Surrounded by books, Bibles and recording paraphernalia, coming to you from the Lifespring! Media library/study in Riverside California, this is episode S12E1 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. Actually, it should be number 0.5, but most podcast apps won’t allow a decimal point episode number.

This is an episode designed to let you know what to expect in the upcoming season. I was going to do this in the actual first episode with a Bible reading, but once I got to thinking about it, I decided this was a better approach.

I’m really glad you’re with me today, and please, if you like what you hear, tell your friends. Humanity is facing many challenges today, and I believe that there is no better way to bring healing than helping people to know God better. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The Lifespring Family Audio Bible is all about sharing the Word of God. People need a relationship with Jesus of Nazareth. The entire Bible points to that truth. If you’re doubtful, then I encourage you to stick with me and see if you don’t come to believe it as we read together over the next year. What have you got to lose? If you do believe it, then I think your faith will be strengthened as we read together. Whichever group you’re in, please share this podcast with your friends.

If you have been with me on previous journeys through God’s Word, welcome back! If this is your first time, it’s great to have you join me! So who am I? My name is Steve Webb, as you know. The award winning OG Godcaster, podcasting since November 2004, author of Webb’s Easy Bible Names Pronunciation Guide, grandpa of two beautiful granddaughters and two incredible grandsons at last count, dad to 3 terrific sons, father in law to three beautiful and incredibly talented daughters in law, and grateful husband of the the Lovely Lady LeeAnn. I’m not boasting when I tell you these things. I share all of that with you as a way to count my blessings. I don’t deserve any of them, but God in His infinite love and unfailing grace overlooked my oh-so-many faults and blessed me anyway. And He wants to bless you. Keep listening and I’ll talk more about that.

One of the most common things I’ve heard over the more than 50 years that I have been a follower of Jesus, is some version of, “I have never read the Bible all the way through.” Or , “I wish I had the discipline to read the entire Bible. I’ve started it, but never stuck with it.” If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. This is the podcast that where I read through the entire Bible in one year, so if you stick with me, in a year’s time, you’ll have made it all the way through.

On this episode I’m going to tell you how the show works. There are several moving parts, and I want you to know how they work before we get started. Even if you’ve been around these parts for awhile, you might not want to fast forward to the reading. There’s some new stuff we’re going to do this season.

So let’s take a look at how the show is laid out.

The primary reason we’re here is for the reading of God’s Word. My approach to the reading will probably be new to you if you weren’t here last season. As you may know, the Bible can be divided into sections. The way we divide it, and will thus read it, is this. On Sundays, we will read from the Epistles. On Mondays, we’ll read from the Law. Tuesdays will be History, Wednesday will be Psalms, Thursday – Poetry, Friday – Prophecy, Saturday – Gospels. I like this schedule because every week we will have an opportunity to hear from each section of the Bible without getting bogged down in some of the, shall we say, drier parts. When you read, say, from the front of the Bible to the back (Genesis to Revelation), it’s an awful long time before you get into the New Testament. As a Christian, I love reading the New Testament, and don’t want to wait until I’m nine or ten months into my reading to read about Jesus. So I hope you enjoy this schedule as much as I do. I found this bible reading schedule a couple of years ago at bible-reading.com, and Michael Coley, who owns that website, graciously gave his permission for me to use the schedule on the show.

By the way, I will be sending out a newsletter every week with the upcoming week’s reading schedule, plus other news you might find useful or entertaining. I encourage you to sign up for that at news.lifespringmedia.com

On every episode, after I read the Bible, I will share some thoughts with you about what we’ve read that day. Usually just a few minutes, nothing extremely deep or long-winded.

Before I tell you about the new segments I’ll be including in the show, I want to mention another very important aspect of the show. There will be no outside advertisers. Not now, not in the future. This show, and all of Lifespring! Media, is supported by you. If you find that the show adds to your life, if you find that it brings some kind of value to your life, I ask that you convert that value to a number…and I can’t tell you what that number is…only you can do that…convert the value to a number and send it to me. That’s the only way this show can continue. If you listen every day, and each episode is 25 minutes long, that’s nearly 3 hours a week of content. You and I are going to be spending some time together. I’ll do my very best to make that time valuable. If I’m able to do that, I’m asking you to support the show financially. You can do that at support.lifespringmedia.com. and if you are using one of the latest and greatest podcast apps, you can stream satoshis as you listen, and boost some extras sats when you hear something you particularly like. It’s all part of podcasting 2.0. To find such a new and modern and shiny podcast app, go to newpodcastapps.com. I’m really liking the Fountain app. With that, you can even send Boostagrams. With your boost, you can send a short text message. It’s all very cool and fun! But the thing I want you to really clue in on here is that the show cannot continue without your financial support. support.lifespringmedia.com

So this season, I’m starting two new segments. First, on every episode we’re going to do an “On this Day in Church History” piece. Beloved, the church has been around now for over 2000 years. Many of us don’t know very much at all about what happened in the church after the time of the apostles. I would like to help us learn a little about that history. The segments won’t be long, but I think it’ll be fun and interesting.

Second new feature of the show for season 12: And I need your participation for this. This podcast is called the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. There was a time where it was common for families to have a family bible, and Mom and Dad would gather the kids together every day and they would read Scripture. I’m sure that every family did things a little different, but I know that many families also had a time of prayer. They would share prayer requests, then they would pray together as a family. Family prays for family. I would like to do that on this show. I want to pray for you, and I’ll share my prayer requests with you. I have set up a page at prayer.LifespringMedia.com to make it quick and easy for you. There’s a form there where you just tell me who you are (but you can also tell me if you want to remain anonymous on the show) and what you want us to pray about. There’s a dropdown menu with prayer request categories if you don’t want to enter a lot of details, but also a field on the form where you can share any details you care to. I promise that I will spend time in my private prayer time praying for you, and we will pray together here on the podcast.
Now don’t be shy. This will only work if you participate. Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

1 Thess 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
Romans 12:12

So let’s see what God will do as we gather together in prayer. Go to prayer.LifespringMedia.com.

On that same page there is an area on the form where you can give a praise report for what God has done in your life as a result of prayer, too. I’ll read these on the show, so you can encourage others by sharing what God has done in your life. prayer.LifespringMedia.com

So there you have it. We’ll read the Bible, I’ll share some thoughts about what we’ve read, we’ll learn a little of church history, we’ll share prayer requests and praises by going to prayer.lifespringmedia.com. And it’s all supported financially by you. I’ll do my very best to create valuable content for you. I ask that you support what I’m doing by going to at support.lifespringmedia.com , either signing up for a recurring donation or making a one time donation. You can also stream satoshis and boost using a podcasting 2.0 app from new podcastapps.com. Remember, there will never be any outside advertising. Why? Advertisers have a tendency to influence content, and I am committed to sharing the truth of God’s Word without having to consider whether an advertiser might or might not like what I have to say.

Lastly, be sure to sign up for the newsletter at news.lifespringmedia.com so that you can get the schedule for the upcoming week’s reading, plus other topics of interest.

The next time you hear from me on September 1st, we’ll begin Season 12 of the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. Heads up, since September 1 is a Wednesday, we will read from the book of Psalms, chapters 1 and 2.

Until then, may God bless you richly. I’m Steve Webb. Bye.

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