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: And welcome to the Dr. Nursemama Hope for Healthy Families here on American Family Radio. Here's your host, professor, pediatric nurse practitioner and mom of four, Dr. Jessica Peck.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, hey there, friends, and welcome to my favorite time of day, getting to spend time with you, prescribing Hope for Healthy Families. And we've got a great dose of it today. Today we're going back to basics, but basics are the most important. And if you've been following along since January, you know we're on a journey to cultivate 52 habits for healthy families. And one of those first habits right out of the gate back in January was reading the Bible. And our good news for you today is that the Bible is for everyone. That is a miracle in and of itself. It is not just a book for pastors or scholars or people who have it all together. Maybe you know someone who has really good Bible study habit habits who knows a lot about the Bible. Maybe you're feeling intimidated by that or maybe you just feel like you can't get enough. It is for you no matter where you are, no matter what you're doing. And that is the heartbeat of the ministry of the woman we're talking to today, my guest, Raechel Myers. Now, she, along with Amanda Bible Williams are co founders of she Reads Truth. They have a new devotional called the Bible is for you. And it takes readers on a journey through all 66 books of scripture now for over a decade. She reads Truth, which I know already, many of you are already recognizing. And if you aren't recognizing it, then you need to recognize it. It's been helping millions of people around the world engage in the Bible daily. And this devotional is designed to make scripture accessible and beautiful, which is something that we need in a world that seems anything but. And she is inviting you to God's story of redemption because that is not just for for someone else. It is for you. And so I'm so delighted to have you here. Raechel, thank you so much for joining us.
Raechel Myers: I am so excited to be here right now.
Raechel: Is Amanda Bible Williams' name really Bible?
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, I have one burning question That I feel like I have to get out of the way first. Because as I was reading this with your co author, Amanda Bible Williams, is her name really Bible?
Raechel Myers: I, I, that is a great question. She grew up Amanda Bible, that was her maiden name. And so when we became authors, we were like, well, there 1 million Amanda Williams is in the world. Maybe keep your maiden name. And it just, it's, it's the funniest thing that the thing that is the most like, song of her heart is also what God gave her as a name.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I think that's absolutely beautiful. God is so in the details. And I'm convinced, Raechel, that he has a sense of humor. So when I was reading that, I read it twice, thinking, wait, I'm reading a book about the Bible. A devotion about the Bible. Her name is Bible. Nope. That was just a sign that that was meant to be. Just what a beautiful confirmation of calling.
This book is titled the Bible is for you. Let's just dive right in on that phrase
Okay, all right. I just wanted to make sure because I even felt like as I said it, people, other people were asking the question. I could feel that. But this book is titled the Bible is for you. Let's just dive right in and talk about that phrase and the title. What is the heartbeat of this devotional? What's the heartbeat of that message?
Raechel Myers: I am so excited about this book. And specifically, like you said, Jessica, the message like, the Bible is for you, really came about for us because we were invited. We've been inviting for 10 years women all around the world to read the Bible with us. We, our mission statement is women in the word of God every day. And we've never really named it, but we realized looking back that the heartbeat that like heartbeat behind that mission has been, hey, girls, the Bible is for you. And looking back over even how we started, just as like 20 somethings with little kids kind of just looking at our lives and going the way that I live doesn't reflect what I say I believe about scripture. If I say I believe that it's my authority, that is the way to know God, the invitation to relationship with him. If I say I obey it, but I don't know what it says, what does my, how can I have that conflict of truth in my life? Right? And so we invited each other to read the Bible. And at the time, Jessica, you may remember, I don't know, you were probably much younger in 2012. But, at the time, most women, and this isn't that long ago, but it's just true, most women were engaging with scripture either only in the pews. so Hearing from their pastor or through Bible studies, that were primarily. And this is not a criticism because so many of these Bible studies were beautiful and really helpful and inviting at the time, but they were primarily, human words, man's words, women's words, kind of going like, I've read the Bible, and I want to tell you what I've learned. And certainly there was engagement taking place, but we just kind of said, but what if we just go to the primary source, and what if we do that in this really scary way of just reading it without anybody's words next to it? These ancient words that were written not, about us, not even necessarily to us, not as the primary audience, but they were written for us. and so really, like, it was just this. Like, hey, what if we just did this? It felt audacious at the time, but we really just realized, no, we can go right to it. We can read it. And we've been delighted, surprised, and all the things in between, to find that, yeah, we're meant to read this book.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Reading God's Word has been, hands down, the most transformational spiritual practice that I have had. Really reshapes my heart. It gives me a different outlook for the day. And I've shared before, you know, I. I'm a night owl. I don't like mornings. But I've discovered that even that act of obedience, just getting up every morning, starting my day, reading the Word of God, it was so much more helpful for me than reading it at night and thinking, oh, I wish I had read that this morning before I encountered that situation. It's also been transformational for me as a parent. I mean, as a parent, I can say reassuring things to my kids if they're scared. I can say, you know, don't be scared. I'm here. I'm with you. You're not alone. But I. If I follow that up with, God has promised he will never leave you or forsake you. He is a tower. You can run to him. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but a power and love and a sound mind. Those that. That is just transformed my. My parenting practices transformed my life. And, you know, I think, Raechel, about how much time we spend on other things, how much time we spend especially on social media. I know it's in vogue to beat up on that, but it is a reality. And I love what you said about that conflict and that if I really believe this, wouldn't it transform my daily habits and my daily life? That is Such an important point.
