Pearls with Kristi McLelland

In the Bible, the Living God repeats what He cares about. If I spend time with you, I will quickly learn what and who you care about by your words. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. There is a command, an instruction unto shalom that the Living God repeats over and over throughout the Story of the Bible. It is summed up in one simple yet powerful word – remember. Sometimes its given in the reverse – do not forg...

Today’s biblical pearl is one of those deeply beautiful truths that calms, soothes, and raises a sabbathed rest in my heart. It makes me slow down, worry less and breathe deeper. It makes me trust more, longer and wider in the person of Jesus. It stirs faith within me. It tells me that I am going to make it through this life because of who Jesus is. You are going to make it through this life because of who Jesus is. 

John 10 i...

One of the most well known psalms in the entire Bible is Psalm 23. It is affectionately referred to as the “Shepherd’s Psalm”. The Scriptures often use the metaphor of shepherd/sheep to describe our relationship with the Living God. He is the Good Shepherd, faithfully tending to His flock. Interestingly, even in modern-day Israel you see shepherds with their sheep. The Living God was using imagery that they would regularly see to r...

Today’s episode is another example of the ancient and ever Story of the Bible meeting us in our current, modern, right now stories and lives. Our central pearl today is found in James 1:1-2. Some scholars believe that the book of the James was the FIRST book of the New Testament ever penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If this is the case, the first author of the New Testament writings was none other than Jesus’ half-b...

I’m so excited to share today’s episode and historical pearl with you. It is one of my favorite things to talk and teach about. We are getting ready to learn the history and wonder of Hanukkah. 

Hanukkah is NOT Jewish Christmas. Hanukkah is a deeply historical, meaningful and powerful story that encourages me every single day. It is a holiday within the Jewish calendar, but it’s story speaks to me year-round. The Hebrew word “...

In today’s episode, we are going to find gospel gorgeous encouragement in a strange biblical place. A passage of Scripture that can feel rather benign will light up powerfully when we see it anchored in its historical, cultural context. Matthew 10:1-4 is our biblical pearl and it is GOOD news for you and me. This passage encourages me forward. This passage causes me to take heart. 

Today we will look at a brief historical and ...

Today’s episode is both deeply meaningful to me and deeply personal. I’m amazed at all the ways the ancient and ever Story of the Bible meets us in our modern, current, right now stories and lives. We are absolutely getting ready to see that Jesus is BETTER than we ever knew! 

Our biblical pearl today is another well-known and often-taught passage from the New Testament but we are getting ready to look at it through the Middle...

Today’s episode is loaded with goodness and I’m so excited to string biblical pearls together with you yet again. We will learn about Jewish discipleship in Jesus’ world 2,000 years ago. What did it mean to follow a rabbi? What did discipleship look like in that ancient Jewish world? Discipleship was less about simply knowing your rabbi and much more about walking so closely to your rabbi that the dust of his feet got all over you....

Today we are going to learn about Sabbath through Middle Eastern eyes and through the historic cultural context of the Bible. Sabbath is other than, more than and better than the ways we usually think of Sabbath here in the West. The world has a way of knocking rest right out of us. The Bible paints a beautiful picture of Sabbath as running so much deeper, wider and more than merely resting after working, catching our breath in the...

Many of us have grown up with some sense of daily Bible reading. Some call it a “quiet time,” while others think of it as daily Bible study or Bible reading. The Scriptures are a feast. They are meant to be experienced, taken into our hearts and lives, trusting they will do their work in us. 

The Jewish people refer to their daily ready of Scripture as the daily parashah. Parashah carries the idea of “portion.” Daily Bible rea...

In 2007 the Lord opened the door for me to go study the Bible in Egypt and Israel. I went and learned that the Living God is BETTER than I ever knew. When the Lord gave us the Bible, He gave us a Story. It’s the best and truest Story ever told.

Each story is like a pearl, beautiful and of great price on its own. But what’s more beautiful is stringing the biblical pearls together. Through the Bible, we know who the Living G...