Russ walks through the Filament Study Bible app, shows how the print Bible and app work together, and then uses the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6 to model a simple Bible study. The episode matters because it shows how a study Bible can help you read more carefully, compare translations, and follow cross references into deeper interpretation.In this episode, Russ explains the app’s main features, reads the Lord’s Prayer aloud, and then follows study notes into Matthew 4, Matthew 26, James 1, and 1 Chronicles 29 to explore temptation, testing, and the doxology tradition. It’s a practical, beginner friendly look at how to let Bible study tools shape your reading.

Inside the episode:

• Russ introduces the Filament Study Bible, which combines a print Bible with the Filament app.
• He gives a quick tour of the app’s main tabs, including Home, Reading Plans, Scan, Audio Bible, and More.
• The Reading Plans section includes options like a one year Bible plan and a seven day plan on anxiety and God’s peace.
• The Scan feature is used to pull up Matthew 6 through 8 from the printed page.
• The Audio Bible feature offers multiple voices, and Russ chooses the one he finds most listenable.
• The More tab includes settings for Bible translation, reminders, audio speed, text size, theme, tutorials, and support.
• Russ reads Matthew 6:8 to 13 and compares the NLT wording with more traditional renderings of the Lord’s Prayer.
• He notices footnotes on phrases like “Give us today the food we need” and “Don’t let us yield to temptation.”
• A study note links the temptation line to Matthew 4:1 to 11, showing how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.
• Russ reflects on the difference between temptation and testing, and how the Spirit may lead into a wilderness place without God being the source of temptation.
• Another cross reference sends him to Matthew 26:41, where Jesus tells the disciples to watch and pray so they do not give in to temptation.
• James 1:13 reinforces the point that God does not tempt anyone.
• The final study note explains that the doxology in some manuscripts may have been added later, possibly influenced by 1 Chronicles 29:11 to 13.
• Russ reads David’s praise in 1 Chronicles 29 and connects it to the familiar ending of the Lord’s Prayer.
• He closes by encouraging listeners to read the Bible with the intention of hearing God speak.

Russ reviews his new NLT Filament Enabled Bible and explains why it stands out as a practical, newbie-friendly print Bible. He also reflects on the 500th anniversary of English Bible translation, connecting the Bible’s design and purpose to William Tyndale’s legacy and the goal of making Scripture understandable in everyday language.In this episode, Russ walks through the Bible’s physical features, front matter, and back matter, then previews how the companion app will work alongside the print edition. If you’re curious about Bible bindings, translation philosophy, or how to choose a print Bible that’s easy to use, this episode is packed with useful observations.

Inside the episode:

• Why Russ bought a print NLT Bible after primarily teaching from the NLT without owning a substantial print copy
• The 500th anniversary of English Bible translation and William Tyndale’s translation work
• How the Filament Enabled Bible connects print reading with digital resources through its companion app
• The difference between genuine leather and bonded leather bindings
• The Bible’s readable text—and the challenge of its very small reference print
• The NLT’s translation philosophy, publication history, and ongoing updates
• The Tyndale Verse Finder, a newbie-friendly tool for locating verses by topic
• Visual overviews and infographics about Israel’s calendar, the Psalms, the prophets, Jesus’ ministry, and more
• Why Russ expects to use his print Bible and the Filament app together

Russ walks through a practical example from Matthew 6 to show how study Bible tools can deepen personal Bible reading. He focuses on the Lord’s Prayer, using notes, footnotes, and cross references to unpack prayer, temptation, and translation details.

