Bible Book Club
The Bible. It’s been the #1 book sold since the day it was written, but have you read it? And if you read it, did you understand it? In the Bible Book Club podcast, we read every word of the Bible for you. In fact, Heather Rubio and Susan Merrill will do it all for you—read, discuss, and explore the only book ever written that can change your life forever. All you have to do is listen. Just join the club! Start in the beginning with Season 1: Genesis or choose a book. Available Seasons include Season 1 Genesis, Season 2 Exodus, Seas...
Psalms 81–89: Better is 1 Day in Your Courts than a 1000 Elsewhere
Has your faith ever felt like it was holding on by a thread?
In this final stretch of Book 3 of the Psalms, we unpack what it means to wrestle with unanswered questions, national devastation, and personal heartbreak.
Walk with us through the raw, unfiltered prayers of lament and praise in Psalms 81–89. They're a gentle reminder that worship isn't just for the good days. God invites us to bring our honest grief, fear, and "how long, Lord?" directly to Him, especially when our life no longer matches the promises of God.
In...
Psalms 73-80: The Strength of My Heart and My Portion Forever
Ever feel like you do the right thing but get nowhere, meanwhile everyone else gets ahead?
As we dive into Book 3 of our Psalms journey, we enter what many call the "valley" of the psalms. This section of psalms mirrors the book of Leviticus with a focus on worship and the sanctuary, but with a dramatic twist. The sanctuary lies in complete ruin, enemies are inside the gates, and God’s people are left asking how true worship is even possible when everything around them has crumbled.
In Psalms 73-80, we walk through th...
Psalms 68-72: When You Are Drowning & Searching for Hope
Have you ever felt lonely and longed for the comfort of a friend or family?
Join our Psalms 68-72 Bible study as we explore the tender ways God “sets the lonely in families.” We’ll uncover why the heavy lament of Psalm 69 prophesies Jesus' own suffering and how God gives us confidence to trust Him through every stage of life.
If you’ve ever felt worn down by non-stop trials, or life has felt lonely or overwhelming, you’re in the right place. Grab a warm drink and join us for this Psalms 68-72 Bible s...
Psalms 59-67: Do you thirst for God?
Have you ever felt threatened and vulnerable, desperate to feel safe?
In our Psalms 59-67 Bible study, we open with a Psalm David wrote while men were literally waiting outside his house to kill him. As we travel through the other psalms, David moves from total exhaustion, fear, and desert dry spells into an unquenchable thirst for God’s presence.
If you’ve ever felt trapped, targeted by cruel words, or completely isolated at the "ends of the earth," David’s prayers will hit you right where you are. But this nine-psalm journey doesn’t...
Psalm 50-58: Create in Me a Pure Heart
What should you do when someone you trust turns against you?
Psalms 50-58 are your answer. This stretch of Psalms opens with God himself taking the stand, not to demand more sacrifices, but to expose what's really going on in the human heart.
From there, we watch David wrestle with his darkest moment (his affair with Bathsheba), suffer betrayal by a close friend, hide from enemies who want him dead, and finally cry out for justice against corrupt leaders who prey on the powerless.
These psalms feel raw, honest, and surprisingly re...
Psalm 42-49: Why are you downcast?
Ever wonder why God doesn't just fix your problems for you?
In this Psalms 42-49 Bible study, we kick off Book 2 of Psalms by diving into the powerful redemption story of the Sons of Korah, a family literally swallowed by the earth for rebelling against God.
Whether you are dealing with unanswered prayers, emotional distress, or wondering why God allows suffering, these chapters offer profound comfort and timeless prayers. We explore a lament that echoes Job's struggles, a prophetic royal wedding song about Jesus, and the exact scripture that inspired Martin Luther’s fa...
Psalm 37-41: Do Not Fret
Ever feel a simmering anger when someone is winning by cheating, lying, or hurting others?
David can relate. In Psalms 37–41, David is fed up with watching evil people prosper. He's also physically crushed by his own guilt, questioning whether life even means anything, pulled up out of a pit, and betrayed by someone he trusted completely.
These aren't tidy conclusions. They're five raw, in-the-moment prayers from a man who keeps choosing to bring it all back to God.
This Psalm 37-41 Bible study covers:
[7:17] Psalm 37: Fretting in Heb...Psalms 31-36: Can we trust God?