She Reads Truth started as a small group of women on Twitter
And you talked about she Reads Truth starting back in 2012. Yes. I feel like the world was such a different place, wasn't it? Then let's talk about that. your transformation in she Reads Truth starting as just a small group of women and today a global community of more than 3 million. Tell us that story. Did you ever imagine it would grow to that scale?
Raechel Myers: It's funny, because it happened so fast on day one. Did I imagine it would happen grow to that many? No. But by the end of day one, there it went. It was something that was just four blogger moms on Twitter, talking about our conviction about reading the Bible and our invitation to each other to read the Bible. And by the next day or the day following, we were like, you know, other people were watching that conversation take place, and we just thought, like, yeah, love for anyone to join us. And we also really mean this for ourselves. sorry. and we also really mean this for ourselves, and so we want to kind of hold the four of us accountable, you know? And so we're like, okay, let's keep doing this, the four of us. But, who are we to limit this invitation that we really feel like that. Like, it feels like God is, like, breathing on this generation of women. You know, even at the time, it felt that way. And so the next day, we were like, okay, well, there's this new thing on Twitter called a hashtag, and one of the girls, like, one of the four of us.
Dr. Jessica Peck: It's my pound sign.
Raechel Myers: Yeah, exactly. She was like, well, if we want to do this by email, but other people want to follow along, there's a thing called a hashtag, and so we could just, like, use a hashtag so people could keep track of it and have conversations. And we're like, great. and she was like, well, it's just. I'll use the hashtag.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Hashtag.
Raechel Myers: She readstruth. That was, like, literally how it happened the very next day. It trended. Jessica. It was just this, like, moment in history that no one could have planned or prepared for. it wasn't for best friends in a coffee shop. I had never met any of the other three women. Like, we lived in different states, and we were just wanting God's word, and God was moving, and there was no business plan. There was no, like, here's how it's gonna go. No P and L. No, like, it was just like, we're hungry for God's word, and we think we can go straight to it. Let's just try. And everyone Just said, yeah, we're in, we're in, we're in, we're in. And we were like, okay, great, well let's get a URL. I guess we'll use the hashtag shereadstruth.com and then we just kind of like literally for the first 30 days it was just a blog post at a time. And the blog post would just as a subject say Proverbs Day 1 or whatever we were reading. and then it would just be no content because you're just supposed to read the chapter, like chapter one of Proverbs. And then it was just a comment section. And Jessica, that comment section was like a mile long and every day because everyone was just engaging with God's word and then talking about it and it was just like like, like the breath of God was just blowing on us and it was beautiful. And it just, he just hasn't stopped blowing. Like the wind is there and it's, it remains like. If you went to our website today, shereadstruth.com I don't know when this is airing, so I shouldn't say that. If you went to our website today, you would go to the comment section and you would see women from all kinds of backgrounds, like all kinds of denominations. And there's this like welcome mat. Because we're, you know, our rule is we're biblically rooted and evangelically broad. And so we just, and so we don't really say here's what the Bible is saying or here's what it means. Sorry, we do say what it's saying. We say, we don't say like here's what it means, we just say here's what it's saying, let's talk about it together. And I'm telling you, it is like one of the remaining like most kind, inviting places on the Internet. Because 13, almost 14 years later, women are coming together and they're just like the Bible was for me today. And I read this and this is what I think I'm understanding from it. Like, what did you see? And it just keeps going.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's so encouraging to hear. And it makes me think of the verse, From Hebrews, Hebrews 4:12. Of course the word of God is alive and active. It's sharper than any double edged sword, penetrating and even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. And I have had so many times where I just read God's word and I feel it, I feel it judging my thoughts and attitudes and ah, in the best possible way because we know that God's Word is for our good. And reading it is so transformational. I've sat across the microphone from so many people who have told me they've come to know God just by reading His Word, just by opening the scriptures, opening a Bible. They had, no other interactions, just opened up the book of John and started to read about. For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son for you. I mean that is just absolutely amazing. And I, I applaud your efforts to get people to read God's word because it's one of those things we all know. It feels like the Sunday school answer, you know, oh, it's Jesus is the answer. We know that, but it is true. And I am going to run with that. Raechel, what you said, if we really believe that, then why is it not following through to change our actions? I, feel like that is really important. And so what do you see in this community and these, what, what kinds of things do you see people talking about? What's generating conversation? What is the, the heartbeat of that yearning there?
