Podcasting continues growing in popularity around the world. There are currently over 1.2M in the Apple Podcasts directory, and over 50% of those podcasts are active (having published at least one episode in the last 90 days).
As digital technology increasingly gets more infused into our daily lives, podcasting makes it easier to produce and to distribute Bible-inspired content. Did you know that there are more Christian podcasts than any other category? Many Christian podcasts are repurposed sermons preached at churches, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Others podcasts are hosted by all kinds of Christians talking about a wide range of topics related to faith and life. There are also podcasts that speak directly from the Bible itself, the very source of spiritual life. As the Scriptures provide the eternal spring of daily bread, may these 7 examples of Bible podcasts feed you personally and even inspire you to start podcasting.
#1 – Daily Audio Bible
This podcast has been around longer than the iPhone and the iPad. The host has read the pure Word of God every day for 14 years. By reading Bible passages every day consistently with an inviting and warm personal voice, it has accumulated over 80 million downloads with thousands of daily listeners. Here’s a quick description:
Daily Audio Bible is a podcast that began January 1, 2006 by its founder, ordained minister Brian Hardin. DAB has broadcast the Bible in its entirety each year every day since. The dramatic success of the program and its impressive community loyalty has made it one of the largest online communities in the world. The mission of the Daily Audio Bible is to bring the spoken Word of God to anyone who will listen, anywhere in the world, anytime of day or night and to create a community around it so that no one has to ever feel alone again.
The online community of Daily Audio Bible stays connected to one another through popular social networks (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) and listens to the daily Bible readings on the web, subscribe by podcast, or through the mobile app on iOS and Android. Also transcripts are provided on its Tumblr blog since December 2013.
#2 – The Bible Recap
Tara-Leigh Cobble narrates The Bible Recap podcast to share a brief summary and highlight reel from every day’s Bible reading from their 1-Year Chronological Plan. Each episode runs around 8 minutes—some longer, some shorter.
The back story: After Tara read through the whole Bible chronologically 8 times, she launched The Bible Recap podcast in January 2019 to help others understand and love the Bible as the great story that it is! Before that, Tara also started D-Group (Discipleship Group) with college students back in 2009 and that has grown into hundreds groups around the world. She is highly motivated to encourage others to pursue a rich and relational knowledge of God. And, get this, The Bible Recap has over 13 million downloads as of February 2020!
#3 – The Bible Audio Guide by Through the Word
Podcasting is just one of several ways to distribute the audio content that you record and produce. Through the Word has made its entire content library accessible by its mobile app for the best user experience to intuitively navigate the books of the Bible; The Bible Audio Guide podcast feed currently features 1 of 19 epic journeys that together would cover the entire Bible. You might think of the podcast as a teaser and lead-in to download and install the mobile app for the full experience.
Kris Langham is the founder of Through the Word and here’s its description:
Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day as your favorite pastors walk you through each chapter with clear explanation and compelling application. Through the Word guides you on 19 epic journeys covering every Bible book, one chapter at a time. Join 30,000 daily listeners and start your Bible habit today.
Through the Word also reached another milestone—over 1 million people have completed its reading plan through the YouVersion Bible app!
#4 – Christian Meditation Podcast
A chaplain named Jared in Arizona launched this podcast to help people develop a better relationship with God through prayer and focus on His Word. This is a Christian tradition of meditation dating back to the monks where the Scriptures are the focus of reading, praying, meditating, and internalizing.
Melinda Pena blogged at Just Disciple about the experience of a Christian Meditaiton episode—
An episode of this podcast will guide you through meditations based on a particular Scripture. The style of meditation used in his podcasts have deep Christian roots.
… Chaplin Jared reminds the listener that we are to dedicate our meditation entirely to the service of God. Sit and reflect on the messages that God has for you, pray a centering prayer, ask God to give you the wisdom to glean from His words. This podcast will inspire you to take the time that is necessary to meditate with God on His Word.
… The meditations are roughly 10-20 minutes long, and the author encourages the listener to find a quiet place, where you can go to be uninterrupted during the meditation. He will have you notice bodily feelings, encouraging the listener to acknowledge that this moment is temporary yet it is where you are existing. He walks the listener through breathing softly and purposefully.
#5 – The Bible Burrito Podcast
This podcast ventures out where most don’t, with a slogan, “We're Not Your Normal Bible Study Podcast!” The description prominently displayed on the front page:
The Bible Burrito is a joint study from Curtis King and Kreig Durham, two friends and Bible study enthusiasts who want to pack in as much Bible truth and silly humor as they can into one podcast! Whether it’s a verse-by-verse study of a book of the Bible or an in-depth analysis of everything Disney, this burrito is packed full of something for everyone.
Basically, it’s two youth ministers talking about the Bible and what’s interesting for youth ministers, like what teens are into, what youth pastors need to know, pop culture, and all that. Sometimes the Bible study and commentary is at the beginning, sometimes in the middle, or towards the end. Maybe that’s how they came up with the name.
#6 – DriveTime Devotions
Some of you may remember the days when churches had Sunday School to teach the Bible in more depth than a typical sermon. How can churches help people learn the Bible without going the traditional route of Sunday School classes? Technology can be a timely solution!
Pastor Tom Holladay at Saddleback Church teaches through the Bible audibly through its DriveTime Devotions website, podcast feed, and mobile app. This daily 10-minute Bible study goes through the Bible one chapter at a time. The teaching aims to help listeners to know the Word of God and put it into practice.
For those with a daily commute during the weekdays, this fits especially nicely into that daily drive time. Even without a drive time, like for those of us who work from home, the length of each episode makes it easy to schedule into one’s daily routine.
#7 – How many minutes with the Bible?
All of us have the exact same amount of time every day. You can choose how many minutes to set aside for the Word of God. Here are podcasts perfectly made for that open time slot in your busy schedule—
- One Minute With the Bible
- Two-Minute Bible
- 7-Minute Daily Bible Study
- The Ten Minute Bible Hour
- FOCUSed15 podcast
- 20-Minute Bible Studies
- 30 Minutes in the New Testament
- 40 Minutes in the Old Testament
Browse this Huge Collection of Bible Podcasts
The Bible can be much more than merely a static sacred text from the past. People and churches are using digital technologies to engage the Scriptures in relevant and inspiring ways. ForAllThings.Bible showcases hundreds of useful and interesting Bible websites and apps from all over the internet. And wouldn’t you know it, the category with the most entries are podcasts.
Bible Podcasting can easily further your church’s mission or your personal outreach and ministry with a modest budget for the hardware. Check out this ChurchTechToday article, “6 Church Podcasting Gear Options,” and get started with the right equipment. Then open your Bible and start reading and recording—let the Word of God do its work!