When life is falling apart, can you actually trust God, or does that only work for people whose faith is stronger than yours?
David wrote Psalms 31–36 from some of the darkest corners of his life: betrayal, bone-deep shame, enemies closing in, evil seeming to win. And yet, six different times from six different emotional places, he comes back to the same answer. Yes, you can trust God. Not because the circumstances get easier, but because something shifts when you keep bringing it all to Him.
This episode walks through six psalms that feel le...
Psalms 25-30: Whom Shall I Fear?
What do Psalms 25–30 teach us about how to actually live out our faith when guilt, fear, and doubt feel overwhelming?
The psalms in our last episode answered the question what has God done. This episode answers the harder question...so now what do I do?
In Psalm 25-30, David walks us through six raw, honest psalms that cover the full range of the human experience. The journey starts with guilt and ends with joy. And everything in between feels remarkably familiar.
This Psalms 25-30 Bible study covers:
[5:17] Psa...Psalm 22-24: The Shepherd’s Trilogy: the Cross, Crook, and Crown
What if the three most famous Psalms in the Bible are actually one story, and that story has been pointing to Jesus all along?
In this episode, we dive into a Bible study on Psalms 22-24. These psalms were written by King David nearly a thousand years before the New Testament, and biblical scholars refer to them as the "Shepherd’s Trilogy."
Hidden within these psalms is a stunning prophetic timeline of the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.
This Psalms 22-24 Bible study covers:
[06:26] Psalm 22: ThePsalms 17-21: The Heavens Declare
When it feels like God isn't showing up for you, how do you even begin to pray?
Join us for this episode of the Bible Book Club as we dive into a powerful Psalms Bible study and uncover five raw, honest prayers David hands us in Psalms 17–21.
These Old Testament prayers serve as a practical Christian prayer guide to help you pray through the hard times.
In our Psalms 17–21 Bible study, we cover:
[02:52] Psalm 17: Feeling Invisible to God – What David really meant when he begged to be the "...Psalms 9–16: Refuge
When life feels out of control and God feels distant, where do you even begin?
Psalms 9-16 are one big, honest conversation about what it's like to live in a broken world and still choose to trust God. David, who wrote all of these Psalms, was a man who fought 50+ battles, faced enemies on every side, and somehow kept his faith intact. These Psalms aren't polished theology. They're raw, real, and remarkably relatable.
In this episode, we cover everything from crying out in anger when evil seems to win, to finding shelter in...
Psalms 3–8: From Fear to Wonder
What can you do when you're afraid, anxious, exhausted, or wrongly accused, and you don't know how to pray?
Psalms 3–8 are David's raw, unfiltered conversations with God. They read less like religious poetry and more like texts you'd send to a trusted friend.
In this episode, we walk you through six Psalms that cover the full emotional spectrum from fear and betrayal to wonder and praise. We also show you how to easily use these Psalms as helpful prayers in your own life.
This Psalms 3-8 Bible study covers:
...Psalms Overview + 1 - 2 Psalms: The Playlist of Your Heart
Ever wonder if God really gets you? The Book of Psalms is your answer.
Psalms is a playlist that's been playing long before Spotify with 150 songs God selected for all of humanity. Songs for every emotion, crisis, and moment when words fail.
In this episode, we open with a big picture view of the Book of Psalms. Then we dive into Psalms 1 and 2.
This Psalms 1-2 Bible study covers:
[00:45] The Playlist Concept – Why the Book of Psalms is God's original soundtrack for the exact place your hear...Job 38-42: Finally, God Speaks to Job
What does God say when you demand answers from Him?
After chapters of silence, in Job 38-42 God finally speaks, and His answer isn't what anyone expects. Instead of explaining Job's suffering or defending His decisions, God shows up in a whirlwind and asks Job 77 questions. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Can you command the morning? Do you control the constellations?
The answer, of course, is no. And that's the point. God doesn't come as a defendant to answer Job's case. He takes the bench as...
Job 35-37: Elihu Sees God in the Storm
When you're crying out to God in pain and getting only silence, is He ignoring you?
Job has lost everything. He's been interrogated by three friends, talked over by a brash young man named Elihu, and God still hasn't said a word. In Job 35–37, Elihu makes his final case, and for one breathtaking moment he actually gets it right.
