law, the Prophets and the Wisdom writings – are all packed in.
Read Psalm 1 as a key connection to what it means to be blessed in the kingdom of God.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Blessed – clearly, blessed means something different here than it does in our current, Instagram hashtag way of describing it. In Psalm 1, the Hebrew word for blessed means going the right way. We are blessed when we are going the right direction into the kingdom of God.
Take Every Thought Captive: Exchange Lies of the Enemy for the Mind of Christ
Kelly is a speaker, blogger, and author of the books Fear Fighting and Battle Ready. She comes alongside women to help them live wholeheartedly, rather than in uncertainty, fear, and doubt. Her work has been featured on The Today Show, The 700 Club, Moody Radio and many other television and radio broadcasts.
If you’re a parent, you might have several of Sandy’s books on your shelves! Sandy is the award-winning creator of the Great Bible Adventure children’s series, several joke books for kids, The Best Worst Dad Jokes, and Kids' Big Questions for God. He says, “There’s something about children – their innocence and trust – I truly believe that that’s why Jesus said we need to become child-like to enter the Kingdom of God.”
On this episode, Sandy and Nicole talk about a number of things, including:
The great responsibility of children’s ministry
Sandy’s creative process and how his latest book has come together
The questions kids have about God and why God delights in our questions
How does God hear all our prayers at once?
Why doesn’t God just make all of us follow him?
How Jesus opens up the door for us to go to heaven
Sandy Silverthorne is a children’s illustrator and author; whose mission is to help parents and grandparents discover fun Bible stories and Bible lessons to share with the kids in their lives. His goal is to make God’s Word come alive and be easy to understand for kids. Sandy has worked as a cartoonist, author, illustrator, actor, pastor, speaker, and comedian. Apparently, it's hard for him to focus. Connect with him at www.sandysilverthornebooks.com.
The Resurrection Is the Reason for Our Joy (Do You Have It?)
Monday, April 10, 2023 • Duration 18:58
Jesus has not only beaten death and fulfilled all the promises he said he would, but he is telling us that our greatest purpose in life is the way we pass along our faith to others, and how we baptize and disciple them. This is the commission of the church.
We are wrapping up our Jesus 101 series this week by looking closely at Jesus’ resurrection and what it means for us.
This week we are diving deep into Matthew 28 – the Resurrection and the events that immediately followed for his disciples and the women who followed him to the cross and beyond.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
“Women were filled with joy” - The marker of belief is joy. When you are getting close to the goodness of God, you will experience joy. Joy is a hallmark of the Christian faith. The good news of the gospel, when understood, always brings joy.
“Clasped his feet and worshipped him”- This is huge for our theological understanding! Jesus accepts worship of himself. It’s very clear in the Jewish tradition that God is one God, and you cannot worship anything or anyone other than God (1st Commandment).
For a Jewish teacher to receive personal worship would have been completely offensive to their faith and a violation of the law. This is one more piece of evidence that Jesus is not a mere prophet or mystic, but is the Son of God – fully God and also fully man.
The Great Commission - Jesus allows worship but also tells them not to hold onto him (John 21) but to go and tell others about him. In setting the disciples’ purpose, he sets our purpose as well.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?
1. Want to do a diagnostic test on your faith, ask yourself: Am I experiencing joy today? If the answer is no, ask God to remove what might be blocking you from experiencing the joy of the gospel. You can have pain and sadness and still have joy. This deep joy is knowing that everything Jesus says about himself is true.
The Passion of Christ: Our Pathway to Freedom
Monday, April 3, 2023 • Duration 20:14
Has the true story of the cosmic reality of what Jesus has done for us on the cross and through his resurrection been lost on you? Has the story grown stale? My prayer is this passion week, you might here something in this chapter you haven’t noticed before, and remember the joy your salvation.
This is week 4 of our Jesus 101 series, where we look at 5 foundational movements of Christ. Be sure to go back and listen to weeks 1,2 and 3!
This week, listen to Nicole read Luke 23:1-43 and perhaps read it aloud to yourself or your family. The darkness of humanity is on display.
WHAT’S THE BACKSTORY?
Pilot and Herod – power players in this passage. They almost play with Jesus like he’s an object.
The crowd – would have been some of the same people who were fed by him on the hillside, heard his teachings, put palm branches down for him – has now turned on him.
