Clearly with Jimmy & Kelly Needham

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We officially step into the weeds of the Book of James with a deep dive into chapter one—a chapter that sounds simple at first and then quietly refuses to let us stay comfortable. James opens with a command that feels almost offensive in its honesty: consider it joy when you face trials. And from there, he never really lets up.
In this episode, we explore how James understands trials not as interruptions to faith, but as the testing ground where faith is actually formed. Trials produce endurance, endurance leads to maturity, and maturity leads to a life that is whole and lacking nothing. That reframes suffering entirely—but it also raises hard questions about God’s role in our pain, temptation, and desire. James anticipates those questions and draws careful distinctions: God may use trials to form us, but temptation toward sin does not come from Him. That battle happens within our own hearts.
From there, James turns his attention to wisdom—not as intellectual knowledge, but as a moral and relational quality that steadies us under pressure. Wisdom is what enables us to endure without becoming divided, bitter, or double-minded. And that theme of inner division carries us into the second half of the chapter, where James presses on how we respond to God’s Word itself.
Hearing Scripture without obeying it, James says, is a form of self-deception. God’s Word acts like a mirror, showing us who we really are—not so we can walk away unchanged, but so we can respond, repent, and live differently. Real faith doesn’t just listen well; it moves, acts, and shows itself in quiet obedience, self-control, and care for the vulnerable.
James 1 sets the tone for the entire letter: less talk, more walk. It’s a call to integrated faith—one that holds together endurance in trials, trust in God’s goodness, and a lived response to His Word. This episode invites us not just to understand James, but to let him diagnose us—and, ultimately, move us toward wholeness.

It’s a new book, a new series, and a very different kind of challenge. In this episode, we kick off our deep dive into the Book of James—a short, punchy, no-nonsense letter that somehow manages to feel both incredibly simple and profoundly uncomfortable at the same time.
We spend this overview episode helping you get your bearings before we move chapter by chapter through the book. We talk about who James likely was (Jesus’ half-brother), who he was writing to, and why this may be one of the earliest books in the New Testament. Along the way, we explore why James sounds so different from Paul, why it’s often called the Proverbs of the New Testament, and why its structure can feel disorienting if you try to read it like a linear argument.
James doesn’t waste words. With over fifty commands packed into just 108 verses, this letter presses relentlessly on the gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live. Again and again, James exposes the divided heart—where devotion to God and devotion to self quietly coexist—and calls us toward a faith that is whole, integrated, and lived out in everyday life.
This episode is meant to whet your appetite for what’s ahead. James is honest, confrontational, practical, and deeply pastoral. It’s not a cozy book, but it is a necessary one. As we begin this journey together, our hope is that you’ll read along with us, let James diagnose what’s beneath the surface, and discover the kind of faith that doesn’t just sound right—but actually shapes the way we live.

RESOURCES:
One Pagers
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Radically Whole by David Gibson
Check out this book by Leland Ryken about genres in the Bible.
Short Sentences Long Remembered by Leland Ryken

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In this Q&A episode, we respond to some of the most thoughtful and practical questions we’ve received about reading and studying the Bible. From Hebrew and Greek word studies to reading Scripture with non-believers, translation uncertainties, learning differences, and the frustration of Bible reading that feels like it’s “going nowhere,” we tackle the real obstacles that keep people stuck or discouraged.
We talk honestly about the value—and the limits—of word studies, emphasizing that tools like Greek and Hebrew can be helpful, but only when used with humility and attention to context. We also address how to read the Bible with non-believing friends, encouraging curiosity, honesty, and the freedom to say “I don’t know” while modeling how to seek good answers together.
Along the way, we discuss why translation notes and uncertainties should actually increase our confidence in Scripture rather than undermine it, and how God’s Word can be faithfully engaged by people with learning differences through creative, accessible approaches. We also spend time with one of the most common frustrations: reading the Bible consistently but feeling no immediate impact. Here, we make the case for long obedience, delayed transformation, and the slow formation that comes from years of steady exposure to God’s Word.
This episode is about recalibrating expectations, cultivating humility, and learning to trust that God’s Word is at work even when progress feels invisible. If you’ve ever felt confused, intimidated, or weary in your Bible reading, this conversation is meant to encourage you to keep showing up—with patience, prayer, and hope.
Resources:
--ESV Dyslexia Friendly Bible
--CSB Dyslexia Friendly Bible
--Clear Focus Bible for Kids (NIrV)
--CSB Grace Bible for Kids

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Get translator notes for free at netbible.org

Want to try out the See For Yourself Bible study? Try it free today!
You can know how to study the Bible and still feel completely stuck when you actually open it. In this episode, we talk about the real obstacles that derail Bible reading—not lack of intelligence, tools, or training, but the everyday realities of confusion, offense, and busyness. These are the moments that quietly convince us to close the Bible and not come back.
We walk through what to do when Scripture doesn’t make sense, when it says something we don’t like, and when life feels too full to slow down and read at all. Along the way, we make the case that confusion isn’t failure, offense isn’t a flaw in the Bible, and boredom doesn’t mean nothing is happening. In fact, these moments are often where the most meaningful formation takes place—if we’re willing to stay.
This conversation is less about Bible study techniques and more about endurance: learning how to keep showing up, how to build tolerance for discomfort, and how to trust that time in God’s Word is doing something even when it doesn’t feel spectacular. If you’ve ever thought, I want to read the Bible, but it’s harder than I expected, this episode is for you.

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In this episode, we tackle what we believe is the single most overlooked skill in Bible study — not better tools, deeper knowledge, or more information, but the simple discipline of slowing down and noticing what the text actually says. It sounds obvious. It isn’t. And it’s the reason many of us miss the richness of Scripture altogether.
We walk through why our instinct to rush to meaning, application, or personal takeaway often short-circuits understanding. Instead, we make the case that careful observation — paying attention to repeated words, contrasts, grammar, structure, and small details — is the foundation of faithful Bible reading. Using examples from Luke 18, Leviticus 4, Romans 8, and Galatians 5, we show how noticing what’s right in front of us unlocks clarity, depth, and theological insight that most of us skim past.
Along the way, we talk about why this practice requires patience, curiosity, and a conviction that every word of Scripture is intentional and inspired. We also explain why familiarity with the Bible can actually become a liability if we don’t approach the text with humility and a healthy suspicion of our first impressions.
If your Bible reading often feels flat, rushed, or confusing, this episode offers a reset. It’s an invitation to linger, observe, and let God’s Word unfold — trusting that real transformation comes not from trying harder, but from seeing more clearly.