As a storm gathers on the horizon, Elihu stops dissecting Job's theology and does something none of them have done yet. He looks up. And what he sees changes everything he says next.
...
Job 32-34: Who Are You, Elihu?
When everything seems unfair, how do you keep believing God is still good?
Job has defended his innocence, the three friends have finally run out of arguments, and an eerie silence has fallen over the city gate. Then a young man named Elihu steps out of the crowd, and he is furious.
Furious at Job for questioning God. Furious at the friends for failing to prove their case. And absolutely convinced he has the answer everyone else has missed.
But does he? In Job 32–34, Elihu del...
Job 28-31 Job: Where Can I Find Wisdom?
When life falls apart, where do you look for help?
Job has survived three rounds of debate with friends who had all the answers but none of them right. Now the arguments are over, and the crowd goes quiet. What Job does next is unexpected. Instead of demanding justice, he goes searching for something deeper. Something we all want when life doesn't make sense. Wisdom.
What unfolds across Job 28–31 is one of the most breathtaking poems in all of Scripture spoken by a grieving man who refuses to let go of God, even wh...
Job 22-27 Job: “Till I Die, I Will Not Deny My Integrity.”
How can God's ways be just when there is so much suffering in this world?
Job has lost everything. His friends have spent weeks piling on accusations, theology lectures, and spiritual platitudes. But in Job 22–27, something shifts. The friends start running out of steam, and Job refuses to go down with them.
Round 3 of the great debate reaches its breaking point. One friend fabricates lies, one delivers the shortest speech in the entire book, and one goes completely silent. Yet Job, who is still sick, suffering, and sitting on an ash heap, outlasts an...
Job 18-21 Job: “My Redeemer Lives!”
Why does God seem silent when you're suffering?
Job has already lost everything. His health, his wealth, his children. But in Job 18-21 things get even harder. His three friends stop offering advice and start delivering verdicts. The gloves are off, and Job is standing in the ring alone battered from every side with no one in his corner.
Yet, in the middle of the darkest moment in this ancient story, Job makes one of the most breathtaking declarations in all of Scripture. A statement so powerful that Handel built the climax of...
Job 15-17: Job: "You Are Miserable Comforters"
In the midst of intense suffering, have you ever wondered if God's ways are just?
By Job 15-17, the polite advice is gone, and Job's friend Eliphaz comes out swinging. He stops trying to help Job and starts trying to prove he's guilty. Suddenly Job isn’t just grieving his losses. He’s defending his character in a courtroom he never asked to be in.
And yet, in the wreckage of agony, betrayal, and broken theology, Job does something remarkable. He looks up. He declares that somewhere in heaven there is a witness who...
Job 11-14: Zophar: "Stop Talking and Repent, Job"
When the loudest voices in the room are completely wrong about God, what should you do?
This is one of the most emotionally raw stretches in the entire Book of Job. In Job 11–14, the third friend, Zophar, steps up, and he makes Eliphaz and Bildad look gentle by comparison.
But Job has finally had enough. He fires back with some of the most courageous and heartbreaking words in Scripture. Round 1 of the friends' speeches ends here, and Job refuses to break.
In our Psalms 11-14...
Job 8-10: Bildad: "God Is Just, You Sinned, Job"
What can you do when God is silent and your friends are loud?
As our Job 8-10 Bible study opens, Bildad steps up to the city gate microphone, and he's not bringing comfort. He doubles down on the Retribution Principle: sin equals suffering, and righteousness equals blessing.
To Bildad, Job’s suffering is an open-and-shut case of guilt. He even makes the heartless claim that Job’s children died as a penalty for their own sins. But, as Job 8–10 reveals, "dry theology" is no match for a broken heart.
I...
Job 4-7: Eliphaz: "You Must Have Sinned, Job"
Have you ever been hurt by someone who was trying to help you?
Job has already lost his wealth, children, and health. Now, in Job 4–7, his three closest friends finally break their silence. What they say makes everything worse.
Eliphaz, the self-appointed pious preacher of the group, opens his case. Job begs them to see him instead of prosecuting him. When no one does, he turns directly to God with raw, anguished fury and honesty.