Raechel Myers: Yeah, I love, I mean, I love that you just said like, God is love, like Jesus is the answer. Like, those are things that we know. If we don't know it, we certainly heard it. But if it's something that we're saying, let's ask the question, like, okay, who is God? Like, who is Jesus? Like, who is this? Like God is love, who is this Jesus is the answer. Like, why is he the answer? Like, the answer to what? Like, without going to Scripture, we don't know, well, what's the problem? Right? And in what way is he the answer? How is he the answer? So much so that I should just fall in my face in worship for what he has done and not just like been the answer, but like, has solved, not just the world's greatest pain, but mine. Right. And so as, as women as we're like going to this and exploring, like, who is God? Like who's Yahweh? You know, so we're going into these old books of the Old Testament and we go to every book of the Bible and it's been 13 years of women in the word of God every day. So you know, we've read just everything. and it's been amazing. You know, we do, we publish now 12 reading guides a year. We have like a subscription service. And so you can just, every month here comes something and I think we're about to read Revelation. So I've Been preparing for that. and it's just been sweet. Just about every time somebody new orders a book, someone will email our customer service team and they will go, oh, I think that I misread the item description. I expected there to be like a lot of content in this and it's really just scripture.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I want to hear more about this. I'm going to hold you right here, Raechel, because we're already at our first break. But so important. Yes, read Psalms, yes read Proverbs, but, you know, maybe read Joel, Amos, Obadiah. All of God's word is good and instructive for us. it is so good for you. If you're not in the habit of reading God's word, come back after the break. We're gonna talk about how that can be you. We'll see you in a minute.
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The Goodness by TobyMac featuring Blessing Offor : Doubt about you Everywhere that I go? You keep showing up oh, you're the goodness in my life And I'm gonna tell you my truth. They may come, they may go. You keep showing up so do. Ain't no doubt about it. You are the goodness in my life.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is the Goodness by TobyMac featuring Blessing Offor And we are talking about the goodness in our lives that is is given to us through God's word. Our prescription for hope today is that the Bible is for everyone. And we're talking to the founder of she Reads Truth. You can go to shereadstruth.com and it is for everyone. Is for men, it is for women. You can go to he readstruth.com and we are inviting everyone to engage in God's word. And many people struggle to see how the Old Testament connects to the NewSong Testament or how the Old Testament connects to our life here in modern day world, or how each book fits into God's greater story. And the new book, the Bible is for you, provides a road map. It is written by Raechel Myers and her co author and they are talking about walking you through every book of the Bible in a devotional format. Each entry starts with scripture. There are personal stories, there are reflections to help you connect the dots of, of God's redemptive plan all the way from Genesis to revelation and everything in between. And I am convinced, Raechel, that we have got to get into God's word even now more than ever because there's so many talking heads. I'm one of those talking heads. you know, there are so, there's so much information that's coming out at you, you've got to go back to the source. And I see so much misinterpretation, misattribution of scripture and we don't even realize it, but it starts to shape our worldview. Some of the common examples that just come to the top of my head are, the, that money, is the root of all evil. I was at a restaurant and I saw a little tip jar and it said, money is the root of all evil. We'll be glad to relieve you of yours. Put it in here in this jar. And it was, it was funny, you know, it was humorous, but, but so important because actually that scripture is the love of money is the root of all evil. And you've got to be able to go back and know, what does the Bible actually say? What is that? I mean, you think about verses that people say, well, you know, God says he'll never give you more than you can handle. That's not a Bible verse. So really putting our lives on the truth of God's word, we've got to know it. So I want to know, what do you say to people who think, okay, all right, you're, you're talking to me, I'm convicted. I know I need to engage more, but you know, it's overwhelming, it's confusing. I, I just feel all these barriers, right? All of these things that we say. What encouragement do you give them to overcome those and just to jump in and make it a habit?
