Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life with Pastor Dave Cover
Christian Meditation can help refocus your mind and recalibrate your body to get the stress, anxiety and anger out of your heart and out of your body. Spend about 23 minutes to "be still" with God as each episode uses a different biblical image to e...
Recent Episodes
Give Me Life! | Psalm 119
24:55 | 12-16-2021
We’ve been looking through the frames of the word-brushed paintings of God’s life-creating power in Genesis 1-3 as we read Psalm 119. One of the most repeated prayers throughout Psalm 119 is for God to “give me life according to your word” (Ps 119:25). The powerful imagery from Genesis 1-2 provides a compelling, imagination-filled meditation on how God’s word gives us life. (See the show notes to the previous episode for more on what’s so unique about Psalm 119.) Psalm 119 ESV 25 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. 40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life! 50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life. 88 In your steadfast love give me life, that I may keep the testimonies of your mouth. 93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life. 107 I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! 149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life. 154 Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to your promise! 156 Great is your mercy, O LORD; give me life according to your rules. 159 Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. Genesis 1:1–3 NIV 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 2:7 NIV Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:9–10 NIV The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden. Jesus said… John 6:63 ESV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. The New Testament says… 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed… The apostle John riffs on Genesis 1:1-3 with these words about Jesus… John 1:1–5 NIV 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. Psalm 36:7–9 ESV 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Spirit of God Word of God Identified Together—Jn 6:63; Eph 6:17 Eph 6:17 (NIV) “Take …the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (what the Spirit uses in this conflict) John 6:63 (NIV) “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” …Both are the same thing. Causes Us to be Born Again—Jn 3:5-8; Titus 3:5-6 John 3:5-8 (NIV) Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the...
Why a 176 Verses on God’s Word? | Psalm 119
24:34 | 12-14-2021
Psalm 119 is the longest of the biblical psalms and the longest chapter in the entire Bible. And it is about one thing: God’s word. It’s artistic construction begins with being arranged as a Hebrew acrostic poem in the order of the Hebrew alphabet, with each Hebrew letter having 8 stanzas beginning with that Hebrew letter. Each verse is something about God’s word, using 8 additional synonyms for God’s word: law, testimonies, ways, precepts, statutes, promises, commandments, rules, and of course, word (in the ESV). It is significant that the longest psalm and longest chapter in the Bible is about the Bible. We’re going to devote a few episodes to see how the powerful imagery from Genesis 1-3 provides a compelling, imagination-filled meditation on Psalm 119’s meditation on God’s word. Genesis 1:2–3 NIV Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 2:7 NIV Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:9–10 NIV The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden. Jesus said… John 6:63 ESV It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. The New Testament says… 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed… Psalm 119:1–2 ESV 1 Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart. Psalm 1:1–3 NIV 1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalm 119:18 ESV Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. Spirit of God Word of God Identified Together—Jn 6:63; Eph 6:17 Eph 6:17 (NIV) “Take …the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (what the Spirit uses in this conflict) John 6:63 (NIV) “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” …Both are the same thing. Causes Us to be Born Again—Jn 3:5-8; Titus 3:5-6 John 3:5-8 (NIV) Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Identified Together—Jn 6:63; Eph 6:17 Eph 6:17 (NIV) “Take …the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” John 6:63 (NIV) “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” Causes Us to be Born Again—Jam 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23 James 1:18 (NIV) “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” 1 Peter 1:23 (NIV) “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” Well, which IS it? Unless both are the same! Saves Us—2 Cor 3:6 Sanctifies Us—Rom 15:15-16; 1 Peter...
Why Your Most Important Relationships Are the Most Painful | Genesis 3
37:22 | 12-09-2021
The first pages of Genesis are filled with powerful word imagery. Written more than 3,000 years ago, Genesis remains ahead of our time in its picture of the deepest realities in your life. And Genesis 3 explains why your most valued and important relationships are also your most painful ones. Genesis 2:8–9 NIV 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:15–17 NIV 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:25 NIV Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 3:1 NIV Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:7 NIV Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Genesis 3:14–19 NIV 14 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” 16 To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Romans 8:19–24 NIV 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. 1 John 3:8 NIV The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. Hebrews 2:14–15 NIV 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Jesus promises in… Revelation 2:7 NIV11 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. All the earth will become an “Eden” when Christ returns… Revelation 22:1–3 NIV11 …The river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, [was] flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, …yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of...
