gospel spice podcast

Bonjour! Stephanie here. I am excited to share the inspiring insights from my recent conversation with recording artist Aaron Shust on the Gospel Spice podcast! Together we invite you to journey deeper into faith through worship. Aaron opened up about his faith journey, music career, and deep connection to scripture and different cultural influences. Aaron and I discussed the importance of experiencing Scripture through different perspectives and interpretations, emphasizing the value of humility and teachability in growing in faith. He shared how diverse cultural influences have shaped his songwriting and deepened his understanding of God's word, with a key focus on the Messianic Jewish culture.

Aaron remains truly humble and teachable, as well as always curious to learn more. This is the hallmark of someone who is walking closely with the Lord. God gets all the glory, and we get to delight in Him through it! It is essential to surround ourselves with people who inspire us to walk closer to God. Inspired by his experiences and love for Scripture, Aaron shared his ongoing desire to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, leading to the creation of his latest song, "Pray for Jerusalem" based on Psalm 122. His commitment to writing songs based on Scripture is truly a testament to God’s faithfulness and goodness, and the depth of Aaron’s faith and creativity.

MORE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS CONVERSATION

Stephanie welcomes acclaimed worship leader and songwriter Aaron Shust to discuss his inspiring journey as a musician and a devoted follower of Christ. Aaron shares how his deep-rooted faith has not only shaped his musical compositions, but also transformed his spiritual walk.

Aaron Shust's artistic evolution presents a compelling narrative of exploration and cultural immersion. His pilgrimage to Israel in 2016 served as a catalyst, reigniting his fascination with ancient traditions and compelling him to delve into the practices of messianic Jewish communities. This journey ignited a creative flame within Aaron, prompting him to infuse his songwriting with influences from his global travels, including the captivating sounds of Scottish music and the evocative melodies of Middle Eastern traditions. By embracing sonic elements from his expeditions, Aaron adds a vibrant and culturally diverse dimension to his musical repertoire.

Aaron Shust's latest endeavor, "Pray for Jerusalem," stands as a testament to his unwavering dedication to encapsulating scriptural inspiration within his music. Rooted in the profound call to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, this poignant composition echoes the enduring devotion to scriptural narratives, weaving together the threads of prayer, faith, and melodic exaltation. Through this musical creation, Aaron extends an invitation to unite in prayer for the ancient city, encapsulating the spiritual essence of the Scriptures through his heartfelt melodies.

Growing up in a family immersed in a love for both the Bible and music, Aaron's childhood was shaped by the harmonious fusion of these two elements. His early exposure to the Hebrew scriptures, coupled with his mother's affinity for music featuring the word Yeshua, laid the groundwork for a profound connection between faith and melody. Central to Aaron Shust's creative process is the imbuing of his compositions with the profound essence of Scripture. His deep reverence for biblical teachings and Jesus' words has led him to craft songs that serve as soul-stirring embodiments of faith and reverence. By weaving the timeless wisdom of Scripture into his musical tapestry, Aaron breathes life into age-old verses, ushering his listeners into a realm of spiritual contemplation and melody. His musical creations exemplify a harmonious marriage of faith and artistry, igniting the hearts of his audience with the eternal resonance of God's word.

Aaron Shust's captivating account unravels the profound interplay between faith, musical expression, and the timeless resonance of scripture. It is a joy and a delight to welcome him on Gospel Spice this week!

A FEW OF AARON SHUST’S MOST POPULAR SONGS:

My Savior, my God (2006)

To God alone (2009)

My hope is in You (2011)

Cornerstone (2014)

No one higher (2014)

Ever be (2016)

MORE ABOUT AARON SHUST

Aaron’s fascination with music—with unique sounds, melodies, progressions, and techniques—has always been a salient part of who he is. From an early age, Aaron has felt most at home in front of a piano. Just as innate to Aaron is his love of God’s Word—of wrestling with the Scriptures, with the hard and beautiful things they say, and the way they foretell and fulfill a picture of a suffering servant, King Jesus.