Raechel Myers: I love that question. Jessica. I think there's a, phrase that I heard in church a couple of Sundays ago. My pastor, used this phrase, the shrinking canon of scripture, and he was using that to sort of describe what's happening in Christendom right now. Like, there was a pull of like, like pastors and like, what, throughout a full year, you know, what books of the Bible had they preached from. And lots of people had gone through all the Gospels. And, you know, some of Paul's letters, you get some Genesis, you get Psalms, right? Isaiah, even at Christmas time. But, but the results of that poll was that, you know, there was like, a solid third of the Bible that was just not really being taught or preached from, from the pulpit, from this wide swath of, of churches who were asked. And so this shrinking canon of scripture is important to pay attention to.
We have a bad habit as believers of outsourcing our Bible reading to others
So when you ask, you know, why is it important to go to the Word? You know, because we. And I'm guilty of this. And Jessica, you tell me if you are, we have a bad habit as believers of outsourcing our Bible reading to others. We will go listen to a podcast and we will love to hear somebody else. We have a she Reads Truth podcast, and at the end of everyone, we're like, don't you dare outsource your Bible reading to us. We'll talk about the Bible for an hour. But if for any reason listening to this makes you think you've done the work yourself, don't believe it. That's a lie. Like, go. Because you are invited to go straight to the text and interact with that living and active word that's useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training. Like, I talk to them often about, like, hey, if you've been reading scripture every day this week, how many of those days were you taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained? Right? Like, because if we're, if we're not being rebuked by scripture, if we're not being revived by scripture, like, then we're probably not really going to Scripture, right?
Dr. Jessica Peck: Absolutely. And I'm so guilty of that, Raechel. I am. Because we just think it's, it's just convenient, honestly, in the way that it's packaged. I can listen on the go. And, you know, of course it's important to, to vet people. That's really important too, because not all devotionals are created equal. And you need to be really careful at the teachers that we invite into our lives sometimes without thinking, who give us their interpret interpretation of God's Word, and we take it as God's Word, and it is not. One of the practices we have in my church, that I really appreciate is that we all stand together to read God's Word, and we read the words out of the scripture, and then as soon as we finish that passage, we say together the phrase, the very words. And the pastor will say, this is to distinguish God's word from my own. These are God's words. These are mine, and this is my interpretation. Now, I am praying about this. I am, you know, seeking God's wisdom and discernment and doing all of the things to make sure that I'm presenting this to you responsibly. But my words are not God's words. And so what? So tell us about the devotional and walking through all of those 66 books. Because, like I said, you know, when you see a Bible study at church, actually, this makes me think, not too long ago, my husband had.
Raechel Myers: Had.
Dr. Jessica Peck: He was going to a men's Bible study, and he said there were lots of different options. The one that was falling out the door was Revelation. Like, everybody wants to go to Revelation. Who wants to go to Amos? You know, they're like, what is this? You know, so talk to us about, about your study and how you take people through all of the Bible, that it's all. It's all profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.
Raechel Myers: the very words. I love that so much.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Like, I want to say, isn't it great?
Raechel Myers: So good. Yes, ma'. Am. I. When they invited us, Lifeway invited Amanda and I to put together a devotional book. And we have never in 13 years, done this before. So, like, it was new to us. In fact, we hadn't published anything new in seven years since we published the Sheeran's Truth Bible. So it was a very, like, okay, how do we want to do this? Like, what does our community need? And, not just for themselves, but one thing we heard from our community frequently was, I have either a friend who is a new believer, or I have a friend who is curious about Scripture. And she's a little intimidated, if not a lot intimidated by Scripture. and so we just thought. And then we always think, what's something that I wish I had that doesn't exist? And so what we created was something that really answers all three of those things really beautifully, because it has become a resource. like you said, as you introduced it, it is every book of the Bible. And you're gonna read from those ancient words first. Like, if you go to Genesis, you'll read the ancient words. Excuse me. You'll read the ancient words from Creation, and then you'll turn the page and you're gonna get somewhere else in Scripture is gonna talk about what we just read about in Genesis. So again, in the very word. and we love the practice of inviting first scripture to interpret scripture. And then on the third page is, me or Amanda or one of our other. She reads. Truth Writers has just written a response. And we've just kind of said. We've gone first and said, hey, those ancient words are really relevant to my life today. I'm going to tell you how. And I bet you could say how to. And so we've just kind of connected 66 times the ancient words with our lives today and shown you not just what's happening in the Book of Amos, as we said, or Habakkuk or Nahum or anywhere. but, how is that connecting to my life today? And it's just been sweet because you know this, Jessica, you know that the stories in scripture, there are some tragedies, there's some really sad things. There's some really wonderful things, some things that are funny, downright funny. There are some words in Philemon's that are in Philemon that are funny. and so we tried to match that. So even in these essays, these stories, there is a mix. Like, there are some sadder essays, some funny ones, there are some really, like, poignant ones. And so we've just tried to max that or, match that mix of content with what scripture did.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I love that you did that. And you're right, actually, Scripture is funny. One of my favorite things that I always laugh about is, you know, when John's writing about how he outran the other disciple to the tomb.