Barabbas – an actual criminal. Jesus, the innocent one literally takes the place of the guilty one. The passion of Christ is to take the sin and guilt of the world upon himself, even for those who do not know what he is doing.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Often the temptations and trials that come to us are meant to prepare us for a future moment of greater temptation. Jesus’ temptation by Satan (that we discussed earlier in the series) prepares him for his encounter with Herod.
We are a fickle kind of people. We are swayed by power and fear.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR ME?
Jesus’ Manifesto of the Kingdom: A Bible Study on The Beatitudes
Monday, March 27, 2023 • Duration 22:18
When we come to the end of ourselves, we enter the blessing of God.
This is week 3 of our Jesus 101 series. Be sure to go back and listen to weeks 1 and 2!
The episode also touches on the need for balance between individual piety and social activism. Nicole highlights that while caring for the marginalized is essential, it should not overshadow personal devotion to Christ. Jesus’ response to Judas underscores this balance; He acknowledges the importance of caring for the poor while also affirming Mary’s act of worship as significant and worthy.
What Does It Mean for Me?
In conclusion, the podcast encourages listeners to reflect on their own lives and consider how they can embody the aroma of Christ in their daily interactions. Nicole poses thought-provoking questions: How can we worship extravagantly like Mary? How do we respond to persecution or misunderstanding in our faith journey? By embracing both the beauty of devotion and the challenges of following Jesus, believers can live out their faith authentically, becoming a fragrant offering to God and a light to the world.
There is so much pain and hopelessness in our world. Men or women, young or old, rich or poor—pain doesn’t discriminate, and the problem of addiction is prevalent. It can feel like there’s no way out.
Whether you are in a dark valley or walking with someone through theirs, the Bible can be your companion to recovery and restoration. Millions of people have chosen the Life Recovery Bible and have been led to the true source of recovery—God himself.
Within its pages, you’ll find a powerful foundation for recovery with spiritual care, practical wisdom, and the life-changing Word of God. Guidance, support, and hope are here.
The Life Recovery Bible is packed with practical notes, helps, and themes that are fully integrated with the twelve-step program and point you back to your Creator, who alone is the source of freedom, hope, and victory.
The motive is NOT “I’ve got to level up, I’ve got to be better” – the call is “Man, look what God has done, I want to opt into that.”
Lord, help us be aware of what it means to be a citizen in the kingdom of Heaven.
ABOUT RACHEL:
Rev. Rachel Toone joined Montreat College in July 2018 as the Dean of Spiritual Formation. She holds a B.A. in Theology from Whitworth University, an MDiv. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and she is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Trinity School for Ministry. Rev. Toone is an ordained teaching elder by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. When she is not working, Rev. Toone enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading old books.
Jesus reframes what it means to go the right way. The grace and sweetness of Jesus’ assurance: Jesus’ calling is pointing to an attitude of the heart more than an action step.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?
The invitation of the beatitudes: don’t turn away from God when you’re weary, worn and broken.
We want to avoid the disposition of desperation, but that is where Jesus meets us.
ABOUT RACHEL:
Rev. Rachel Toone joined Montreat College in July 2018 as the Dean of Spiritual Formation. She holds a B.A. in Theology from Whitworth University, an MDiv. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and she is currently enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Trinity School for Ministry. Rev. Toone is an ordained teaching elder by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. When she is not working, Rev. Toone enjoys traveling, hiking, and reading old books.
2. Jesus has commissioned you into the kingdom of God, so you can invite others into the Kingdom. I.e., 1 Peter 3:15: “Always give a reason for the hope that you have.”
This is our greatest purpose in life – how we pass along our faith. Our faith is not a private endeavor. Are you living in the joy of your salvation, are you speaking about that joy?
3. We have to pray and seek God’s wisdom to know how to apply what God has spoken into the specific lives of those he has called us to. If you are interacting with a life, God has called you to that person. In the way you pray for and interact with that person, God has a purpose. God-willing, if you are living out that joyful good news, you are going to have opportunities to share the reason for the joy that you have.
In the darkest that the world has to offer, Jesus is still so close. He is taking the punishment for your sin, the weight of sin for you, so that we can be with him in paradise. Fall upon his mercy, even though you don’t deserve it. Jesus remembers you, you are blessed.
What kind of person comes to Jesus? See 1 Corinthians 1:26-31
26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
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