The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel Express
A daily Bible podcast that takes less than 15 minutes each day to cover the whole Bible in 365 days. Each episode includes selected passages of scripture and a full commentary from Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, drawing out a theme for the day from the designated Bible readings. The commentary covers Proverbs, Psalms, and New and Old Testament excerpts, offering insight, wisdom, and application.
Episodes
Day 163: You Can Change
Psalm 73:1–14, Acts 7:44–60, 2 Samuel 18:33; 19:5–8
It is not just about changing our actions or appearance; we need to change on the inside – we need a change of *heart*.
Day 162: God Even Uses Your Mistakes
Psalm 72:1–17, Acts 7:20–38, 2 Samuel 17:1–14
In all the circumstances of your life and the events going on around you, you can trust in the providence of God.
Day 161: Troubles Do Not Have the Last Word
Psalm 71:19–23, Acts 6:8–15; 7:1–10, 2 Samuel 15:13–30; 16:5–14
As Matheson’s hymn beautifully articulates, *troubles do not have the last word*.
Day 160: Stay Loyal
Proverbs 14:15–22, Acts 5:12–42, 2 Samuel 14:1–22; 15:5–6
Disloyalty destroys families, churches, businesses, political parties and even nations.
Day 159: No Shades of Grey
Psalm 71:13–18, Acts 4:23–35; 5:1–5, 2 Samuel 13:12
The reality of right and wrong are very clear in today’s passages and there are stark contrasts between the two.
Day 158: Trials and Temptations
Psalm 71:1–6, Acts 4:1–20, 2 Samuel 11:26–27; 12:1–7
This is the challenge of life.
Day 157: Kindness
Psalm 70:1–5, Acts 3:1–19, 2 Samuel 9:3–7
When kindness is expressed, healthy relationships are created, community connections are nourished and people are inspired to pass on kindness.
Day 156: He Gives You Power
Proverbs 14:9–14, Acts 2:22–47, 2 Samuel 7:18–29; 8:14
The ultimate victory of God came with the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of his Spirit who gives you power to live a life of victory.
Day 155: Sounds of Heaven
Psalm 69:29–35, Acts 2:1–21, 2 Samuel 5:9–24; 6:5–22
In today’s passages we hear other sounds going to and from heaven.
Day 154: Even Your Weakness is Anointed
Psalm 69:13–17, Acts 1:3–22, 2 Samuel 3:39
Even your weakness is anointed.
Day 153: 'Crazy Love'
Psalm 69:9, John 21:4–19, 1 Samuel 2:26
Perhaps a good modern translation of the word ‘zeal’ is ‘crazy love’.
Day 152: Wow!
Proverbs 13:20; 14:2–3, John 20:11–28, 2 Samuel 1:12–14; 2:1
There are many blessings to living in Western Europe in the twenty-first century. However, we live in a society in which respect, awe and reverence do not seem to be as valued as they once were.
Day 151: You Have the Energy of God
Psalm 68:28–35, John 19:30–37; 20:1–10, 1 Samuel 30:6
God has given you full access to his *endless* *energy* through Jesus’ resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Day 150: Your Trial Will Become Your Triumph
Psalm 68:24–26,John 19:1–22,1 Samuel 26:23–25; 27:1–12; 28:5–19
What seemed to the world to be the ultimate defeat was in fact the ultimate triumph.
Day 149: Five Burdens You Need Not Carry
Psalm 68:19, John 18:25–40, 1 Samuel 24:2–6; 25:2–31
Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and *burdened*, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you… and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my *burden* is light’ (Matthew 11:28–30).
Day 148: How to Respond to Conflict
Proverbs 13:10–19, John 18:3–17, 1 Samuel 22:17; 23:14–18
Martin Luther King said that the ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in ‘moments of convenience’, but where they stand in ‘moments of challenge, moments of great crisis and controversy’.
Day 147: The Power of Unity
Psalm 68:7–10, John 17:9–26, 1 Samuel 20:42
Unity is so powerful.
Day 146: His Name Has Power
Psalm 68:4–6, John 16:7–33; 17:1–5, 1 Samuel 17:41–47
There is great power in a name. Names are significant. This is true today, but it was even more so in the Hebrew culture we read about in the Bible. A Hebrew name is no mere label. *The name of the LORD* reveals who he is.
