Why Listen to a Bible Study Podcast?

Bible studies. We all know we should do them, but it can often be difficult to find the time. If you’re like me, trying to read an extended Bible study in the early morning before work or late at night after all the kids are in bed often leads to one thing and one thing only, falling asleep! But that doesn’t mean you have to give up on Bible studies. Listening to a Bible podcast or audio Bible study can be a great alternative for busy people like you and me. 

What’s a Bible Study Podcast?

For those who are unfamiliar with what a Bible study podcast or audio Bible study is, here’s a quick summary. Bible study podcasts are audio recordings of one or more hosts teaching and leading discussion and reflection on Scripture passages or themes. Some audio Bible studies are broadcast on the radio, but many more can be found online, particularly through podcast players like iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, etc. For more information on Bible study podcasts, check out this helpful article What is an Audio Bible Study? 

Study on the Go

One of the best things about audio Bible studies is that you can listen to them on the go. While many of us today feel too busy to squeeze a Bible study into our daily or weekly routine, the reality is that we often have a lot “in-between” time in our day, like when we’re commuting, waiting in the school pick-up line, or running errands. We also tend to have a lot of time in our day when reading may not be an option, but when listening would be ideal, like when we’re exercising, cooking dinner, or walking the dog.

In fact, listening to a Bible study podcast is a great way to redeem time that we often waste or lose track of. Think about how listening to a Bible study on your drive home from work could allow you to reclaim time spent in traffic and help you positively transition between your work and home life. Or maybe listening to a Bible study podcast on your morning walk could help you make both a physically and spiritually positive start to your day. Reflect on your daily and weekly routine. When might you have time to listen to a Bible study podcast? 

Engage a Different Sense

Reading is a great way to learn for many people, but not for everyone. Those with reading disabilities or visual impairments can use audio Bible studies in place of print ones. And even if you learn well by reading, listening, in addition to reading, will only help you learn and retain more information. For most of Church history, the Bible was taught orally and learned by listening to Church leaders and fellow believers literally tell God’s story. In recent history, the art of listening has fallen by the wayside, but educational research shows that many people actually retain more information from hearing than reading. And the real benefit in learning comes when people engage multiple senses in the process. So, if you both listen to an audio Bible study and then later read a companion study guide or transcripts, you engage multiple senses and are more likely to retain the information. 

Easy to Share

Another great thing about audio Bible studies is that you can listen either on your own or as a group. Listening to a Bible study in the evenings while you make dinner can allow family members to learn along with you. You can also easily play an audio Bible study during a scheduled group Bible study or small group meeting. Some Bible study groups even listen to audio studies on their own throughout the week and then come together to discuss what they’ve learned and how they can apply it to their lives. Audio Bible studies are also easy to share with friends and family online via social media. Mailing a printed study to a far away friend can be difficult, but with the click of a mouse, you can share audio Bible studies with friends and family near and far. 

For more advice on how to get the most out of a Bible study podcast, read How to Use an Audio Bible Study. And once you’re ready to dive in, Groundwork  has a whole archive of helpful 30-minute studies available to you for free! Each episode also has transcripts and an episode guide to help you get even more out of your study.