The Journey Church Houston Podcast

How to Read the Bible | Session 5: Why It Matters & How to Apply It
📖 Why does reading the Bible matter? How do we move from understanding a passage to applying it in our lives?
In Session 5 of How to Read the Bible, Pastor Steven Hiller explores the importance of theological principles and application in Bible study.
In This Session, We Cover:
✅ The Mission of The Journey – Discovering the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story.
✅ The Interpretive Journey – Moving from meaning to theology to application.
✅ Why meaning matters – Understanding what the original author intended.
✅ Theological principles – How timeless truths shape our worldview.
✅ Practical theology – Applying Scripture to real-life situations.
✅ Philippians 4:13 as a case study – What does it actually mean?
🔍 Key Takeaways:
Meaning matters – The Bible wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us.
Theological principles help us see how Scripture shapes our beliefs.
Practical theology is living in light of those beliefs.
🛠 Want to go deeper? Resources like teachmethebible.org, The Bible Project, and He Will Reign Forever by Michael Vlach can help.
🔔 If this lesson encourages you in your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe. For more information about The Journey and additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org. 

Life is full of ups and downs—so is faith. 
In this sermon from Genesis 11:27–12:20, Pastor Mace Perez explores Abraham’s journey of faith, beginning with God’s call and His incredible promises. Abraham steps out in obedience, yet he stumbles along the way. Sound familiar?
🔹 Key Themes:
God’s call to Abraham: Leave everything and trust Him.
The promises of land, seed, and blessing—ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
Abraham’s moments of faithfulness and failure—yet God remains faithful and gracious.
At The Journey, we believe faith is just that—a journey. We’re all in different places, but God calls us to take one step at a time. What step of faith is God nudging you to take?
🔔 If this message encourages you on your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe to help spread the hope of the Gospel. For more information about The Journey and to explore additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

How to Read the Bible | Session 4: What It Means – Tracing the Message
In this session of How to Read the Bible, Pastor Steven Hiller helps us dive deeper into the interpretive journey by asking the critical question: What does the text mean?
Last week, we focused on close reading—understanding what the passage says through grammar and syntax.
This week, we take the next step: tracing the message of the text by examining its literary context.
📖 Key Topics Covered:
🔹 The importance of context in determining meaning
🔹 The Bible as a unified story—how each book fits into the bigger picture
🔹 Identifying the message of a book before interpreting individual passages
🔹 Using concentric circles of context—from the entire Bible down to specific verses
🔹 How to avoid misinterpretation by considering literary context
🔹 Practical steps to develop a message statement for a passage
💡 Big takeaway: Context determines meaning! Before we can apply a passage to our lives, we must first understand what the author intended to communicate to the original audience.
📌 Exercise: Try writing a message statement for the book of Titus! Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
🔔 If this lesson encourages you in your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe. For more information about The Journey and additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

Whose Name Are You Living For? | Genesis 10:1–11:26
No matter how successful, famous, or wealthy we become, our names will one day be forgotten. But what if there was a name that never fades, never loses significance, and gives meaning to life itself?
In this sermon from Genesis 10:1–11:26, Pastor Mace Perez explores the rise and fall of human ambition apart from God—the Table of Nations, the Tower of Babel, and the line of Shem. The people of Babel sought to make a name for themselves, but God scattered them, showing that true significance isn’t found in self-glory but in living for His Name.
The ultimate hope for humanity comes not from building our own towers of achievement but through the Name above every name—Jesus (Philippians 2:6–11). He humbled Himself, came down to us, and gave His life so that we could be restored to God.
So, whose name are you living for? Your own, which will fade, or Jesus’ name, the one to whom every knee will bow?
🔔 If this message encourages you on your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe to help spread the hope of the Gospel. For more information about The Journey and to explore additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

Noah and the New Earth | Genesis 6:9–9:29
The rainbow is one of the most recognizable symbols in our culture today, but its original meaning often gets overlooked.
In Genesis 9, God gives the rainbow as a sign of His covenant—a declaration of His faithfulness, mercy, and promise never again to destroy the earth by flood.
In this sermon, Pastor Steven Hiller walks us through the incredible story of Noah, the flood, and God’s plan to restore His creation. As we explore this well-known passage, we’ll see how it connects to the larger biblical story of redemption—pointing us forward to Jesus, the greater Ark who saves us from the ultimate storm of God's judgment.
🔹 How does the flood account connect to the greater narrative of Scripture?
🔹 What does the covenant with Noah teach us about God's character?
🔹 How does the story of Noah foreshadow the gospel?
Join us as we rediscover the powerful message behind the flood, the ark, and the rainbow—and what it means for us today.
📖 Scripture: Genesis 6:9–9:29
🛑 Big Idea: God’s judgment is just, His salvation is sure, and His covenant faithfulness endures forever.
🔔 If this message encourages you on your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe to help spread the hope of the Gospel. For more information about The Journey and to explore additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