Inside the episode:

• In this episode, Russ explains how notes, footnotes, and cross references each serve a different purpose in a study Bible.
• He uses Matthew 6:9 to show how a study Bible note frames the Lord’s Prayer as a model for prayer, not just a memorized passage.
• Russ breaks the prayer into categories: adoration, God’s kingdom and will, daily needs, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil.
• He distinguishes footnotes from commentary notes, showing how footnotes often give alternate translations or clarify difficult wording.
• He uses a footnote on “daily bread” to demonstrate how translation choices can reveal meaning and why he reads footnotes carefully.
• Russ explains cross references as a way to trace themes across Scripture, comparing Matthew 6:13 with John 17:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:3, and James 1:13.
• He highlights John 17 as Jesus’ prayer for believers, connecting the Lord’s Prayer to Christ’s intercession.
• He uses 2 Thessalonians 3:3 to emphasize God’s faithfulness to strengthen and guard believers from evil.
• He uses James 1:13 to stress that temptation does not come from God and should not be blamed on Him.
• Russ closes by discussing a footnote about the doxology, explaining why some newer translations omit it while older manuscripts and traditional versions include it in the notes.

Russ gives a practical walkthrough of the study helps found in a print Bible, using his Harper Study Bible as the example. This episode shows how much useful material is often sitting in the front and back of a Bible that many readers never open.This solo episode focuses on educational guidance. Russ explains the purpose of the front matter, study notes, concordance, and maps, then previews a follow-up episode on cross-references.

Inside the episode:

• Why Russ returned to print Bibles and paper journals after being challenged to revisit older spiritual practices
• What makes a study Bible different from a regular Bible, and why these helps exist
• Front matter, including the title page, copyright details, preface, table of contents, abbreviations, pronunciation guides, and alphabetical book listing
• Why the RSV was revised from the King James tradition and how translation choices affect clarity
• How book introductions help readers understand authorship, purpose, and outline before reading a biblical book
• How the index to annotations helps readers find commentary on themes like blood, covenant, and faith
• How a concordance works, using “shepherd” and Psalm 23:1 as an example
• How Bible maps help readers visualize Exodus, the patriarchs, the 12 tribes, David and Solomon, divided Israel and Judah, exile routes, Jesus’ time, Paul’s missionary journeys, and the Roman Empire
• Why listeners should explore the tools in their own study Bible
• A preview of the next episode on cross-references

This bonus episode wraps up the Psalms series by showing that psalm-like poetry appears all over Scripture, not just in the book of Psalms. Russ traces examples from Exodus, 2 Samuel, Jonah, Luke, Revelation, and the lesser-known Psalm 151 to show how biblical worship and song span the whole Bible.He also explains why Psalm 151 is fascinating, why it appears in some ancient traditions but not most modern Bibles, and what its existence suggests about the wider world of ancient Jewish worship texts.

Inside the episode:

• Russ revisits the core idea that a psalm is a kind of poetry meant to be sung, not just a section title in the Bible.
• In Exodus 15, Moses and Israel sing after crossing the Red Sea, celebrating God’s rescue from Pharaoh’s army.
• In 2 Samuel 22, David sings a deliverance song that appears again almost word for word as Psalm 18.
• Russ highlights the small but meaningful opening difference between 2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18, where Psalm 18 begins, “I love you, O Lord, my strength.”
• Jonah 2 is presented as a psalm-like prayer from the belly of the fish, full of poetic imagery, distress, and thanksgiving.
• Russ points out that Jonah’s prayer ends with the declaration, “Salvation belongs to the Lord.”
• In Luke 1, Mary’s Magnificat is introduced as a psalm of praise, centered on God’s mercy, reversal, and faithfulness to Israel.
• Russ notes that Luke chapters 1 and 2 are filled with song and poetry, showing that psalmody continues into the New Testament.
• Revelation is described as ending the Bible with repeated bursts of worship that echo the themes and structure of the Psalms.
• Psalm 151 is introduced as a real ancient psalm found in some traditions, especially the Septuagint and certain Orthodox Bibles, though not in most modern Protestant or Jewish collections.
• Russ explains that Psalm 151 also appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls and in Syriac, suggesting it has deeper historical roots than many readers realize.
• The episode closes by stressing that ancient Jewish people preserved more psalms than the 150 included in the standard biblical book of Psalms.

This episode wraps up a Psalms series by showing how the book of Psalms is not a random collection of 150 songs, but an intentionally arranged whole with a clear movement and story. Russ uses David Crowder concept albums as a creative lens to explain how the Psalter moves from wisdom and kingship through crisis and then into sustained praise.