Raechel Myers: Just read that last week.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yes. Funny that. That is funny. And I think there are a lot of people who look at the scripture and they think that, you know, that how could this. You know, you m. Maybe you open Leviticus and you think, okay, how can these rules be applicable to my life? But there are ways to study the Bible. There are ways to get some of that cultural context and some of those things. And that's important to do, but just at a, basic level, it is. You see the themes that are woven through mankind. Solomon said, there's nothing new under the sun. And people think, how is the Bible going to help me navigate social media or all of these technological things that we have? And you look back and you see, okay, how did people in the Bible navigate cultural chaos? Cultural standards that were conflicting with what they were called to as believers in God? And you look and there is certainly some family drama that is nothing new. I mean, family drama from the beginning of time. But one of the things that I love the most about God's word, Raechel. And the thing that I cannot get enough of right now, I have a notebook where I am keeping track of ways that God unwinds the curse, ways that God redeems, restores, and makes all things new. And you don't really see those connections between the Old and NewSong Testament. And I feel like no matter. I'm gonna study for the rest of my life, and I will never see all of them. There's so many ways. And one of the most recent ones that I didn't even realize was talking about Eve in the garden, how she took the fruit she ate, and her eyes were opened. And then you look at the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they're talking with Jesus, and it says, he sits, he breaks the bread, they eat, and their eyes are opened. I mean, I was like, that is incredible. and you even read about how Peter denies Jesus at, a fireside. There's a detail in the scripture that says there was a fire at the charcoal fire.
Raechel Myers: Yeah. Yes.
Dr. Jessica Peck: And then when he meets Peter on the beast beach, there is a charcoal fire. Like, even that sensory experience of restoring him. I got goosebumps all over. Raechel, what do you see in that? And connecting the Old Testament and the NewSong Testament and all of the promises of God fulfilled and. And the curse. Wow.
Raechel Myers: Oh, my goodness. There's so many. I love that. I love the charcoal fire connection. one that I just learned last week. My friend Ashley showed this to me because we were studying John together. but, it's the moment at the resurrection, when I, think Mary goes into the tomb, and she sees the stone slab, and she sees two figures, two men, two angels, on either side of the slab, one at the foot and one at the head. And she was like, rachel, where else do we see a stone slab with an angel at the head and the foot? And I was like, it's the mercy seat, like, above the Ark of the Covenant, like, the stone place where no one can go but God and no animal blood can go because it is not pure. Like, there's only one, like, one man's blood that can go on the mercy seat. And it's like, John is, like, showing us in this, like, beautiful, like, moment, like, hey, this is the mercy seat. Like, this has come to fruition, this thing that I promised. Because in Exodus, God literally says to his people, I will meet you at the mercy seat.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That's going in my notebook. That is definitely going in my notebook. And that's the kind of thing where really, once you dive into God's word, you really can't get enough. So it's not an obligation, it's not a habit. I mean, I eagerly open my Bible every morning and think, okay, what words of wisdom, what revelation, what way is God going to judge my thoughts and heart and attitude today? It is, it's really, it's really great. And we actually, we do a family Bible reading plan and we have a family group text and so we can text in there. You know, something that happened. Well, especially when you're in the Old Testament, some, some definitely interesting things that you have trouble interpreting. And so we'll be like, what about that? Well, we know who's read it and who hasn't by based on, you know, what we are talking about, but based.
Raechel Myers: On their emojis alone.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Exactly, exactly.
Dr. Jessica Peck: How do you counter darkness with beauty and goodness and truth?
Well, tell us more about how we find beauty and goodness and most of all, truth in, in this devotional through your ministry. How you want to show people that. Because I think that this world, honestly, Raechel, it is so dark and so ugly and so hopeless in so many ways. I mean we, we know the power of the doom scroll. We know the anxiety that we feel like nobody wants to open their phone or, or, or turn on the TV or hear because we're just going to hear more bad news. How do you counter that with beauty and goodness and truth?
