#41: "Real" by Nichole Nordeman

12/01/14 • 28 min

More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music

How many times will you walk by a nativity scene this Christmas season? Are you like me? Have you become numb to the REAL story behind the figurines? This week's song, "Real" by Nichole Nordeman, reminds us of the REAL people in this familiar scene.

I hope this song will inspire you to take a closer look at Scripture and give you a tool that you can use EVERY TIME you read the stories of Biblical characters.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

The tool of remembering that Biblical characters are REAL
Al Andrews's short story, "Real - A Christmas Story"
Luke 2:1-7
What Mary may have experienced and felt
Luke 1:28-38
A closer look at Luke 2:7
What we can do to ensure Biblical characters stay "real" to us
- Read the details that are really there
- Do a little research
- Take time to imagine how you would feel in their situation and overlay that with historical details the character may have had to endure

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Read the Christmas story details in Luke and Matthew in various versions. Consider another "character" in the Christmas story and follow the three steps outlined in today's episode to ensure this character comes to life in your mind because, after all, they were REAL.

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Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.

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I hope this song will inspire you to take a closer look at Scripture and give you a tool that you can use EVERY TIME you read the stories of Biblical characters.

In this week's episode, I discuss:

The tool of remembering that Biblical characters are REAL
Al Andrews's short story, "Real - A Christmas Story"
Luke 2:1-7
What Mary may have experienced and felt
Luke 1:28-38
A closer look at Luke 2:7
What we can do to ensure Biblical characters stay "real" to us
- Read the details that are really there
- Do a little research
- Take time to imagine how you would feel in their situation and overlay that with historical details the character may have had to endure

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.

Previous Episode

#40: "King of My Heart" by Love & The Outcome

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I love descriptive word pictures. This week's song, "King of My Heart" by Love & The Outcome, points us to a familiar story that may even lead you to a picture in your mind...but is the picture in your mind accurate to Scripture? Find out as we dig around in 1 Samuel this week using "King of My Heart" as our catalyst to jump into Scripture.

You might be surprised at the details you never noticed before!

In this week's episode, I discuss:

The battle described by Love & The Outcome in their interview with New Release Tuesday
The battle I face daily at every turn with things fighting for my attention
The story of David and Goliath
Glo Bible as a study resource
1 Samuel 16:18
The details of David we may not have noticed before
Israelites rejecting God for a human king
1 Samuel 8:10-22
Be careful what you wish for
Anointing Jesus as the King of our hearts

Additional Resources

Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

Start reading in 1 Samuel chapter 8 and make your way through until you reach the story of David and Goliath in chapter 17. Feel free to "chase rabbits" along the way!

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.

Next Episode

#42: "Be Born in Me" by Francesca Battistelli

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I am ruined! Now that I have spent so much time in God's Word studying the details of the Christmas story, I cannot look at a nativity scene the same! However, I can choose to see all of the details that don't line up with Scripture, or I can choose to use the nativity scene as a reminder of all I've learned through my own studies. And I can use songs like "Be Born in Me" by Francesca Battistelli to lead me back to those Scriptures and identify with this REAL girl, Mary.

I hope this week's episode and song inspire you to do the same.

On this week's episode, I discuss:

My choice to use the nativity as a tool instead of getting aggravated
Reminding you of the importance of context
My treasure-hunting path in God's Word this week
Matthew 1:20-23 where the angel tells Joseph the baby fulfills a prophecy
BibleHub.com as a study tool, especially for cross-references
Isaiah 7:14 where the original prophecy about Immanuel being born to a virgin is recorded
Luke 1:26-38 where Mary encounters the angel Gabriel and then runs off to Elizabeth's house
Elizabeth's greeting after the filling of the Holy Spirit
WHY Mary is "blessed"
Offering our vacant hearts to God's purposes

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Study Mary's song in Luke 1. A fun experiment might be to use a tool like BibleHub.com and look at a verse and then look on the right to see where the cross references might lead you. If something catches your eye, go read those verses in context. It may have NOTHING to do with Mary in the end, but that's okay! The goal is to have fun interacting with God's Word!

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.