Understanding the Light

Send us Fan Mail Episode Overview In Genesis 15–17, we see God’s relationship with Abram—and give him a new identity as Abraham. These chapters reveal something beautiful about who God is: He is our King, our Father, our Shield, and the God who sees us when we are powerless. We also see the difference between trusting God's promises and trying to accomplish God's promises ourselves. Genesis 15:1 — “The word of the LORD came unto Abram.” This is the first occurrence of the phrase “the word ...

Send us Fan Mail Genesis 14 — The Battle of Siddim In Genesis 14, Abram finds himself caught in the middle of an international conflict involving powerful kings, fortified city-states, and a massive military campaign stretching hundreds of miles. Yet the real story is not simply about a battle. It is about Abram's growing faith, his courage to act, and his recognition that God—not human strength—gave him the victory. The Battle of Siddim Genesis 14 opens during the era of the ancient city-st...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when we know God has called us, but fear causes us to take matters into our own hands? In this episode of Understanding the Light, Jess Chou explores Genesis 12:10–13:18, following Abram from the land God promised him into Egypt and then back again. Along the way, we see fear, deception, wealth, family conflict, difficult choices, and ultimately God meeting Abram once more at a familiar place. Abram's Fear in Egypt A severe famine drives Abram and his household i...

Send us Fan Mail Episode Overview In Genesis 11:10–12:9, the story moves from the genealogy of Shem to one of the most consequential calls in Scripture: God's call of Abram. Abram's story begins in the aftermath of Babel and introduces a man who is called to leave everything familiar behind and go to a land God will show him. Abram doesn't initially know where he is going, what the journey will cost, or what the future will look like. He simply has to decide whether he will obey. This passage...

Send us Fan Mail The Bible is the most widely published and distributed book in human history, yet many people don't realize how it relates to other sacred texts such as the Jewish Tanakh, the Apocrypha, and the Qur'an. In this episode, Jess explores the history of the Bible, how it was compiled, and how Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each understand these sacred writings. Most importantly, we examine the central purpose of Scripture and what makes the Christian message unique. The Bible: ...