Discover the Word Podcast

Struggling with worry and anxiety? No matter what you’re struggling with, discover how to cast your cares on God.

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It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with worries, cares, and anxious thoughts, but you’re not meant to carry all those burdens on your own. Jesus said not to worry, and the apostle Paul said to cast all your cares on God.  
What are you worried about?  
What may be hindering you from trusting God with your worries, anxious thoughts, cares, and concerns?  
What could your next step toward trusting God more and worrying less look like? 
 
Reflect  
How does it feel knowing that God wants you to cast all your cares on Him as it says in 1 Peter 5:7 and that we’re to be anxious for nothing as you read in Philippians 4:6–7? 
How does Matthew 6:19–34 help you to not worry so much about tomorrow? 
How does the good soil Jesus mentioned in His parable found in Luke 8:4–18 differ from the other soil He mentioned? 
How can you stay focused on what matters most like Mary in Luke 10:38– 42 instead of being distracted by good things like Martha?  
How does Timothy’s genuine concern for the well-being of the Philippian church that the apostle Paul commended him for in Philippians 2:14–24 differ from unhealthy worry?  
 
 
Respond 
(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) 
“Dear God, thank You that I don’t have to be consumed with worry and anxious thoughts. Thank You that I can go to You with all my cares and concerns. Help me to keep trusting You no matter my circumstances.”        
 
Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Resilient  
Bible Engagement and "The Power of 4": A Key to Spiritual Growth| Center for Bible Engagement| Our Daily Bread  
Listen: 
Resilient  
Don’t Worry!  
Read: 
The Resilient Life  
How Can We Put Our Worries to Work for Us? 
Watch: 
Uncovering Resilient Faith with Lina AbuJamra (Unshakable Moxie) 
Worrying Steals Your Days - Luke 12:25

The apostle Paul often used the theme of running in his letters. Discover what he might have been trying to tell us through his running metaphor.

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The apostle Paul often used the metaphor of running a race to remind his readers, and us, how important it is to run our race well. In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul encouraged believers to run away from sin and temptation and to run toward God.  
What have you been running toward lately? 
Is there something you need to flee from in your life so you can pursue God instead? 
What could your next step of running toward God look like? 

Reflect  
How can you run away from sin and temptation as the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:18 and 1 Corinthians 10:14? 
What does it look like to “run in such a way” as it says in 1 Corinthians 9:24? 
According to 1 Corinthians 9:26–27, why is it important to be disciplined along your Christian journey? 
Based on 1 Corinthians 14:1, what are we to be running toward? 
 
Respond 
(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) 
“Dear God, thank You that You are with me as I run the race You have set before me. Help me to run away from sin and temptation and run to You with my whole heart. Thank You that Your Holy Spirit can empower me to run my race well.”      

Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources 

Mentioned in this episode: 
In Pursuit of Paul 
Listen: 
Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes  
Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 1  
Paul, the Letter Writer | Week 2  
Read: 
The More Excellent Way: What Paul Actually Means in 1 Corinthians 13  
Spiritual Disciplines | Running the Race  
Watch: 
Why Do We Have to Struggle? | 1 Corinthians 10:13  
Cleansing the Body and Spirit – 2 Corinthians 7:1

In a sense, you could say that the entire Bible is about God’s desire to dwell with his people. Immanuel—God with us. Experiencing God’s presence is what we were created for. And we are promised in Scripture that if we seek God, we will find Him. But how do we experience the presence of God when we don’t see Him or feel like He’s with us? Well, in this series of conversations with Dr. David Mathewson, the Discover the Word group explores how experiencing God’s presence can be a regular practice and experience of God’s people. And time In His Presence can transform, heal, and empower us.

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From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is the story of God dwelling with His people. We were created to commune with God, but it can be challenging since we can’t see or feel Him. 
How can you experience God’s presence on a regular basis? 
Is there something hindering you from spending time in God’s Word and in prayer and worship so you can experience His transforming, empowering, and healing presence and power in your life? 
God longs to make His presence known to you.  

What could your next step toward seeking God’s presence look like? 
 
Reflect  
How does Genesis 1–2 reveal God’s desire from the very beginning to dwell among His people?  
According to Hebrews 4:11, why is spending time with God so important? 
How do you feel knowing that we have access to God the Father through His Son Jesus as it says in Hebrews10:19–22?  
What did the Bible figures mentioned throughout Hebrews 11 get commended for and how can that encourage you on your journey? 
What helped the psalmist in Psalm 73 go from despair to hope? 
Even now, how can you gaze upon God’s beauty as it says in Psalm 27:4? 
How does Revelation 4–5 fill you with hope for what awaits in heaven? 
 
Respond 
(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) 
“Dear God, thank You that You long to spend time with me. Thank You that I can feel Your presence even though I can’t see You. Help me as I seek to feel Your loving, healing, and empowering presence in my life. Thank You that in Your presence, there is fullness of joy!”      
 
Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources 

Mentioned in this episode: 
30 Days in God's Presence  by Dr. David Mathewson from Denver Seminary and Jennifer J Fitzgerald   
Listen: 
What Is Faith?  
Does Sabbath Still Matter? 
Read: 
In His Presence  
The Promise of Presence - John 14:15–17, 25–31  
Watch: 
Hebrews 11:1 - Biblical Faith  
Revelation 4:8 | Holy, Holy, Holy

What did Jesus mean when He told Nicodemus that he must be “born again”? Join us as we explore Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus. Discover why the concept was so difficult for Nicodemus to grasp and why we also sometimes struggle with the truth that is so central to the Christian faith.

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Jesus often said things that unsettled the very people who thought they understood God best. When He told Nicodemus he must be “born again,” it didn’t fit his framework—and he struggled to receive it. 

Where might the same be true for you? 

Is there anything—assumptions, expectations, past experiences—that could be shaping how you hear Jesus’ words today? Ask God to gently reveal and release anything that’s getting in the way. 

Nicodemus didn’t understand everything at first, but he kept moving toward Jesus—stepping out of the shadows, speaking up, and showing up when it mattered most. 

What might your next step toward Jesus look like? 

Reflect  
Read John 3. As you reflect on the chapter, what stands out to you?   
Why do you think Nicodemus struggled to understand the meaning of being “born again” that Jesus mentioned in John 3:1–4? 
According to John 3:5–15, why must Jesus’ followers be “born again”? 
Based on  John 7:50–51 and John 19:38–42, do you think Nicodemus eventually understood what it meant to be “born again” and became a follower of Jesus? 
How does John 3:16–17 encourage you as you read about God’s immense love for you? 

Respond 
(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) 
“Dear God, thank You that by Your Holy Spirit I can be born into Your kingdom. Thank You for renewing and cleansing me. Help me overcome any baggage that may be hindering me from completely receiving Your gift of eternal life through Your Son Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection. Help me as I seek to live for You.”      

Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources 
Mentioned in this episode: 
I Am the Way   
The Chosen Season 1, Episode 2  
The Chosen Season 1, Episode 7  
Listen: 
The Pharisees Week 1  
For God So Loved   
Read: 
Love: What does Jesus see when he looks at me?  
The Gospel Here and Now  
Jesus and Nicodemus    
Watch: 
God Loves You!  
God’s Daily Love

The word “trees” shows up more than 200 times in the Bible. Discover why it may not just be “the heavens that declare the glory of God” but also trees.

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The Bible mentions trees more than 200 times throughout the Old and New Testament. From Genesis to Psalms to Matthew and into Revelation, it seems as though many significant theological events in the Bible are marked by a tree. As we consider the significance behind many of the trees included throughout Scripture, may we discover that not only do the heavens declare the glory of God, but so do trees. As we ponder the crucial role trees play in how the story of the Bible is told, let’s look for God’s fingerprints wherever we see a tree or a branch or a bush or a root or some kind of fruit mentioned in a passage. And as we notice the trees in our world a little more, may they help point us to God. 

Reflect 
Read the verses connected with this episode below. As you reflect on the Scripture, what stands out to you?   
Genesis 18:1 
Genesis 21:33 
Deuteronomy 16:21–22 
Judges 9:8–15 
1 Kings 19:4–5a 
Isaiah 11:1  
Jeremiah 1:11  
Ezekiel 17:24  
Daniel 4:10–12  
John 1:48–50  
In Genesis 2:4–9 and Genesis 2:16–17 we read about the tree of knowledge. Why did God want to protect Adam and Eve from this one tree? 
How do Psalm 1:3, Psalm 52:8, Psalm 92:12, and Proverbs 15:4 describe what it looks like to be flourishing in our Christian life?   
What can we learn from the warning we read in Matthew 7:15–20? 
How do Acts 5:30, Romans 11:17–18, and Galatians 3:13 point to Jesus redeeming us from our sin?      
How do the mentions of the tree of life found in Revelation 2:7 and Revelation 22:1–2 encourage you? 
Based on Psalm 1:3, Matthew 7:15–20, Luke 6:43–45, and James 3:12, what are some of the signs of a good tree vs. a bad tree? 
 
Respond 
(Use this prayer to start a conversation with God) 
“Dear God, thank You for telling us of Your goodness and glory even through trees. Help me to think of Your lovingkindness, provision, and protection when I read about the beautiful array of trees in Scripture and see the trees You have placed along my path. Help me to join the heavens and trees in declaring Your glory!” 

Discover more about the topics in this episode with these recommended resources 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Reclaim Today: Prayers for Ordinary Moments  
The Hidden Life of Trees   
Listen: 
The Orchard  
The Connected Life 
Read: 
Wonder  
How Firm a Foundation 
Watch: 
How Nature Makes God Visible 
Becoming The Tree God Intends Us To Be