You’ll hear these twin loves in Shust’s music, from his debut success with “My Savior My God,” winning the 2007 New Artist, Songwriter and Song of the Year. Later, as he grappled with a surprise Down Syndrome diagnosis for one son and waged a war with chronic illness for two, he continued to declare “My Hope is in You,” a song which spent 14 weeks at #1, and “Ever Be,” which debuted at #3 on the NCA chart. Aaron bolsters the faith of his listeners and surprises them, too, as with his 2014 Christmas Album Unto Us, recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. With this collection, Shust turns conventional classics into something fresh and adds his own work to the canon of Christmas music.

Over the past several years, Aaron has delved deeply into friendship with Messianic Jews, both in Nashville and Israel, as well as into the Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish tradition that they yield. Here, Aaron and his family have found not only friendship, but also a depth of insight into the rich background of the Yeshua Aaron proclaims, and what this depth of meaning can bring to believers today.

You’ll hear the reverence Aaron has developed for this Jewish heritage in Heaven + Earth: The Psalms Project. From melodic patterns and Middle Eastern instruments to passages sung in Hebrew and collaboration with Israeli musicians, Shust is determined that the listener will steep in the Psalmist’s musical vocabulary and therefore, have an intimate and imaginatively accurate experience of this ancient treasure of praise, lament, and contemplation.

Shust, a native of Pittsburgh, makes his home in Nashville with his wife Sarah and their sons Daniel, Nick, and Michael, as well as a growing menagerie of pets.

Connect with Aaron at https://www.aaronshust.com/ as well as YouTube and on social media.

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie just came back from her first trip to Israel, and it made Scripture come alive for her like never before! So, this season, she is bringing you fresh spices to experience Scripture as if you are walking through its pages. Specifically? We will be tagging along with Matthew, because he was the most Jewish-centric of all Gospel authors.

Taste and see, indeed, that the Lord is GOOD! Make sure to sign up to receive value-packed monthly gifts straight in your inbox here.  It is a GREAT idea to subscribe, because you will receive truly value-packed content and gifts exclusively for you every single month. 

Check out gospelspice.com for more content. And, if you enjoyed this podcast, please make sure to rate and review it, so more people can be encouraged through God’s word.

Join us again next week for a new episode with your host, Stephanie Rousselle.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit alongside Jesus and his initial audience? To experience the fresh spiritual flavors that the Messianic Jewish culture weaves into the four gospels? Well, that's exactly what we here aim to do through this original series, JESUS RABBI AND LORD. Stephanie invites you to dig deep into Scripture, unearthing raw diamonds that may need a little cleaning up, but will ultimately shine brightly.

So get ready to embark on this enlightening and transformative journey with Gospel Spice. Prepare to encounter Jesus in a way that resonates with our modern world and discover the richness of the gospel through the lens of Jewish culture. Let's dig deep, uncover the hidden spices, and experience the beauty of the Scriptures together. Welcome to Gospel Spice!

Grab your headphones, hit play, and let Gospel Spice be the catalyst for encountering Jesus in a way you've never experienced before!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Bonjour! Stephanie here. Welcome to today’s conversation! It’s an unusual one – I thought we’d start this new format every few weeks, where we are inviting you to join us for an informal chat about what is going on in our lives, and here at Gospel Spice. So today I am joined by Ros – some of you may remember that she has been on the show before! She will tell us a bit about her, and then our goal is to settle in, the way good friends do, with a cup of tea and maybe a bite to eat, to chat about what has been happening in our lives. We’ll also talk about things we are celebrating, and what is going on here behind the scenes at Gospel Spice.

One thing we do want to remind you of, is that we really do want to lavish you with free gifts throughout the year, and that means that you need to sign up for our newsletter! It’s free, and that’s how you get the best of Gospel Spice each month in your inbox. Our goal is to include a free, valuable gift each month for you. And I really don’t want you to miss out, so go to https://www.gospelspice.com/signup to sign up today!

Ros and I celebrate that this week is the 4th anniversary of Gospel Spice – it started very humbly in the fall of 2019 and has belonged to God from the first. So, we go down memory lane a little, and invite you to do the same! How has God met you the last 4 years?