Day 145: How to Face Giant Problems
Psalm 67:1–7, John 15:1–27, 1 Samuel 16:7; 17:4–37
There are two possible attitudes when facing a giant. One is to say, ‘It’s so big, there’s nothing I can do.’ The other is to say, ‘It’s so big, I can’t miss!’
Day 144: How to Finish Well
Proverbs 12:28; 13:1–6, John 14:1–27, 1 Samuel 15:12
How can you make sure you finish well?
Day 143: The Love of Your Life
Psalm 66:13–20, John 13:21–38, 1 Samuel 13:13–14; 14:6
Jesus was the supreme example of love in the history of the world. He demonstrates all this in his own life through loving everyone (even Judas who betrayed him as we see in today’s passage), and laying down his life for us all in love.
Day 142: Take Time to Celebrate
Psalm 66:1–12, John 12:44–47; 13:1–15, 1 Samuel 11:12–15; 12:1–24
Celebration is an important part of life.
Day 141: Good Government?
Psalm 65:1–4, John 12:12–33, 1 Samuel 8:19–22; 10:1–7
Governments reflect the mix that is in us all of what is good and true alongside what is sinful and flawed. However, be assured that one day there will be a new type of government – the kingship of Jesus (John 12:12–36).
Day 140: How to Find Peace in Adversity
Proverbs 12:18–25, John 11:45–54; 12:1–11, 1 Samuel 7:5–14
How do you find peace in adversity?
Day 139: Your Hope in Times of Trouble
Psalm 64:1–10, John 11:1–44, 1 Samuel 3:10–11
What is your hope in times of trouble?
Day 138: How to Satisfy Your Soul
Psalm 63:1–8, John 10:22–42, 1 Samuel 1:10–20; 2:26
How then do you *satisfy your soul*? You are a soul created for relationship with God.
Day 137: Knowing God as a Father
Psalm 62:1–10, John 9:35–38; 10:1–18, Ruth 4:13–17
Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd; I *know* my sheep and my sheep *know* me – just as the Father *knows* me and I *know* *the Father*’ (John 10:14).
Day 136: Your Story Has Power
Proverbs 12:17, John 9:1–25, Ruth 1:3–16; 2:1–13
Whether you were brought up as a Christian or whether you have only been a Christian for a few hours, your story has power.
Day 135: All He Wants Is You
Psalm 61:1–4, John 8:31–59, Judges 20:17–28; 21:25
All he wants is you.
Day 134: It's Possible with God
Psalm 60:5–12, John 8:12–30, Judges 18:1
With God, everything is possible.
Day 133: How to Deal with Desperate Times
Psalm 60:1–4, John 7:45–52; 8:3–11, Judges 16:28
Even in desperate times, you can find the three great virtues of faith, hope and love.
Day 132: The Wonderful Holy Spirit
Proverbs 11:30, John 7:14–41, Judges 15:14
It is a spiritual hunger and thirst for God which Jesus told us could only be filled by his wonderful Holy Spirit.
Day 131: Endless Energy, Boundless Strength
Psalm 59:16–17, John 6:60–69; 7:1–13, Judges 13:2–25
The apostle Paul describes God’s ‘incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his *mighty strength*, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead’ (Ephesians 1:19–20).
Day 130: God Turns Your Weakness into Strength
Psalm 59:1–4, John 6:27–54, Judges 11:29–31
As you put your *faith* in God he turns your weakness into strength.
Day 129: How to Reap Far More Than You Sow
Psalm 58:1–11, John 6:1–20, Judges 9:56–57
Today, we see that:
- You reap *what* you sow
- You reap *later* than you sow
- You reap *more* than you sow
Day 128: How to Live in High Definition
Proverbs 11:19–28, John 5:31–47, Judges 7:15; 8:22–28
Jesus offers you high-definition life.
Day 127: Twelve Ways to Be Useful to God
Psalm 57:7–11, John 5:16–30, Judges 6:6–16
You do not need to be perfect for God to use you.
Day 126: Pray God-Sized Prayers
Psalm 57:1–3, John 4:46–53; 5:1–9, Judges 4:2–8; 5:2–31
It was a God-sized answer to a God-sized prayer.
Day 125: Jesus Always Delivers
Psalm 56:3–4, John 4:28–42, Judges 2:8–31
The saviour always delivers.
