Podcast
Open Our Bibles Together with MFahring
Hosted by Michelle Fahring · EN
Do you sometimes find it hard to pick up your Bible? To know where to begin, what you are even reading, how to study + dig deeper?? I get it, friend. I have most definitely been there too! It can be so overwhelming and intimidating for sure. I have discovered over the years that it becomes easier if you have someone to read alongside you, so please join me as we open our Bibles to read together – one chapter at a time.
28episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Deuteronomy 17-19 :: From Moses to the Messiah: God's Promise of a Prophet
Feb 400:42:05Tap to summarizeFrom Moses to the Messiah and Beyond — from the warnings and guidance of Moses to the courageous witness of Stephen, today's episode shows us God's faithfulness across generations. ❤️ Together, we explore Deuteronomy 17–19, taking a closer look at God's guidance for leadership, justice, and faithful living. We see how Moses prepared his people not just for the Promised Land, but for the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King — Jesus Christ. His words were full of care, warning, and hope, pointing forward to God's plan for redemption. Then we follow a thread from the Old Testament to the New as we turn to Stephen in Acts 7, whose courageous speech boldly proclaims Jesus as the Prophet Moses promised. Stephen recounts God's faithfulness throughout Israel's history — even when the people stumbled — reminding us that God's promises are never delayed or forgotten… all before he is martyred for his faith in Jesus. Along the way, we reflect on God's heart for justice and mercy, including the cities of refuge and the principle that punishment should fit the crime. These instructions weren't just ancient rules — they reveal God's care for life, fairness, and the well-being of His people, showing how justice and compassion go hand in hand. This episode invites us to see God's promises fulfilled and to recognize that the same faithfulness that guided the Israelites is still active in our lives today. ❤️ For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/deuteronomy-17-19/
Transcribe →Deuteronomy 14-16 :: Preparing for the Land: Tithes, Festivals & Mercy
Jan 2100:31:31Tap to summarize🎉 Happy New Year, friends! Open Our Bibles Together with MFahring is officially back from a holiday break with another episode release! 🎉 It's been a little while — since the end of November, actually — that we've been walking through Deuteronomy together, so we start today with a quick refresher on where we've been before diving into chapters 14–16. In this episode, we explore how God calls His people to live as His treasured possession. We unpack the dietary laws, tithing, and also the three pilgrim festivals to see how each one was designed to remind Israel of God's faithfulness and His presence among them. Just as we saw in our recent Advent God With Us series, God's presence is at the center of the story — in the wilderness, in the Promised Land, and ultimately fulfilled in Jesus, Emmanuel. These chapters show that God's presence shapes identity, community, and daily life — and that truth is still true for us today. Join us as we kick off the new year with this new episode, reflecting on God's tender care in His instructions, celebrating His faithfulness, and remembering that He is always with us. ✨ Gosh, I can't wait for you to listen in to this one! ❤ For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/deuteronomy-14-16/
Transcribe →God With Us 2025 Advent Series :: Re-Air: The Awe + Wonder of Our Savior's Birth
Dec 2400:58:14Tap to summarizeMerry Merry Merriest of Christmases to each of you, my OOBTers! 🎄✨ Today's episode is the final episode in the God With Us Advent re-air series: The Awe + Wonder of Our Savior's Birth. What a perfect way to pause on Christmas Eve and prepare our hearts and minds for celebrating tomorrow—Christmas Day! We'll lean in to the real lives of those who were part of the very first Christmas—Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds in the fields, and even the Wise Men. Even if you've heard the story hundreds of times, my prayer is that God will give us fresh eyes and renewed awe at the gift of that baby boy in the manger: Emmanuel, God With Us. As we reflect on this story and the joy of Christ's arrival, may our hearts be filled with wonder, excitement, and deep gratitude that He came to us, for us, and is always with us. After all the waiting, Advent brings us to this amazing truth: Christ our Savior is born! Amazing. Just AMAZING. ❤ For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/god-with-us-advent-2025-the-awe-wonder-of-christ-our-saviors-birth/
Transcribe →God With Us 2025 Advent Series :: Re-Air: God With Us While We Wait