We chat about two exciting upcoming studies – the first is an online Bible Study, “In the Footsteps of Jesus.” It is not too late to join! Check out https://www.gospelspice.com/footsteps for the details.

Our new podcast series starts next week with “Jesus, Rabbi and Lord” where we tackle the first century Jewish culture to provide precious context to our reading of Scripture. This has got to be one of my favorite topics ever, so I look forward to meeting our precious Lord there. He will not “show up” – He is already there in fullness of Presence because He is everywhere! The question is, will WE show up?

So, join us for this unusual episode – make sure to put the kettle on, or to brew yourself a cup of your favorite dark roast. It’s pumpkin spice season, and I cannot say I am sorry for it! Pumpkin spice is one of the greatest achievements of the American culture- and that is saying a lot.

Can’t wait to share that time with you today! And as always, please let us know how we can be praying for you. We take this very, very seriously as a high calling and a privilege. So, email us at contact@gospelspice.com or DM us on social media (we hang out on Insta and Facebook a lot).

Praying the Name of the Father over you – His holiness, His kingdom, and His will. In the mighty power of our unmatched Lord!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit alongside Jesus and his initial audience? To experience the fresh spiritual flavors that the Messianic Jewish culture weaves into the four gospels? Well, that's exactly what we here aim to do through this original series, JESUS RABBI AND LORD. Stephanie invites you to dig deep into Scripture, unearthing raw diamonds that may need a little cleaning up, but will ultimately shine brightly.

So get ready to embark on this enlightening and transformative journey with Gospel Spice. Prepare to encounter Jesus in a way that resonates with our modern world and discover the richness of the gospel through the lens of Jewish culture. Let's dig deep, uncover the hidden spices, and experience the beauty of the Scriptures together. Welcome to Gospel Spice!

Grab your headphones, hit play, and let Gospel Spice be the catalyst for encountering Jesus in a way you've never experienced before!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

This month we are celebrating the anniversary of Gospel Spice! We launched our first episode in 2019, when we faithfully and haltingly followed God's pretty clear directions!

Would you please take a moment to celebrate with us? There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice 

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do 1 or more of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup 

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie welcomes Rebecca George to discuss the power of embracing weakness as part of our Gospel Spice Wellness series. They share their experience with the “curse of the capable woman”, as Stephanie calls it, and how surrendering our weaknesses to God allows Him to turn them into His strengths. They discuss the tension between achieving for God's glory while avoiding self-sufficiency and how we can open our hands and offer ourselves to God. The conversation shifts to the ultimate calling of a Christ follower to make disciples, and the importance of surrendering one's life to God. The episode also touches on the dangers of constantly doing and the importance of trusting God's timing. Together Stephanie and Rebecca emphasize that embracing weakness is the path to success and encourage YOU to focus on God in moments of brokenness. Rebecca shares her personal experiences with being an overachiever and how surrendering our weaknesses to God can transform them into strengths. Rebecca also talks about the importance of balancing grace and self-discipline in our lives and the ultimate calling of a Christ follower to make disciples wherever we are and in whatever season we are in. They also discuss the Great Commission and the ongoing behavior of making disciples without striving or burnout. Tune in to gain valuable insights on living a life of surrender and obedience to God!

Some key takeaways for this conversation include,

- We can feel like we have to rely on our own strength to get things done.

- Weakness is what God wants from us, because He already has plenty of strength!

- Surrendering our weaknesses to God allows Him to turn it into His strength. That is the goal!

- Embracing weakness is actually the path to success, because we learn to trust Him.

Stephanie and Rebecca invite you to focus on God:

- Have an eternal perspective

- Fix your eyes on Jesus and worship Him for His character

- In moments of struggle and brokenness, invite God into our weaknesses and ask Him to transform them into strengths.

- The outcome belongs to God, and the obedience belongs to humans.

They also inspire you to balance grace and self-discipline with the following:

- Strive to do everything with excellence for the glory of God;

- Hold both grace and self-discipline closely and not see them as opposing forces.

Making disciples is the ultimate calling of a Christ follower. Together, they add:

- a calling is not necessarily to have a public ministry.

- We can make disciples wherever we are and in whatever season we are in.