Day 124: Three Ways to Transform Your World
Proverbs 11:11–18, John 4:7–26, Judges 2:1–3
The kingdom of God is not just about the conversion of individuals – important though that is – but about the transformation of society.
Day 123: How to Make Good Choices
Psalm 55:16–23, John 3:22–36, Joshua 24:14–23
Some choices have life-changing consequences.
Day 122: How to Handle Confrontation
Psalm 55:1–9, John 3:1–21, Joshua 22:9–31
When confrontation is necessary, how should you go about it?
Day 121: God Wants to Surprise You
Psalm 54:1–7, John 2:1–25, Joshua 20:1–3
Jesus constantly surprised his followers and he wants to continue to surprise you.
Day 120: It's Already Yours
Proverbs 10:31; 11:4–6, John 1:29–46, Joshua 18:3
Realise what is already yours in Christ Jesus and then take possession of it.
Day 119: The Battle Today Is Around Jesus
Psalm 53:2–3, John 1:1–27, Joshua 15:13
Jesus is the *universal Saviour*.
Day 118: It's Not Over
Psalm 52:1–9, Luke 24:36–53, Joshua 13:1; 14:6–11
There is always still so much to hope for and so much more to be done.
Day 117: How to Live a Life of Victory
Psalm 51:10–18, Luke 24:1–32, Joshua 11:5–23
On the cross, Jesus won a great victory for us over sin, death and the powers of evil.
Day 116: Right Relationships
Proverbs 10:21–30, Luke 23:32–56, Joshua 10:25
‘Righteousness’ is ultimately about *right relationships* – a right relationship with God and right relationships with others.
Day 115: Your Loving Substitute
Psalm 51:1–9, Luke 22:63–71; 23:1–25, Joshua 8:1–7
Jesus died instead of you and me. What does this mean for us?
Day 114: Two Ways to Live
Psalm 50:16–23, Luke 22:39–62, Joshua 5:13–22
In the passages for today we see two starkly contrasting ways of life.
Day 113: The Gracious Hand of God
Psalm 50:15, Luke 22:3–37, Joshua 3:5; 5:10–12
God gives you freedom, yet he remains in control.
Day 112: Your Words Are Powerful
Proverbs 10:11–20, Luke 21:5–38, Joshua 1:3–13
With kind and encouraging words, you can change a person’s day – or even their entire life.
Day 111: Hello God!
Psalm 49:5–17, Luke 20:34–40; 21:1–4, Deuteronomy 33:2–27
One day, you will be raised and be able to say, ‘Hello God!’
Day 110: Five Ways God Guides You
Psalm 48:9–14, Luke 19:45–46; 20:1–25, Deuteronomy 32:10–12
In each of today’s passages, we see first something general about the way in which God guides us, and then specific examples of each of these ‘five CSs’.
Day 109: God's Strategic Plan
Psalm 48:1–8, Luke 19:12–41, Deuteronomy 30:19; 31:8–11
Cities tend to be places where culture is formed. It is not surprising, therefore, that cities have always had an important role in the purposes of God. In particular, one city has been at the heart of God’s strategy for the world.
Day 108: It's Never Too Late
Proverbs 10:2–9; Luke 18:31–42; 19:1–10, Deuteronomy 29:29; 30:2–3
With Jesus it’s never too late to make a new start and ensure that your life is set in the right direction.
Day 107: Six Steps to a God-Centred Life
Psalm 47:1–7, Luke 18:1–30, Deuteronomy 28:23–47
What does it mean to lead a God-centred life and what steps do you need to take in order to get there?
Day 106: His Presence
Psalm 46:1–11, Luke 17:11–33, Deuteronomy 26:18; 27:7; 28:2–8
God promised to be in the midst of his people again. This promise was fulfilled with the coming of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He promises to be with you.
Day 105: Choose What You Remember
Psalm 45:17, Luke 16:19–31;17:1–6, Deuteronomy 24:17–22; 25:19
At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the service of communion so that we would not forget the central events of world history – the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Day 104: How to Avoid the Titanic Mistake
Proverbs 9:13–18, Luke 16:1–13, Deuteronomy 21:22–23, 22:1–8
How can you and I avoid the Titanic mistake and live lives of integrity?
