Resources as we head into 2023 Day 3

I think one of the blessings of this age of smart phones is that we have access to so many wonderful teachings. It is also one of the curses, as we can get overwhelmed with input from a variety of voices. There are so many choices out there and we can’t always be sure of the quality or sincerity of what we are listening to. 

Podcasts are among the newest of ways we can receive teachings and I certainly have found them helpful to fill my time when I am walking or doing chores around the house.

I am selective in what I listen to and have found some that I think are good, at least for me so I am sharing some of those with you this week as we continue to explore resources to help us grow spiritually this year. 

In addition to a couple of churches I like to keep up with on occasion for sermons, I have really been enjoying a new podcast produced by one of the young “Timothy’s” in our own church. 

Brandon Kane started a podcast last year and he shares weekly from a portion of Scripture through the Young Disciples Podcast. Here is the link: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=young+disciples+podcast+brandon+kane&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

This will take you to options to open in either Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Sometimes his wife Kenzie, or a friend from church or even his brother have joined him but often it is just Brandon speaking to us. 

I like the style in which he does this and I liken it to just sitting down with a friend and talking about Scripture and how it applies to our every day life. Brandon’s style is easy-going, sincere and conversational.

The podcast opens with the most non-annoying podcast music I have encountered and then Brandon introduces his guest, if he has one, and the passage of Scripture/topic for the day.

After the passage is read by Brandon or his guest, there is a discussion of what is happening in the passage which includes some contextual information that helps us understand it better.

From there Brandon will either discuss some thoughts that the passage has brought to him or have a conversation with his co-host where they just practically apply what God might be saying to them in their current season. 

Brandon follows this discussion with some reflection type questions at the end. He and/or his guest host will respond with personal answers and then leave us with an open-ended question to ponder. 

The podcasts are relatively short for podcast-world. I think they are usually around ten to under twenty minutes.

This is about the length of my attention span or time I have to listen, which is perfect. It is also helpful because since the time is shorter, there is a more focused discussion and the reflections are tighter so that it really gives me a simple point to meditate on and think about. 

Brandon is very calm and personable in his conversation. I seriously feel like I am sitting across the table with him having a cup of coffee and a good discussion about faith and God’s word.

I have found that in participating in listening to the podcast, I am more interested and open to starting conversations with real people about something I have read. So not only do I learn and grow, but it affects my behavior in a positive, kingdom-building way.

I hope you will take the time to visit and listen to a few of his podcasts.

If you are like me and discover that this is a nice place to check in and think about some Scripture each week, please subscribe to the podcast on whatever system you use. I use the Apple podcast app on my phone , but he also publishes on Spotify.

He is on Facebook under the name of the podcast, so please like and share when you see them pop up as this helps others to see it. Subscribing to a podcast on your Apple App doesn’t cost you anything and it helps him grow his reach. Same with Facebook. The more a post is shared and commented on, the more it will appear for others to find.

It’s weird but for those of us who are trying to reach out to people through the internet or social media, that is how the game has to be played.

I hope you will give it a listen and if you are local, make sure when you see Brandon you let him know how much you appreciate the time and investment he is making into doing Kingdom work <3