

The Scriptures Are Real
Kerry Muhlestein
The Scriptures Are Real (TSAR) with Kerry Muhlestein is a podcast where we look at elements of the scriptures that have become real to us. We interview both experts (people with language, archaeological, historical backgrounds, etc.), and lay folks, and explore times when the scriptures became real to them. This is done from the viewpoint of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe that there is real power in the scriptures and that as they become more real we can better apply them to our lives and draw more power from them.
If you listen to this podcast you will learn all kinds of interesting background information that will help you understand and learn more from the scriptures. We believe it will allow you to add real power to your life.
My gratitude to my co-host Lamar Newmeyer. Also to my friend Rich Nicholls, who composed the introductory music.
If you listen to this podcast you will learn all kinds of interesting background information that will help you understand and learn more from the scriptures. We believe it will allow you to add real power to your life.
My gratitude to my co-host Lamar Newmeyer. Also to my friend Rich Nicholls, who composed the introductory music.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 20, 2023 • 58min
Unity, Chastity, Sexuality, Marriage, and Paul. Lincoln Blumell on 1 Corinthians 1-7 (week of Aug. 21, second to listen to)
In this episode Kerry and Lincoln Blumell discuss Corinth, the saints there, their challenges, and Paul's timely and timeless teachings in the first seven chapters of 1 Corinthians. They help us understand the importance of unity, and Paul's approach to chastity. They also go in depth into the often misunderstood teachings about marriage and sexuality that we find in this epistle. Looking at the letter more closely they help us understand the interaction of mission service, marriage, and sexual relations, and misunderstandings about celibacy. We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Aug 20, 2023 • 10min
Overview of 1 Corinthians (week of Aug. 21, first to listen to)
Learn about the background of Corinth, Paul's time in the city, and the issues faced by the saints. Paul writes a clear and direct letter addressing the problems and emphasizing the importance of love. Explore themes of sexual morality, spiritual gifts, and the belief in resurrection in 1 Corinthians.

Aug 13, 2023 • 45min
The Real Meaning of Grace and Faith in Paul's Writings (week of Aug 14, second to listen to)
In this episode Brent Schmidt and Kerry discuss Brent's research into the real meaning of the Greek words translated as grace and faith. This reveals something different than is usually thought, and will revolutionize the way you understand Paul's passages in all his epistles about them. You will see that grace has to do with covenant, and in many places and ways is similar to hesed. Understanding this will make Paul's writings become more accessible and applicable in your life. This episode will affect the way you read the rest of Paul's epistles.If you would like a free pdf of Brent's book, email Kerry at 01@byu.edu. We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Aug 13, 2023 • 56min
Dan Belnap and Romans 7-16 (week of August 14, first to listen to)
In this episode Kerry and Dan discuss the transformative power of Christ as explained by Paul in the second half of Romans. Their wide ranging discussion explores in depth the notion of killing part of ourselves and having it replaced by Christ, and the power of that happening. We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Aug 10, 2023 • 39min
Complete Version of Overview of Romans (week of August 7, first to listen to, contains more than was originally posted)
This is the full version of this episode. Due to a technical glitch, for a few days a partial version was posted, but now we have the full version presented here.In this shortcast Kerry provides and overview of the Epistle to the Romans. He explains what the reasons for the epistle were, what it is about in general, and how the various parts fit into the whole. In this way you are able to gain more out of each part of reading Romans.There is also some bonus material from next week's podcast, where Dan Belnap also gives and overview of the first several chapters of Romans, again helping you get the most out of your reading, and preparing you to get more out of next week's reading as well.We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Aug 6, 2023 • 1h 5min
Roundtable on loving and learning from Paul's epistles (week of August 7, second to listen to)
In this episode Kerry asks Lincoln Blumell and Gaye Strathearn to help him and the audience to love Paul, even when his teachings in the epistles seem thorny, and to better understand Paul's writings. Together they explore things that can make the epistles difficult to understand, things that make them easier, and things that help us learn from and love them. We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for this episode.

Jul 30, 2023 • 1h 21min
Testifying and Enduring to the End, Jason Combs on Paul and the end of Acts (week of July 31, only episode)
In this episode Kerry and Jason discuss the power of Paul's testimony. They explore why many Jews sought to kill him, the parts of his testimony that they were able to receive and what they could not, and what that has to do with us and how we can apply it in our lives. They explore how his accounts of seeing Christ differ and what we can learn from that and how it parallels Joseph Smith's accounts of seeing Christ. They also discuss the effect this testimony has on Agrippa and Festus. They then explore what happens to Paul in his journey to Rome and what he does in Rome. They draw powerful lessons from the way Paul testifies and endures there, and how that should affect us. They also probe into the way Luke ends the book of Acts and why he may have done so and what that should mean to us.We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for BJ Muhlestein, who edited this episode, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Jul 23, 2023 • 1h 16min
Paul's Journeys and Ours (week of July 24, only episode)
In this episode Kerry and Lamar explore Paul's second and third missionary journeys. They help us see what Paul was trying to do on these trips and why he made them, and how understanding them will help us understand Paul's epistles. They help us see how many of the things that happened on these missionary journeys echo the journeys we are on, and how they apply to us.We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for BJ Muhlestein, who edited this episode, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Jul 16, 2023 • 1h 14min
Gospel to the Gentiles part 2: Andrew Skinner on the Church Adjusting and Modern Parallels (week of July 17, 2nd to listen to)
In part two of this episode, Andy Skinner and Kerry explore the ramifications of Gentiles accepting the Gospel. They discuss how this raised questions among those who were already following Jesus, who were all Jews. They probe into modern parallels. This leads to discussions about what all of this has to do with us in our lives in our day.We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Jul 16, 2023 • 57min
The Gospel Goes to the Gentiles Then and Now with Andrew Skinner (week of July 17, 1st to listen to)
In part one of this episode, Andy Skinner and Kerry explore the vision that sent taught Peter and the church that the full blessings of the gospel and covenant were available to all people, not just Jews. They discuss how this is one of the most important events in the history of the church in any era. They also look at parallels with the spread of the Gospel in the Latter days. This leads to discussions about what all of this has to do with us in our lives in our day.We are grateful for our sponsor, Lisa Spice, and for our editor, BJ Muhlestein, and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.