Dec 1700:45:22Tap to summarizeWelcome to Week 3 of the God With Us Advent re-air series on OOBT! Today's episode, God With Us While We Wait, invites us to pause in the midst of the busy holiday season and reflect on the deeper meaning of Advent: He has come… and He is coming. In this episode, we explore how Jesus, our Emmanuel, is present with us in every part of life—the hard and the good, the joy and the pain, in the weariness and in the waiting. We dive into what it means to trust God in the "in-between" moments, to let Advent slow our hearts and minds, and to recognize that the waited time is not wasted time with Him. You'll hear encouragement to take this season as an opportunity to lean into God's presence, to find hope, and to discover ways your weary soul can truly rejoice… even while we wait. As I've mentioned repeatedly in this God With Us Advent series, I'm listening right alongside you, my OOBTers, letting the truths of this Advent message stir my heart just as they did when I first spoke them into the mic all those seasons ago. So good. Don't forget to check the show notes—they're packed with bonus content, links, and reflection prompts to help you engage with Advent in fresh, meaningful ways. Next week, we'll close out the series with The Awe + Wonder of Our Savior's Birth, releasing on Christmas Eve—a perfect way to prepare your heart and mind for our Savior's birth. For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/god-with-us-advent-2025-god-with-us-while-we-wait
Transcribe →God With Us 2025 Advent Series :: Re-Air: Out of Egypt I Called My Son
Dec 1001:05:58Tap to summarizeMerriest almost Christmas, OOBTers! This is Week 2 of the God With Us Advent series. In today's episode, we trace the threads of God's rescue plan through some often-overlooked parts of the Christmas story—beginning with the dedication of the firstborn, Simeon and Anna's encounter with Jesus in the Temple, the Wise Men's visit, the flight to Egypt, and God's call to return to Nazareth. Through it all, we see God as our faithful Promise Keeper—working in both the light and the darkness, weaving joy and sorrow into His beautiful plan of redemption. And just like you, I'm re-listening to these Advent messages right along with you. My heart is being stirred again by the very words I first spoke into the mic so many Advent seasons ago. God With Us then, God With Us now, God With Us forever. Be sure to listen in for all this and more, my OOBTers—and don't forget, this Advent we're releasing a new re-air each week leading up to Christmas Eve. For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/god-with-us-advent-2025-out-of-egypt-i-called-my-son
Transcribe →God With Us 2025 Advent Series :: Re-Air: Rescue Came Down – His Name is Emmanuel
Dec 301:02:03Tap to summarizeAdvent is here! Today kicks off a brand-new series on OOBT: God With Us. For the next four weeks, leading right up to Christmas Eve, I'll be re-airing past Advent episodes—and I'll be listening right alongside you, my OOBTers! In this episode, we trace Old Testament promises and prophecies of the Rescuer who came down to the Israelites in Egypt, just as our Rescuer came down to us in the form of a baby in a manger. The gift of that baby in the manger is incredible, but even more amazing is the mystery of our Savior's presence forever with us through the Holy Spirit. God With Us isn't just a moment in history—it's the reality of Emmanuel now and forevermore. As I listened back to this one myself, my heart was reminded just how much I needed the very words I spoke into the mic so many Advent seasons ago. I pray it does the same for you as we begin this journey together. Please be sure to check out the show notes—they're filled with special Advent bonus content and helpful links! So wherever this season takes you, I so hope you'll listen in and be reminded: our Emmanuel came down, and He is still God With Us. Always. ❤ For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/god-with-us-advent-2025-rescue-came-down-his-name-is-emmanuel/
Transcribe →Deuteronomy 10-13 :: Our God Who Holds Heaven, Earth & Everything In It
Nov 2600:37:07Tap to summarizeIn this special episode, we're celebrating Open Our Bibles Together with MFahring's fourth anniversary and reflecting on what God has been teaching us through this journey. We also dive into Deuteronomy 10–13, where Moses reminds the Israelites—and us—of God's faithfulness, His call to wholehearted obedience, and the importance of hearts fully devoted to Him. We explore the rebuilding of the stone tablets after the golden calf incident, the ark of the covenant where God's presence dwelt, and what it means to circumcise our hearts. We also hear Moses' warnings about staying faithful and avoiding anything that would divide our hearts or pull us away from God. With Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, I pause to reflect on gratitude and thankfulness, especially for each of you listening and studying God's Word alongside me. And I even share some exciting Advent news: Don't miss the God With Us series this December—four weeks leading to Christmas—and yes, I'll be listening along with you! Through today's study, we're reminded that our God holds heaven, earth, and everything in it—that He goes before us, never gives up on us, and calls even broken people to participate in His work. This episode is an encouragement to remember His faithfulness, trust His guidance, and reflect on His presence as we head into Thanksgiving and even the Advent season to come. For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/deuteronomy-10-13/