Why Your Life is Like Living in Exile | Genesis 3
35:40 | 12-07-2021
The first pages of Genesis are filled with powerful word imagery. Written more than 3,000 years ago, Genesis remains ahead of our time in its picture of the deepest realities in your life. And Genesis 3 explains why you are constantly feeling out of place in this world. No matter how much good happens in your life, there’s always the sense that more is still missing. In this episode, we talk about the strange ending to Genesis chapter 3. Genesis 3:22–24 NIV 22 And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. Other verses talked about... Genesis 2:9 NIV The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. Genesis 2:16–17 NIV And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:25 NIV Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 3:1 NIV Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:7 NIV Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Why You’re Constantly Hiding Yourself | Genesis 3
32:28 | 12-02-2021
The first pages of Genesis are filled with powerful word imagery. Written more than 3,000 years ago, Genesis remains ahead of our time in its picture of the deepest realities in your life. And Genesis 3 explains so much about why you are constantly feeling the need to hide yourself. Hide yourself from others, from God, and even from yourself. But are you really safe to be vulnerable? Let’s talk about it in this episode. Genesis 2:9 NIV The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. Genesis 2:16–17 NIV And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” Genesis 2:25 NIV Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. Genesis 3:1 NIV Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. Genesis 3:7 NIV Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. But Genesis 2:18 NIV The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Genesis 3:8 NIV Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Genesis 3:9–10 NIV But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Power Imagery God Gives to Imagine Him | Genesis 2
30:34 | 11-30-2021
Too often western culture is reductionistic in our “truth” about reality. And Christians are too influenced by this materialistic reductionism so that it limits our ability to live by the power of our imagination. Are you reducing your faith to just information? But God’s word gives you imagination because imagination is far more powerful than mere information to speak life into your desires. Genesis 2 speaks life into our desires by giving us two powerful images to imagine God and imagine all that he is for us in Jesus. Genesis 2:7–10 NIV Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. Genesis 2:15 NIV The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Jesus promises in… Revelation 2:7 NIV11 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. All the earth will become an “Eden” when Christ returns… Revelation 22:1–3 NIV11 …The river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, [was] flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, …yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. John 7:37–39 NIV On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
The Power of Knowing the Right Script | Genesis 1:26-28
25:17 | 11-25-2021
Genesis 1:26-28 is a kind of thesis statement for the entire rest of the Bible’s story. You can’t fully understand the gospel’s bigger story if you miss what Genesis 1:26-28 means. This is God’s blueprint for humanity and the whole world. Everything else in the Bible is the unfolding of these 3 verses. And when you understand it that way, it becomes a powerful script for your life right now. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV And we all, who … contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Genesis 1:26–28 NIV Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; maleand female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” James 3:9-10 NIV With the tongue … we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. …My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Galatians 5:22–23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. C.S. Lewis (“The Problem of Pain,” chp 10)… He talks about God creating each of us with his signature written upon our soul— “This signature on each soul may be a product of heredity and environment, but that only means that heredity and environment are among the instruments whereby God creates a soul. I am considering not how, but why, He makes each soul unique. If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one. Be sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you. …For it is not humanity in the abstract that is to be saved, but you. …All that you are, sins apart, is destined, if you will let God have His good way, to utter satisfaction.” Then Lewis cites Jesus’ promise to his people Revelation 2:17— “To those who are victorious, …I will also give each of them a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Lewis continues… “Why else were individuals created, but that God, loving all infinitely, should love each differently?” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Becoming a Glorious Image of God Now | Genesis 1:26-27
33:16 | 11-23-2021
Genesis 1:26-27 is the intellectually consistent basis to why human dignity and human rights are real. Genesis 1:26-27 explains Jesus’s radical value of women, children, the poor and the weak. And the more you can understand Genesis 1:26-27, the more you will become a glorious, embodied image of God in your relationships and our world. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV And we all, who … contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Genesis 1:26-27 NIV Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Romans 8:18–19 NIV I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Romans 8:29–30 NIV For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. James 3:9-10 NIV With the tongue … we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. …My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Why Seven is the Bible’s Magic Number | Genesis 1:1-3
34:23 | 11-18-2021
Genesis 1:1-2:3 is a complex, highly sophisticated, poetic prelude to the rest of the Bible. It’s a kind of microcosm of the Bible’s bigger story; a window through which we can see God’s ultimate plan for our lives. Let’s look through that window together in this episode. Jesus seems to indicate that Genesis was part of the writings of Moses. Luke 24:27 NIV And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:44 NIV He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Jesus quoted from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 as true. Mark 10:5–9 NIV1 Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Genesis 1:1–2:3 ESV In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there...
The Life-Giving Breath of God | Genesis 1:1-3
26:58 | 11-16-2021
Genesis One is an amazing, highly sophisticated “painting” that in many ways is truer than a “photograph” would be. In just the first three verses, we see an illustrative portrait of our life and our need for God’s Spirit that no propositional statement could equal. Let’s meditate on that image together in this episode. https://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html (The Starry Night )by the Dutch painter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh (Vincent van Gogh). Painted in 1889, it shows the view of St. Reme, FR. from his east-facing bedroom window just before sunrise. That same year he wrote to his brother, Theo, “…In the morning, I watch the sun rise in all its glory.” It’s regarded as among Van Gogh’s finest works and one of the most recognized paintings in the history of Western culture. The visual exactness of the town is not Van Gogh’s purpose as much as the greater beauty and glory of the pre-dawn sky that he witnessed from his window. It’s a feeling. Transcendence surrounds the town. In one sense we might say Van Gogh’s portrait shows us far MORE reality than a photograph could. Wonder. Transcendence. At least most people must think so, which is why you’ve seen that painting many times but probably never seen a photograph of St. Reme, FR. Genesis 1-2 shows us real history, but does it more like a Van Gogh than a camera. Showing us the truer, greater glory (transcendence/wonder) in the creation story that can help us see FAR more reality. Genesis 1:1-3 NIV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. John 6:63 NIV The Spirit gives life…. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV All Scripture is God–breathed… Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.