Raechel Myers: I love that, I love that you said beauty, goodness and truth. That's like one of our favorite favorite things. and like, speaking of that, we have a rule at our office. You, know I said we make 12 books a year plus this guy. So this was bonus 13. but, but we have a rule. Anybody who's going to work on any project project has to read the whole thing first. So if you're going to design for Revelation, you read that whole book before you start to design. Because we want our design to reflect the content. We want to be able to be the first influencer, so to speak. And so when we did that, when we created the Bible is for you, there was a couple of really specific things that we did in the pursuit of beauty, goodness and truth. Like for example, anyone who's like watching this right now can see I've turned the book. And you can see that the spine is first of all exposed. So you can see all the little signatures bound together. We did that on purpose to kind of remind us that the Bible is one book, but it's many smaller books bound together. It's like this is like right off the Bat. Here's a clue. This. We're going to learn about the Bible. And then we have, on the front cover, a painting by Jan Bruegel called the Garden of Eden. And it is, a painting of a garden. And again on the back, open it, you can see the whole thing. But it just reminds us right off the bat with beauty, goodness and truth that, the story of scripture begins in a garden and ends in the Garden City. And it is because of, and in spite of everything that happens in between it. We, we've done so many things to, even like using this highlighter yellow to just remind us to engage with scripture. Like, it makes us think of like a highlighter in our Bibles when we were, well, I was gonna say when I was in junior high, but I still use a highlighter in Bible. So even now, the beauty matters so much because that's what we're called to. Like our Creator, he made us to image him. And he, like, he is beauty, he is goodness, he is truth. And so when we can step into those things in anything we create, be it a Bible study or a water heater, like to do it just like in imaging the one who went first and made things beautiful.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Raechel, that's so incredible. Encouraging. Well, when we come back, we have a lot more to discuss about engaging with God's word. Because the Bible is for you. Yes. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I'm talking to you. It is what it is one of God's greatest gifts that he has given us. And it is for you. If you haven't opened it, open that gift. It is sitting there waiting for you. And we'll have more waiting for you on the other side out of this break.
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I Know A Name by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown,and Elevation Worship: Roaring waves I know a name. That. Can empty out a grave I know a name it's the only name that saves and it's worthy of all praise. I call you Jesus Yes, I call you I call you Healer risen and reigning in power. Something comes out of the grave. Every. Time I call you Jesus. I call you, I call you Savior Worthy of glory forever. Something comes out of the grave. Every. Time I call your name.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Welcome back, friends. That is I Know a Name by Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Elevation Worship. And that's what we're talking about today. I know a name that is above every name.
Philippians 2 is all about the humility of Christ
And I want to read to you from God's Word from one of my favorite chapters of Scripture. Actually, pretty much. I, sometimes I change my mind. But my favorite chapter of scripture is Romans 8. But Philippians 2 is all about the humility of Christ. And this is what this, that what God's word says starting in verse five in your relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in the very nature, God did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. Being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. That is the kind of hope. That is the gospel message that we are talking about today. I'm talking with Raechel Myers from she reads Truth and that ministry has always emphasized that God's word is not just to be studied, but to be lived out. And it's rooted in their ministry's core convict convictions which Raechel has been sharing with you. Beauty, goodness and truth. Don't we need more of that? And they have a new devotional. She already showed it to you. I'm showing it to you now. The Bible is for you, Raechel. I love how you designed the spine even to reflect those different books of the Bible. And this is inviting you who are listening not to just consume scripture but to be transformed by it.
Now, Bible engagement is on the rise in 2025
Now, Bible engagement is on the rise in 2025. Tell us about that and where you see God moving. Raechel.
Raechel Myers: We are seeing that. and I'm And it's so exciting. I have an 18 year old, almost 19 year old and he is on a college campus this year. And I am hearing it from him. Just the way that God is moving in his generation and in the generations that came before him. Like really across the board. Like you said, Bible engagement is up. praise the Lord and I think just that, I mean we're talking about beauty, goodness and truth. Like, we just want to know. We have that question that Pilate asked at ah, Jesus trial, like what, what is truth? We just want to know, like, what is, what am I living for? What am I dying for? What am I, what is my compass? And, and especially in that younger generation, it's just beautiful to see that they don't want to outsource their Bible reading. They're going straight to the primary source. And, and it's been exciting to watch that.
Dr. Jessica Peck: It absolutely is. I mean, the Bible is the best selling book of all time. And I have a series we're doing called Wednesdays with Josh Mobile Hill. We talk about biblical worldview and we, we talked about this. It's not even close. I mean, it is the most widely distributed, the most read book in human history. Its influence extends across religion, across culture. We're talking literature and law and ethics and all kinds of things. And the best estimates that I could find, that there have been over 5 billion copies of the Bible that have been printed and distributed worldwide. It's been translated into seven languages in full, 3,400 partial languages, making it the most translated book in history. And it's been mass produced, of course, since the, the Gutenberg Bible and the press right in the 1450s. And when we look back at just some of the historical significance, the Dead Sea Scrolls and just how much, how much verification, there is of how the Bible, the words of the Bible were so faithfully translated for other us, it is incredible. And you can see why this book is so powerful. There is nothing else like it, nothing else that comes close. And I agree with you, Raechel. I've got kids in college, college age kids, and there is a hunger for God's word because they're, they're, you know, in this generation, I think they're growing up with information overload. I mean we, I grew up, I won't, I won't assume your age, Raechel, but I grew up in the age where if you're eating.
