There are several convenient ways to listen to Saul Reads the Bible.
Listen Straight From the Website
One easy way to listen to Saul Reads the Bible is to simply visit the website each day and listen to the post. Consider the example post:
In this example, there are three ways to access the episode.
- Note the “play” button (triangular button); it will cause the episode to play.
- Alternatively, you could click on “Play in new window,” which will allow you to continue surfing the web or working on your computer while you listen
- Finally, you could click “Download,” which will allow you to save the episode on your computer and either play it on your computer or transfer it to an MP3 player.
Also, note the calendar just visible in the lower-left portion of the image. Clicking on the appropriate date will allow you to access back episodes if you are behind.
Subscribe to the Feed
The most powerful way to enjoy Saul Reads the Bible is to subscribe to the feed. If you have done this before with other podcasts or even blogs, you can probably be satisfied with one of the following three feed subscription options.
If you are unfamiliar with subscription, it is basically a way to have some program check for new episodes (in the case of Saul Reads the Bible, new daily readings) automatically and queue them up somewhere for you. iTunes is probably the most common program used to check for and queue up podcast episodes, but this can be done for you by your browser, by Microsoft Outlook (the episodes show up like email messages), or by many other feed reading and podcatching programs (I read somewhere that there are 2,000+ such programs!!). With that in mind, here are the options for subscribing to Saul Reads the Bible, from most common to least common.
Option 1: 1-Click Subscribe via iTunes
This is by far the best option if you use iTunes. If you don’t have iTunes and would like to download it free, you can do that by clicking here.
If you click on the “1-Click Subscribe via iTunes” button under “Subscribe!” in the right-hand column, iTunes will be launched, and Saul Reads the Bible will be automatically added to your “Podcasts” list (click “Podcasts” in the left hand column in iTunes.). From your Podcasts list, you can click “Settings…” and tell iTunes to check for new episodes every so often.
The best part of using iTunes is that you can automatically transfer all your podcasts (including Saul Reads the Bible) to a portable mp3 player such as the iPod or iPhone for convenient on-the-go listening during workouts, commutes, or boring meetings.
Option 2: Subscribe via RSS 2.0 Feed
For many podcasts or blogs, simply being notified of new episodes is an important feature. This is because many podcasts and blogs produce episodes more sporadically. However, Saul Reads the Bible will be minted fresh every day, starting on January 1, 2010, or your money back (which is not saying much, given it was free to begin with). Therefore, the main reasons to receive SRTB as a feed are:
- To remind you each day to read the Bible, like a little nudge from the Lord God Almighty, seated high upon His magnificent throne at the apex of the universe, gently reminding you that reading His holy and inspired eternal Word may be sufficiently important to warrant dislodging yourself from World of Warcraft or Hulu for 20 minutes
- To automatically show you which episodes you have not yet heard in the event you fall behind due to playing World of Warcraft and watching Hulu
- To facilitate the easy transfer of episodes from the internet(s) to your portable MP3 player, if you have one.
In my experience, (3.) is most easily accomplished with iTunes, because I use my iPhone to listen to podcasts. Therefore, in my case, I would simply subscribe using iTunes.
However, any other podcast reader (called a podcatcher, of which 20, some free and some not, are listed here) will make use of the RSS 2.0 feed. By browsing to it, you will see a list of episodes. By copying the URL of the feed (http://saulreadsthebible.com/?feed=podcast) and pasting into your podcatcher (your podcatcher’s “Help” menu will tell you how/where to do this), you can subscribe, and have all the episodes made available and synced to your portable MP3 player.
Option 3: Subscribe via Email
This is sort of an antiquated option. If you subscribe via email, you will get an email in your inbox each day that will remind you to read the episode and provide a link. By organizing these email messages in a folder, you can keep a list of episodes and track which ones you have or have not listened to.
This option will not help you in migrating the episodes to your MP3 player or saving them on your hard drive automatically. By comparison, iTunes or another podcatcher will.
If none of this makes sense, remember, in the following order,
- GIYF (Google is your friend)
- If all else fails, shoot me an email.