What Became of Humanity: Adam to Noah | Genesis 5:1–6:8
"You are going to die. Take a moment to let that sink in..."
With these sobering words, we are confronted with the reality of death—an unavoidable truth for every human being. But why is this the case? Why do we live only to die? And is there any hope beyond the grave?
In this sermon, Pastor Mace Perez explores Genesis 5:1–6:8, tracing the genealogy from Adam to Noah and uncovering three key truths:
1️⃣ The Reign of Death – The repeated refrain, "And he died," highlights the tragic consequences of sin.
2️⃣ The Exception of Enoch – A man who "walked with God" and escaped death, pointing us to the way of salvation.
3️⃣ The Hope of Noah – A reminder that even in judgment, God provides grace and preserves a remnant.
As we unpack this passage, we wrestle with the deep realities of sin, judgment, and the hope found in God's grace. The world in Noah’s time had become corrupt, yet God did not abandon humanity—and He does not abandon us today.
📖 Key Passages: Genesis 5:1–6:8, Hebrews 11:5, Luke 3
🛠 Themes: Mortality, Faith, Judgment, Grace
🔔 If this message encourages you on your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe to help spread the hope of the Gospel. For more information about The Journey and to explore additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

🔍 How to Read the Bible | Session 3: What It Says - Close Reading
When assembling a jigsaw puzzle, we start by studying the box to see the big picture and then carefully examine each piece to understand how it fits. Reading the Bible works the same way. First, we take a broad survey of Scripture—the "forest." Then, we zoom in for a close reading of individual passages—the "trees."
In Session 3 of How to Read the Bible, Pastor Mace Perez walks us through the crucial but often overlooked step of observation. Before we can understand what a passage means, we must first grasp what it says.
📖 What You'll Learn in This Lesson:
✅ Observing at the Sentence Level – Key terms, conjunctions, figures of speech, verbs, and pronouns.✅ Observing at the Paragraph & Chapter Level – How context, structure, and themes shape meaning.✅ Why Observation is the Foundation of Interpretation – Jumping straight to application without careful reading leads to misunderstanding.
As we engage in this practice, may we echo the psalmist’s prayer:"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." (Psalm 119:18)
🔔 If this lesson encourages you in your spiritual journey, please like, share, and subscribe. For more information about The Journey and additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

How do we move from simply reading the Bible to rightly understanding and applying it? Many well-intentioned people misinterpret Scripture because they don’t follow a proper theological method—a structured approach to studying and applying God’s Word.
In this session, Pastor Steven Hiller introduces us to the Interpretive Journey, a process that helps us move from understanding the message of the author to the original audience to the timeless truths relevant to us where we find ourselves in the Story.
Lesson Handout: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KShSsgQYcFtQYkme7FcKnPgOcM-HoLD5Q1MADhUGQQo/edit?usp=sharing 
🔔 If this lesson encourages you on your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe to help spread the hope of the Gospel.
For more information about The Journey and to explore additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

In a world obsessed with success, meaning, and legacy, how can we live a life of true and lasting significance? 
Genesis 4 tells the story of two brothers—Cain and Abel—and reveals two paths: one marked by faith, worship, and dependence on God, the other by self-reliance, pride, and rebellion.
In this sermon, Pastor Mace Perez explores the heart of true worship, the consequences of unchecked sin, and the hope we have in the ultimate Seed of the Woman—Jesus Christ. 
The choice is before us: will we live to make our name great, or will we live to glorify His name?
🔔 If this message encourages you on your spiritual journey, please rate, review, share, and subscribe to help spread the hope of the Gospel. For more information about The Journey and to explore additional resources, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.

📖 Welcome to "How to Read the Bible"!
In this introductory session, Pastor Steven Hiller kicks off our Discipleship Class designed to help you read and understand the Bible.
🌟 What to Expect: Learn simple, intuitive tools to read Scripture well. Explore the Bible as the unified story of God’s truth, goodness, and beauty. Discover how surveying and close reading can transform your understanding of God's Word.
📚 Class Highlights:What is the Bible? Learn its structure, genres, and purpose. Practical tips for developing a habit of reading Scripture regularly. Recommended resources: The Bible Project, Teach Me the Bible Podcast, and more! Recommended Bible translations
💡 Takeaways: Whether you're new to Scripture or seeking to grow in your understanding, this class will equip you with the tools to navigate the Bible confidently and see how its stories connect to God’s greater plan.
🙏 Let’s embark on this incredible journey together! Subscribe for more lessons and share this with someone who might benefit.
For more resources or to connect with us, visit www.thejourneyhouston.org.