Raechel Myers: We both have college kids. That's right. Yeah, exactly.
Dr. Jessica Peck: There you go. You're eating breakfast at the table like you're reading the back of the cereal box. If you're bored. Yes. And now you can stream billions of hours of content and it's directed by the algorithm. Anything that you click on. There's no discernment, there's no caring spirit in an algorithm. There's no wisdom. It just says, oh, you want more of that? I'll give you more of that to keep you on here and I think.
Raechel Myers: Algorithm will assault you.
Dr. Jessica Peck: That is actually, that's a bold statement but that's absolutely true. How do you fight against that? Where do you see that cultural tension for college kids but if we're really honest also for moms, for parents of college kids, anybody, we're fighting. This is so hard.
Raechel Myers: Oh, that is a big conversation. It really is. And it's something that obviously you and I can't solve in you know, a segment. But but I think that here's what I know is true. Be it the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2025, the enemy does not want us to to know what is true. The enemy wants us and wants to rule our thoughts. And so while there were under attack in 2025 and enemy is wanting to is after our kids and our own minds, online or whatever it was whenever it was right. We know that. And no matter how old we are, whether we are moms of college kids or we are college kids ourselves or anywhere in between or beyond, what I know and having only lived as much life as I've lived, I know that reading my Bible is going to take discipline and it's going to take discipline every day. It's going to take saying no to a lot of things and it's going to take really fighting for that double edged sword fighting for that belt of truth. I think that's the thing and that's the thing that we're actually seeing. The younger generation is going, I'm fighting for it. I'm actually making time for this. I love you talking about, you know, you are you're a night owl, you like to read at night, but also like you're carving out time in the mornings. And I feel like I'm on a little bit of both of those schedules as well sometimes. But what I know is that when I start my day in the work, whatever comes at, at me from that algorithm in the day. What other whatever comes at me from whatever angle be it the enemy or just be just like friends who have bad news and I just need to love them. Well, I need to know what's true.
Dr. Jessica Peck: M. Yeah, that's so true because there's so much controversy even around the word truth. And you know, whenever I hear that like you know we'll say speak truth but, but your truth is different than my truth and speak your truth and live your truth.
Raechel Myers: I can't personalize our truth.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Yes, I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the father. But by me, going back to those scriptures is so important. And Raechel, I'd love to share with you one way that my husband and I have really kind of tried to push back on the algorithm. One thing that I got really convicted about was that because we are surrounded by script screens, my kids could not differentiate if I was reading my Bible on a screen. And I'm not here, I'm not here to dog rating a Bible on a screen. I'm not here to condemn that or say that's bad. But it was convicting to me that they didn't know. When I was reading my Bible and I looked around in church one day and I just see everybody on their phones and I thought about, you know, because of course I'm a pediatric nurse, so I, I think about things from the lens of children all the time. And I thought they're not growing up with a visual image, image of God's word opening. Like knowing that, oh, now you're on social media on your phone, that looks exactly the same as when you're on your, your Bible on your phone. And so I talked to my husband about it. He is an engineer, a rocket science, ah, scientist. actually he thought that was absolutely ridiculous. He said, you've got to embrace technology. This is making the Bible accessible. And then I'm gonna be honest, he prayed about it for a few days. He came back and he said, you know, I'm really convicted about, about that. I want to have a paper Bible that I, that will hold me accountable so my kids will know that I am reading the Bible. And that looks different than me engaging with my email or my text messages or my social media. What do you think about that?
