Saturation

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I’ve been mulling this one over for a while. We were discussing the other night at Bible study about the best ways to stay in the Word. My response was that I try to just stay saturated in it. Surround myself with it. Live in it. I’ve found that if I try to set aside time to study God’s word, I get distracted. Or interrupted. Or I’m too tired. Or frustrated. Or it doesn’t make sense. But if I saturate myself in God’s word, living with it constantly before me, something’s going to stick. I often find that those passages that I purposely sit down to study or try to memorize are not the ones that come to mind in those instances when I need them. It’s the ones that I’ve been constantly and repeatedly exposed to, perhaps even in a passive way, that I can recall when I need them. Often I am surprised by the Scripture that has written itself on my heart just through frequent exposure.

Saturation also serves as a fortress around my life and my heart. The Bible says in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think on these things.” If God's word, and the things of God, are constantly before me, it leaves little room for anything else. It serves as a barrier to keep the good in and force the bad out. It is both offense and defense. 

So that being said, I wanted to share some of the resources that I use to do just that. Technology is both a blessing and a curse, so I choose to use it for good. Here are some of the resources that I use to not only stay saturated in God's word, but also stay educated, encouraged, edified, and informed..

1. The YouVersion App

If you don't have the YouVersion Bible app on your phone, you are missing out. YouVersion is available on both Android and iPhone. Every Bible translation you can imagine is available on this app. You can easily switch from one translation to another to study a specific passage of Scripture. You can highlight, take notes, listen to a passage read out loud, download an entire translation for use offline, connect with other believers, use reading plans, Bible studies, and devotionals, join communities, record prayers, watch videos, and I could go on and on! Believe me, you NEED this app on your phone!

2. YouTube

There are a lot of time-wasters and immoral and ridiculous videos on YouTube, but there is also a LOT of good stuff if you're willing to look for it. Following are a few YouTube channels that I frequent. The number one time I watch YouTube videos are while I am walking on my treadmill in the morning. An added benefit is that it makes my time on the treadmill go by faster!

3. Mike Winger

Mike Winger is also known as the Bible Thinker, but on YouTube, his channel is just listed under his own name. He has a podcast that can be found in many places, but I prefer to watch the video of his podcast on YouTube. Mike is a pastor and student of God's word who does an excellent job of explaining the Bible. His videos tend to be rather lengthy, but he puts a lot of time and effort into studying and making sure that he knows what he's talking about before he speaks. He not only explains things in a simple, easy-to-understand way, but he has a humble and pleasant way of presenting it. He does not come across as condescending, arrogant, or a know-it-all, just a guy who loves God's word and has a gift of explaining it. I have rarely heard him say anything that I disagree with.

4. Allie Beth Stuckey

Allie Beth also has a podcast that can be found in many places, but I watch her on YouTube. Allie Beth Stuckey is a conservative Christian blogger, Fox News guest, wife, and mother. She attended Christian school as a child and is the daughter of a Republican Texas congressman. Allie Beth addresses current cultural issues through the lens of the Bible and frequently has relevant guests from the conservative and Christian world. I agree with most of her views and she sometimes reminds me of Kayleigh McEnany.

5. Alisa Childers

So do you remember the CCM group ZOEgirl? Okay, so maybe I'm dating myself, because that was a minute ago, but Alisa was once a member of that group. Now, she has a podcast on Apologetics. While Allie Beth Stuckey speaks more to looking at culture through a biblical lens, Alisa's podcast leans more toward apologetic defense of the Bible. She also interviews guests from such fields as seminaries, archaeology, and former occult members. She is very articulate and breaks things down in an easy-to-understand way.

6. Unashamed

This one is my guilty pleasure. I grew up in a VERY small town in a rural area, so I can totally relate to these guys! If you ever watched Duck Dynasty, you will recognize the members of this podcast. Phil, Jase, Al, their cousin Zach, and frequent special guests talk about everything from hunting to marriage to the Bible. Their podcasts usually start out with several minutes of funny stories or tales of their latest shenanigans, but most of their episodes are actually in-depth Bible studies where they break down the text and then relate it to real life. One of my favorite parts of this podcast is that they don't always agree on what a passage means and I appreciate hearing all of the different perspectives and interpretations. They also have guests from the Christian world such as the founder of 40 Days of Hope, conservative politicians, and their wives (some of my favorite episodes!). I promise you won't make it through one of their episodes without laughing and learning something, too!

7. AFR

First of all, if American Family Radio is available in your area, you should be listening to it! If not, or even if you are, you need to get the app. This app is also available for both Android and iPhone. On the app, you have 3 options. You can listen to AFT Talk, AFR Music, or a hybrid of the two. You can choose to listen to any of their podcasts, including Sandy Rios, Dr. Frank Turek, and Washington Watch. My favorite is Exploring the Word with Bert Harper and Alex McFarland. Bert and Alex study the Bible by working through a book of the Bible at a time and also take questions by call-ins from listeners. The nice thing about the app is that you don't have to catch the broadcasts on the radio at a certain time.

Those are just a few of the resources that I use daily. I may do a follow up post with a few more as they come to mind, but these are the ones I have been using most frequently lately and are fresh on my mind. Please let me know if you have others to share that are worth checking out!