Inside the episode:

• Russ frames the book of Psalms like a concept album, especially comparing it to David Crowder’s albums A Collision, B Collision, and American Prodigal.
• He explains that Psalms is not just a loose collection of songs, but an intentionally arranged book often called the Psalter.
• He highlights Psalms 1 and 2 as the introduction to the whole collection.
• Psalm 1 emphasizes wisdom through listening to God’s instruction, or Torah.
• Psalm 2 emphasizes wisdom through following God’s anointed king, the Messiah, or Christ.
• He points out the five-book structure of Psalms and the doxologies that mark the end of each book.
• Psalm 89 is presented as a turning point where David’s kingdom appears to fail, raising the question of God’s promises.
• Book 4 shifts the focus to the truth that Yahweh is king, even when human kings and kingdoms fall.
• Book 5 closes with Psalms 146 through 150, a crescendo of praise that feels like a symphony.
• Russ closes by emphasizing that Psalms teaches believers how to bring every emotion to God, ending with praise.

This episode looks at one of the Bible’s most unsettling prayers, Psalm 137, and why it matters for anyone who has ever felt deep betrayal, rage, or the urge to get even. Russ walks through the psalm’s historical background, explains what imprecatory psalms are, and shows how Romans 12 and Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 reshape how anger and forgiveness work together.In this episode, Russ explores how Scripture gives language for grief and rage without sanitizing it, and why bringing anger to God is different from taking revenge into your own hands. The episode ends with a reading challenge and a practical invitation to pray honestly about someone who has hurt you.

Key topics

• Russ opens with the kind of anger that comes from betrayal, slander, abuse, or harm done to someone you love.
• He introduces

imprecatory psalms

• as prayers that ask God to judge an enemy, noting that these prayers can sound shocking.
• The backstory for Psalm 137 is the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, including the ruined temple and the exile of the Jewish people.
• Psalm 137 moves from sorrow beside the rivers of Babylon to rage at Edom and Babylon, ending with one of the Bible’s most disturbing lines.
• Russ explains that imprecatory language usually appears inside lament psalms where people bring real grievance, pain, and anger to God.
• He argues that the Bible does not edit out ugly emotions, and that the Psalms give believers words for joy, grief, fear, doubt, thanksgiving, and rage.
• Romans 12 is used to show that vengeance belongs to God, not to the believer, and that Christians are called to bless enemies rather than repay evil.
• Jesus’ words in Matthew 5 raise the standard further: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
• Russ distinguishes between emotions, prayers, and actions—anger can be prayed honestly, but the final posture toward the enemy must move toward forgiveness and love.
• The episode closes with a practical challenge to read Psalm 35 and take honest anger to God without sanitizing it.

Russ shares how a devotional reading unexpectedly echoed his recent episode on pilgrimage psalms and became a personal reminder about the value of God’s presence. This short solo reflection connects Psalm language with Hebrews 10 and invites listeners to move from self-reliance to waiting on the Lord.

• In this episode, Russ explains how his devotional, The Daily Light, lined up with his recent teaching on pilgrimage psalms and the Songs of Ascent.
• He reads a devotional selection built from Psalms and Hebrews 10, centered on the idea that “it is good for me to draw near to God.”
• Russ notes how the repeated theme of God’s presence made it clear to him that the Lord was getting his attention.
• He shares a personal conviction that he had drifted back into “cowboy up” self-reliance instead of waiting on God.
• The episode emphasizes that, because of Jesus, believers can approach God with boldness and no shame.
• Russ stresses that coming to God does not excuse sin, but it does mean forgiveness and cleansing are available through Christ.
• He reflects on prayer as partnership with God, not a vending machine for getting what we want.
• He describes practical ways he experiences God’s presence: in his prayer chair, in the car, in worship music, and at church.
• The core takeaway is that being in God’s presence strengthens, comforts, and fills believers with joy.