Raechel Myers: girl? Same conviction. Same same, same. And this coming from someone who has a Bible app. And like we have the Sheer Truth Bible app and it is there to invite people, people to read the Bible. Like it's not wrong. I remember the day we, we did a Kickstarter campaign for it and I remember that like the night before we launched it, like launched the campaign. I went to my kids playroom, they were tiny at the time and just like flat on my face. And I was like, God, what are we doing? Like, I have grown up with such reverence for his word. Like, you wouldn't set a coffee cup on top of that Bible, right? Like, it's just I literally today, as I was sitting at my desk, had my phone set up on top of my Bible and took it off like I. I have that level of reverence. And I remember praying to the Lord like, this for any reason is not of you, Lord. Would you just squash it immediately? And the wild thing about that story is that within 24 hours of that prayer, our whole Kickstarter campaign had funded for this app, which was just, like, it was supposed to take 30 days, and it funded within, like, less than a day, but 24 hours from prayer. And it was just like, okay, we will do that. Like, we will be in the world, but not of the world. So we will do that. That. And. And yet I am the gal in church with my Bible open, physical Bible open. I am the girl at home with my Bible or my she reads truth reading guide open. Because I am so visual and tactile, and I need to remember where on the page was that? Where's my handwriting that says, like, the date of when the Lord met me in this text? Like, that matters to me so deeply. My grandma passed away a couple of years ago, and I got one of her Bibles because she would go through Bibles in a year for a couple years and then start a new Bible. And so I have one that she went. She read through probably five years in a row. And, like, the amount of, like, notes that are in there, like, it is, like, one of the most precious possessions that I have. And I agree with you. Like, I want my kids to, like, know, like, if you close your eyes right now, what does mom's Bible look like, right? Like, I want them to, like, be like that. I can tell you all about it. She's constantly got it with her. And if it's just on your phone, then, like, what. It looks like a phone. It's not. It's not. Like, this is a morally neutral thing. Like, if you're reading your Bible on your phone, like, I actually feel really great about that. You're going to God's word. And golly, I can't disagree. Like, I'm. I'm a physical Bible girl.
Dr. Jessica Peck: Well, I appreciate that so much. I do think it is a both. And because, there's some things that I. That I read in my Bible app and my devotional and that kind of. Of thing. But, man, when I am going through just reading God's word, I have the same experience that you do. Raechel, my grandmother also passed away a couple of years ago, and I have one of her Bibles, and it is a treasure to see her handwriting. There's something so personal about that, and I love that. So I feel like it has to Be both and, but I think that these are questions and conversations that we should just be having thing as the world changes and as that delivery changes, you know, to make sure, and even when you're reading online, making sure that the translation has not been changed and what are you reading and has it been, has the text been altered in any way? All of those things are really important, but all about going to the truth, going direct to the source, going straight to God's word. So I would just love for you to give a, last encouragement for those who think, you know, maybe they think I'm in a Bible study or I'm in a Sunday Sunday school class or you know, I, maybe even they read their Bible every day or maybe they don't. How would you encourage them to get started? How will the Bible is for you help them do that to engage with God's Word more deeply in a world where we need that unshakable foundation of truth.
Raechel Myers: I love that. I, have a couple of things I said earlier. I think in the first segment. You know, know, don't outsource your Bible reading. we have this luxury because we know the early church actually had to. They had to outsource their Bible reading because they couldn't read. There weren't copies of scripture, all of those things. But we don't have to. Like, we can go to the Word every day for ourselves and meet with the Lord there. But the other thing that I would add to that is that we are meant for community. I think that we sometimes like see it as this like very personal thing. And it is, but it's not, it's personal, but it's not private. Like we are meant to be in community together. I read the Bible every day. but you know, when I get the most out of scripture is after I've read it on my own. Then I go talk with Amanda about it, friend about it, my husband about it. And it's amazing to me how going from the, the grammar stage of just like what does this say? To the logic stage of like what does this mean? Like what do you think?
Dr. Jessica Peck: Think?
Raechel Myers: And even to the rhetoric stage of like, how does that change how I live? Like, how does this transform me? you. If we just stay in the Bible reading phase, just only reading it without talking about it, sharing it, being in community, around being a community of Bible readers, I think we're, I think we're missing some really important parts that even the early church did have the benefit of. while they had to outsource the actual Bible Bible reading. They then talked about it in community quite a lot. So I invite. I invite any listener to be a Bible talker about her.
Dr. Jessica Peck: I love that and I cannot believe it. Raechel, we're already out of time. If you want to know more, go to shespeakstruth.com and find out more about engaging community just as Raechel just encouraged you to do. And pick up. A copy of the Bible is for you. And you may be wondering, wondering what in the world are we talking about this on a show that's about marriage and family? It is everything. Let me tell you. It is everything. It is everything that you need. And as you read, I pray the Lord will bless you and keep you and, make his face to shine upon you. I'll see you right here next time. We'd like to thank our sponsors including preborn. Preborn has rescued over 400,000 babies from above abortion and every day their network clinics rescue 200 babies lives. Will you join PreBorn in loving and supporting young moms in crisis? Save a life today. Go to preborn.com/AFR the views and.
Jeff Chamblee: Opinions expressed in this broadcast may not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.