Day 103: What is God Like?
Psalm 45:2–7, Luke 15:3–32, Deuteronomy 19:15
One of the advantages of reading through the Bible in a year is that we get a rounded picture of the nature and character of God, and a greater understanding of what God is like.
Day 102: Your Invitation
Psalm 44:22–26, Luke 14:15–35, Deuteronomy 17:14–15; 18:15
Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a great party with the King, one to which we are all invited.
Day 101: Eight Things That Really Matter to God
Psalm 44:3–8, Luke 13:31–34; 14:1–14, Deuteronomy 15:4–15;16:18–20
In our passages today, we see some of the things that *really matter to God*.
Day 100: Seven Ways to Grow in Wisdom
Proverbs 9:7–10, Luke 13:1–25, Deuteronomy 13:1–3;14:1–29
In the book of Proverbs, the teaching of Jesus and the Bible in general, we find many ways to acquire and grow in wisdom. Seven of these can be seen in today’s passages.
Day 99: See His Goodness
Psalm 43:1–5, Luke 12:35–48, Deuteronomy 11:1–19;12:32
In all the passages for today we see that obedience is the way to experience his goodness and be a magnet for his blessing.
Day 98: How to Stop Worrying
Psalm 42:6–11, Luke 12:6–34, Deuteronomy 9:4–6;10:12–22
Jesus shows us how to stop worrying and start living.
Day 97: Love from the Inside Out
Psalm 42:1–5, Luke 11:33–54, Deuteronomy 6:5–12; 7:7–8; 8:3–18
Jesus was not afraid to confront people about their inner lives.
Day 96: Press Through
Proverbs 8:32–36, Luke 11:5–28, Deuteronomy 4:29–31; 5:6–29
God does not force himself upon you, but he promises to reveal himself to you if you persistently *seek* him.
Day 95: One Thing is Needed
Psalm 41:11–12, Luke 10:25–42;11:1–4, Deuteronomy 4:5–7
You can know God’s presence and his pleasure in the midst of all the challenges of life.
Day 94: No Blessing Goes Uncontested
Psalm 41:1–6, Luke 10:1–23, Deuteronomy 1:3–31
In the passages for today we read about the promise, the extent and the privilege of God’s blessing.
Day 93: How to Love
Psalm 40:9–11, Luke 9:28–56, Numbers 35:20–24; 36:13
God’s love and mercy is extraordinary because ‘At the cross of Jesus, pardon is complete.
Day 92: It is All Yours
Proverbs 8:22–31, Luke 9:10–24, Numbers 33:53; 34:16–18
God’s people have always been called to aim high.
Day 91: Follow Jesus
Psalm 40:1–8, Luke 8:40–53; 9:1–6, Numbers 32:11–12
Jesus said many times, ‘Follow me.’
Day 90: How to Overcome Your Fears
Psalm 39:2–12, Luke 8:19–39, Numbers 29:12–36; 30:1–16; 31:1–3
How can you overcome your fears?
Day 89: A Hundredfold Return
Psalm 38:15–22, Luke 8:4–15, Numbers 27:15–18
He encountered Jesus as his Saviour, Sower and Shepherd.
Day 88: How to Become Wise
Proverbs 8:12–21, Luke 7:37–48, Numbers 26:52–54
Ultimately, wisdom is found in Jesus Christ, who is the ‘wisdom of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:24).
Day 87: In the Day of Trouble
Psalm 38:1–12, Luke 7:11–35, Numbers 26:10
In the passages for today we see examples of troubles – traps, tests and temptations – and how to handle them.
Day 86: Ten Top Tips for God’s Messengers
Psalm 37:34–40, Luke 6:37–49;7:2–8, Numbers 22:22–35
Our task is both *to hear* this message and *to declare* it to others.
Day 85: The Fullness of the Blessing
Psalm 37:21–26, Luke 6:12–36, Numbers 21:4–16
The key to the fullness of the blessing is generosity – ‘the righteous give generously’ (Psalm 37:21).
Day 84: Seven Titles of Jesus
Proverbs 8:1–11, Luke 5:33–38; 6:2–11, Numbers 19:9; 20:7–29
Seven titles of Jesus emerge from the passages for today and each reveal something distinct about Jesus. They help you to see what it means to put Jesus in the centre of your life.