Transcribe →Deuteronomy 7-9 :: God Goes Before You
Nov 1200:45:16Tap to summarizeIn today's episode of Open Our Bibles Together, we continue our journey through Deuteronomy with a powerful reminder of who God is, what He has done, and how we are called to remember. We'll step into the words of Moses as he prepares Israel to enter the Promised Land, and we'll uncover why God called them to destroy idols, how He provided for them in the wilderness, and why their inheritance was never about their own goodness but always about His faithfulness. Along the way, we'll wrestle with tough questions about God's judgment, learn why gratitude is the cure to forgetfulness, and see how even Jesus drew strength from these passages when He faced temptation. And as Moses retells the story of the golden calf, we'll be reminded of God's mercy that holds fast even when His people fail. As we move into November and begin preparing our hearts for Thanksgiving, it's hard not to think about gratitude. But here's the thing—it's not just a once-a-year tradition as we gather around the table. Gratitude is really about remembering. It's choosing to look back at what God has done and letting that shape how we see Him, how we see ourselves, and even how we look at the world around us. That's so good. So very good. Also, be sure to check out the show notes at mfahring.com for reflection questions that go deeper into today's study and include links to two previous gratitude-centered episodes: Thankful for God With Us + My Dad and Once Again Thankful for God With Us + My Dad. For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/deuteronomy-7-9/
Transcribe →Deuteronomy 1-3 :: Remembering the Past Before Stepping Forward
Oct 1500:43:44Tap to summarizeCan you even believe it, my OOBTers?!? Today we’re kicking off a new book of the Bible—our sixth book—Deuteronomy! 🎉 In this episode, we dive into chapters 1–3 and explore how Moses reminds the second generation of Israelites to remember God’s faithfulness before stepping into the Promised Land. From the 11-day journey that became 40 years of wandering, to the lessons from the scouts’ fear and doubt, and the victories over kings like Sihon and Og, Moses repeatedly calls the people to trust, obey, and move forward courageously. We also connect these stories to Rahab in Joshua, showing how God’s power and faithfulness left a lasting impression on the nations around Israel. Don’t miss the added insights about the context, the journey, the big picture of God’s story, His promises, and how He never forgets His people. By the end, my OOBTers, we should ALL be encouraged to remember the past, trust God’s promises, and step forward boldly—because the same God who fought for Israel still fights for us today. For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/deuteronomy-1-3/
Transcribe →Numbers 34-36 :: Almost There: Standing on the Edge of Everything God Promised
Oct 100:30:18Tap to summarize🎉 Cue that confetti once again, friends— today we’re finishing another book in these thin, crinkly pages! That’s right, our FIFTH book of the Bible together—after Genesis, Job, Exodus, and Leviticus— now we’ve made it through the book of Numbers! 🎉 In today’s OOBT episode release, we wrap up the final chapters of Numbers and take a good look at God’s faithfulness in action. We talk about how He carefully divides the Promised Land, provides for the Levites, and sets up the cities of refuge—showing mercy, protection, and care for His people. We also revisit the story of Zelophehad’s daughters, reminding us that God keeps His promises and cares about each individual. Of course, we can’t forget Caleb and Joshua—the faithful ones from the old generation—who finally get to step into the land God promised. And as we reflect on all of it, we see little glimpses of Jesus, our ultimate refuge and fulfillment of God’s promises. By the end, we’re standing right there on the edge with Israel, celebrating God’s faithfulness and feeling the anticipation of what’s coming next in Deuteronomy. Oh, that’s so good! Be sure to listen in—you definitely don’t want to miss this one! For the full episode show notes, please go to https://mfahring.com/numbers-34-36/
Transcribe →