In our Job 4-7 Bible study, we cover:
[4:03] The Retribution Principle: Why...Job 1-3: The Devastation of Job
Why does God allow suffering to get worse even when you're doing everything right?
In Job 1-3, the losses pile up fast for Job. Then Satan unleashes physical suffering so severe that Job's own friends don't recognize him when they arrive. They sit in stunned silence for seven days.
Job's wife, broken by her own grief, urges Job to curse God and die. Then, in Chapter 3, Job who has worshipped God through catastrophe, opens his mouth and wishes he had never been born.
In our Job 1-3 Bible study, we c...
Job Overview + 1 Job, the Righteous Target
Why does God allow innocent people to suffer, and can we trust Him when life falls apart?
In our Job 1 commentary, we dive into one of the Bible's most honest, raw, and misunderstood books and watch God allow a blameless, upright man's world to be shattered.
But Job isn't just an ancient story about suffering. It's God's answer to every question about suffering we've been afraid to ask.
In this Job Bible study, we cover:
[3:35] The Wisdom Books: Why Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of S...Esther 9-10: The Great Reversal, From Fasting to Feasting
Have you ever faced an upcoming date on the calendar with growing dread?
That’s exactly how the entire Persian Empire feels in Esther 9-10 as the thirteenth of Adar approaches, when two opposing edicts will have a massive showdown. The day arrives, and the Jews, once marked for total annihilation, turn the tables on their enemies, because for the first time in the entire Book of Esther, everyone fears them.
Before the dust settles, Esther boldly requests another day of battle and the brutal destruction of Haman’s family. Then this woman, who...
Esther 8: Mordecai’s Rise: From Condemned to Crowned
Have you ever removed a toxic person from your life, then found yourself dealing with the wreckage they left behind?
That's the mess they're all in as our Esther 8 Bible study opens. Haman is gone, impaled on his own gallows. But Persian law says a king's edict can never be reversed, not even by the king himself. So the death warrant marked for every Jew in the empire is still ticking, and something has to give, but it won't be the law.
What follows is one of the most satisfying reversals of fortune...
Esther 6 - 7: The Masks Come Off: Esther, Haman, and Xeres Are All Exposed
What if one sleepless night changed your entire life story?
Esther 6-7 is the fastest, most ironic reversal in the Old Testament. Our villain, Haman, expects to spend his day publicly humiliating and murdering his sworn enemy, Mordecai. Instead, King Xerxes’ God-induced insomnia leads to a discovery that changes everything. Through a hilarious misunderstanding, Haman is forced to publicly honor the very man he planned to hang on a 75-foot gallows.
Then, the tension explodes at Esther’s second banquet. The masks come off and our brave queen brilliantly exposes Haman as the vill...
Esther 5: Esther’s High Stakes Invitation
Have you ever made a big decision based on faith alone?
Esther 5 is the turning point when three days of fasting finally meet the moment of truth. Queen Esther risks her life, stepping into the king's court uninvited. Instead of demanding justice, she mysteriously invites King Xerxes and Haman to a banquet.
Haman’s pride soars, convincing him he's reached the pinnacle of power, until one man's refusal to bow sends Haman spiraling into a rage. He’s comforted by his wife’s suggestion to murder and begins constructing a lethal 75-foot execution stake...
Esther 4: For Such a Time As This
What does "for such a time as this" actually mean, and why does that phrase still hit so hard thousands of years later?
Esther 4 is the moment everything gets real. Mordecai finds out about Haman's death decree and does something drastic. He rips his clothes, throws on sackcloth and ashes, and wails at the King's Gate. It's loud and public because he needs Esther to know how bad things are.
The time has come for Esther, secluded and safe in the palace, to choose between comfort and calling. Mordecai's challenge to her, "who...
Esther 2-3: Haman's Pride Demands Genocide
What happens when hatred meets absolute power and an entire nation becomes the target?
In Esther 3, Mordecai refuses to kneel before Haman, the king's newly promoted right-hand man. That single act of defiance ignites a fury that spreads from one Jew to all of them. Haman doesn't just want Mordecai gone. He wants every Jewish man, woman, and child in the Persian Empire destroyed.
What follows is a masterclass in manipulation. Haman lies to the king, bribes him with a fortune, and walks away with the king's own signet ring and permission to "...
