Rooted with Emily Talento
A podcast exploring Scripture, faith, and the deeper context behind the Christian story, helping listeners stay grounded in truth in a noisy, shifting world.
Episodes
37 episodes
Episode 30: Are You Trying to Control Your Own Life?
James 4 is one of the most intense chapters in the entire book and underneath all of its sharp language is one central issue: divided allegiance. In this episode, we explore the internal war James describes, what “friendship with the world” act...
Episode 29: Are We Using God When It’s Convenient?
In this episode, I react to the Brandon Lake and Nick Jonas collab and unpack why it initially made me uncomfortable. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized this conversation is bigger than one song or one celebrity.We’ll talk a...
Episode 28: What Do Your Words Reveal?
In this episode, we continue our study through James with a look at chapter 3 and the power of the tongue. James shows us that our words are never “just words.” They have the ability to direct, destroy, reveal, and shape. We explore the deeper ...
Episode 27: What Does Living Faith Actually Look Like?
James 2 asks a difficult question: is our faith actually alive?In this episode, we unpack favoritism, mercy, “faith without works is dead,” and the shocking line that “even demons believe.” Through the lens of context and culture, we exp...
Episode 26: Did Paul Change Jesus’ Message?
This week we’re talking about one of the biggest critiques surrounding Christianity today: Did Paul change the message of Jesus?Why do Jesus and Paul sometimes sound so different? Why does Jesus teach through parables while Paul writes t...
Episode 25: Are You Deceiving Yourself Spiritually? James 1:19-27
As we walk through James together, we’re not just studying what the book says, we’re also learning how to actually read the Bible well and in context. In this episode, we dive into James 1:19–27 and talk about one of the most uncomfortable real...
Episode 24: How Should Christians Respond to War?
War is one of the hardest topics for Christians to navigate.Some say it’s always wrong. Others justify it completely. Scripture doesn’t do either.In this episode, we walk through what the Bible actually says about war, the distinctio...
Episode 23: Is Your Faith Actually Steady?
Is your faith actually steady?In this episode, we study James 1:1–18 and look at the difference between a steady faith and a divided one. James shows us that trials are not random, wisdom is necessary, and instability often comes from wi...
Episode 22: Why Do I Care So Much About the Bible?
We’ve been talking about how to read the Bible and how it actually changes you, but this episode is more personal.Why does this matter so much to me?Because when I stop living through the lens of Scripture, things get out of contr...
Episode 21: Why Isn’t the Bible Changing Me?
If you’ve been reading your Bible but feel like nothing is actually changing, you’re not alone.In this episode, we look at Romans 12:1–2 in context and unpack how Scripture actually transforms you. Not just what it says, but what it does...
Episode 20: Are You Adding Meaning to the Bible?
It’s easy to read the Bible and feel like we understand it. The language is familiar, the ideas feel clear, and we move on quickly.But sometimes what feels obvious isn’t actually what the text is saying.In this episode, we unpack ...
Episode 19: Are You Expecting Too Little?
Easter isn’t just about what happened. It’s about what it means.The resurrection didn’t just prove that Jesus is alive. It revealed what God was doing all along.In this episode, we look at how the story of Easter reframes everythi...
Episode 18: Why Doesn’t God Do What We Expect?
Why doesn’t God do what we expect?Palm Sunday reminds us that the crowd wasn’t rejecting Jesus. They were following Him… just with expectations He wasn’t there to meet.In this episode, we walk through Holy Week as a pattern. Expec...
Episode 17: What to Do When You Open Your Bible?
What are you supposed to do when you open your Bible?In this episode, we walk through Philippians 4:10–20 and break down a simple, practical way to read Scripture with context.Instead of isolating verses, we learn how to slow down...
Episode 16: How to Read the Bible in Context?
Why does the Bible sometimes feel confusing, even when we’re reading it regularly?In this episode, we take a step back and look at how Scripture is meant to be read. Not as a collection of verses, but as a unified story shaped by context...
Episode 15: How Should We Live If God Really Is Faithful?
We say God is faithful all the time.But most of us still live like everything depends on us.We stress about the future.We try to control outcomes.We assume something is wrong when things take longer than we expected.So...
Episode 14: Discerning the Patterns of God’s Faithfulness?
We say God is faithful all the time.But most of us still live like everything depends on us.We stress about the future.We try to control outcomes.We assume something is wrong when things take longer than we expected.So...
Episode 13: My Experience Escaping War in Israel
What does it feel like to suddenly leave Israel because war has broken out?During my recent trip to Israel, escalating conflict forced me to unexpectedly evacuate the region. In this episode, I share what that experience was actually lik...
Episode 12: Has God Ever Been Silent or Absent?
What do we mean when we say God feels silent?Between the Old and New Testaments, there are roughly 400 years where Scripture records no prophets and no new revelation. For many people, it looks like a gap.But history during those ...
Episode 11: What Happens When People Fail God?
What happens when people fail God?Scripture is full of stories of people who loved God and still failed Him. Moses loses his temper. David abuses his power. Jonah runs from his calling. Peter denies Jesus.So what does God do when ...
Episode 10: What Does It Mean to Wait Inside a Promise?
What Does It Mean to Wait Inside a Promise?The story of Scripture unfolds in the tension between what God has spoken and when it is finally fulfilled.God promised Abraham descendants and land, but he waited decades for a son and g...
Episode 9: What Does It Mean That God Is Faithful?
What does it actually mean to say God is faithful?In this episode, we look at how Scripture defines faithfulness. Not as a smooth life or quick answers, but as something rooted in God’s character. He does not change. He does not lie. He ...
Episode 8: Why Does History Matter for How We Believe?
Why does history matter for how we believe today?In this episode, we walk through Israel’s exile and return and focus on Ezra’s public reading of the Law to explore how generational drift happens. What happens when faith becomes disconne...
