The Chara Project Podcast

The Bible is the bestselling book in history, yet more than half of Americans have barely read it. The most common reason? It’s hard to understand, and the parts we struggle with most are usually the ones rooted in a history very different from our own. In this episode, Heather and Sarah share 3 reasons why knowing the Bible’s historical context changes the way we read it: It exposes our biases and assumptionsIt lets us hear what the original audience heardIt gives us a framework for every s...

Ever heard seen Bible verses taken out of context? Or struggled to know what a verse really means? In this episode Sarah and Heather explain why context is the most important tool for understanding the Bible. They show how reading scripture out of context can lead us to doubt God's goodness, believe false teaching, or even deceive ourselves. They walk through four reasons context matters, with examples from the Bible and everyday life: It gives us a framework (Luke 24, James 2:10)It ke...

Ever opened your Bible, read a verse, and wondered what it actually means? Or felt overwhelmed about where to even start? In this episode, Heather and Sarah share the simple 5-step Bible study method they use every time they read scripture. They've taken the best books on hermeneutics (aka how to interpret the Bible) and boiled them down to five steps anyone can use, spelled out in the name CHARA: Context - Understand the text surrounding the passage History - Understand the history and cult...

What happened in the 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament? This often-overlooked era—known as the Intertestamental Period or the Silent Period—bridges the gap between the books of Malachi and Matthew and helps explain the world Jesus entered. Join the The Chara Project team, as they walk through the major historical events that shaped the political, cultural, and religious landscape of the New Testament. Explore the rise and fall of four major empires—the Persian and Gre...

If you’ve read any part of the Bible, you’ve probably seen the word covenant come up. But what is a covenant? Why are they so important in the Bible? Join the The Chara Project team as they unpack one of the most important themes in the entire Bible: God’s covenants with humanity. From Genesis to the life of Jesus, the Bible tells a unified story of God making promises to His people—and faithfully keeping them. This episode breaks down the meaning of Biblical covenants, walks through the f...