Esther 2: From Humble Hadassah to Exalted Esther
What was Esther 2 really about: a fairytale, a beauty pageant, or something much darker than the movies let on?
After Xerxes loses his war with Greece and comes home to an empty throne, his advisors cook up a plan to distract him: a kingdom-wide search for a new queen. It sounds romantic, but it isn't. Hidden in the middle of this "contest" is a scared, orphaned teenager named Hadassah, who is about to be swept into a world that could destroy her.
In this episode we dig into Esther’s forced double life, th...
Esther Overview + 1: How Divine Providence Moved Queen Vashti to Defiance
What should you do when life feels out of control? Esther 1 has the answer.
With Esther 1, we step into the dazzling, dangerous world of the Persian court. King Xerxes is hosting a series of banquets meant to rally an empire for war. However, a drunken request ends in a moment of royal humiliation nobody saw coming.
Behind it all, what looks like a very public marital spat is actually the raw material God is using to carry out His divine will.
In our Esther 1 Bible study, we cover:
[4:32] ...Listener Questions
Do some stories or laws in the Bible have you stumped?
In this special Q&A episode, we tackle your hardest biblical questions from why innocent people face consequences for others' sins to how Jesus' genealogy proves his Davidic lineage through both Mary and Joseph.
We explore controversial Old Testament laws about rape and marriage, unpack the cultural context behind family punishment in ancient Israel, and reveal why Satan appears less frequently in Old Testament books compared to the New Testament. You'll discover surprising answers about Joseph's Egyptian wife, the evil spirit that t...
Nehemiah 12-13: Remember Me, My God
What happens when everything you've built starts coming undone?
In Nehemiah 12-13, we reach the dramatic conclusion: a massive praise parade atop Jerusalem's walls. But when Nehemiah returns to Persia, the people quickly fall back into old habits: defiling the Temple, ignoring the Sabbath, and compromising their worship.
In this episode, we unpack the frustrating cycle of hope and human failure and explore how Jesus steps into our brokenness to set us free.
In our Nehemiah 12–13 Bible study, we cover:
[2:06] A Praise Parade: How Nehemiah and Ez...Nehemiah 10-11: God Is Committed. What About Us?
What does it really look like to commit your whole life to God, not just your words?
We’ve all been there: full of fresh inspiration and making bold promises to do better. But what happens when the dust settles and sticking to those promises gets tough?
While Nehemiah tackles real-life hurdles like family priorities, honoring the Sabbath, and giving back, he faces another huge issue in Nehemiah 10-11: Jerusalem is a complete ghost town. The city walls are built, but nobody is living inside!
To get the community thriving again, Nehem...
Nehemiah Chapter 9: Lessons on Confession and Renewal
How do I break free from the power of sin when I keep making the same mistakes?
Ever feel like you genuinely want to do the right thing, but you keep slipping up? You’re not alone! From the Israelites in the Old Testament to Paul in the New Testament and Christians today, we all feel it!
So, after finishing the Feast of Tabernacles, the returned exiles in Nehemiah 9 swap out their celebration clothes for scratchy sackcloth, humbling themselves to get real about their mess-ups. They realize that true repentance isn't just feeling ba...
Nehemiah 8: Nehemiah's Next Build--The People's Faith
How do you rebuild your faith when you feel distant from God?
In Nehemiah 8, it’s time to rebuild the people’s faith, so Nehemiah calls his friend, Ezra the priest, to read the Book of the Law to the people. What follows is a massive outdoor gathering.
Thousands stand for hours under the hot sun to listen to God’s Word. As they do, they're moved from deep sorrow over how far they’ve strayed to explosive celebration as they realize God’s unfailing love and promises are still theirs.
In our N...
Nehemiah 6-7: The Wall Is Finished But Nehemiah's Work Isn't
How do you protect your faith when the opposition never ends?
All 2.5 miles of the Jerusalem wall have been rebuilt in just 52 days! You’d think Nehemiah could finally take a break, but the opposition doesn't just pack up and go home when you hit your goal.
Rebuilding the wall was only the first step. Learning how to guard what God rebuilt is where the daily work begins. In this Nehemiah 6–7 Bible study, we explore how Nehemiah handled subtle political pressure and tricky family relationships and why we still need to guard the gates...