- Making disciples is an ongoing behavior, not a one-time task or something to be added to a to-do list.

- Striving to make disciples all the time can lead to burnout.

- Different seasons may require a shift in our time and capacity, and it is important to have ongoing conversations about where we feel called to spend our time.

To conclude, surrender to God is the key! You have heard it before, but it is important to remember:

- Surrendering one's life to God on a regular basis is important.

- It means not producing results on one's own strength or measuring one's own performance.

- True freedom comes from allowing God's spirit to produce the fruit.

NEW! GO DEEPER WITH QUESTIONS, ON YOUR OWN OR WITH A FRIEND:

1. How do you relate to the “curse of the capable woman,” (even if you are a man!) and how have you experienced it in your life?

2. Do you struggle with self-sufficiency or overachievement? How does this conversation resonate with you?

3. What is your view on grace and self-discipline, and how do you balance the two in your life?

4. How do you feel about the importance to fight striving? Do you agree with her stance against “Girl Wash Your Face”?

5. Have you ever experienced a moment of surrender to God in your weakness? How did that change your perspective?

6. What does it mean to you to make disciples as you go about your daily life? How can you apply this principle to your own life?

7. Have you experienced moments of burnout? What do you do to avoid it?

8. How does your personal view of success align or differ from Rebecca’s and Stephanie’s perspective?

9. How do you remind yourself of God's unconditional love for you and the fact that nothing you do can make Him love you more or less?

10. In moments of struggle and brokenness, how do you invite God into your weaknesses and ask Him to transform them into strengths?

MEET REBECCA GEORGE

Rebecca George is an author, a speaker, and the host of the popular podcast Radical Radiance. Her greatest joy is helping women pursue their passions in a way that builds God’s kingdom. In her free time, she loves running outside or trying a new recipe with Garth Brooks playing in the background. You can connect with her @rebeccageorgeauthor on Instagram or at radicalradiance.live.

MORE ABOUT HER BOOK, DO THE THING

What is your “thing”? Surely there’s a better way to view it than through a lens of striving and worldly achievement.

You may have a special cause, project, or talent you feel called to develop. Fear and lack of clarity often make it easier to avoid the “thing” than risk failing at it.

Rebecca George is an encouraging voice in your ear to say, “Let’s not waste another minute of the all–too–brief time we have on this side of eternity.” She shows you how to pursue your goal with grace and confidence.

Part guide, part manifesto, Do the Thing beckons you to pursue the passions that stir your soul.

On this journey, you will discover how to:

See your gifts and talents from a gospel-centered perspective.

Prioritize goals related to your calling as you move forward with gumption and grace.

Overcome negative thought patterns so you can brainstorm, develop, and create with the confidence of a go-getter girl!

Today is the day to take a brave step in a purposeful direction, using God’s Word as your compass to do the thing He has designed for you to do. After all, if not now … when?

Find the book here: https://davidccook.org/books/do-the-thing/ 

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

The perfect gift for everyone - apparel, drinkware, stickers and more for all the women, men and kids in your life!

https://www.gospelspice.com/merch

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

We are spending one whole month having conversations with inspiring guests about parenting at different stages of life - from newborns to adult children, and every stage in between! And then, we spend another whole month discussing essentials of physical, mental, and emotional wellness with a wide range of Christ-centered experts. 

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Do you feel like other moms have it all together, while you struggle silently? Are you really enjoying the journey of parenthood… or are you just trying to survive? You are not alone! You want so much to be a "good" mom. Yet, you're afraid you aren't. There's hope. You are on the right track. Alli Worthington joins Stephanie today to address the mom who is ready to live a life outside the unachievable cliche of “Supermom” – regardless of the season of life you are in. This is NOT a conversation about parenting – this is a conversation about your personal wellbeing as you navigate motherhood. It is about your own wellness, so that you can love others well. It is about embracing a healthy mom mindset.

So, whether you are considering starting a family, or whether your adult children are now raising their own babies, this conversation is for you! Also, this conversation will be eye-opening to all the men who want to understand how the moms in their lives struggle to hold it all together. Do you have a sister, daughter, or wife who is a mom too? This is for you!

If you’ve forgotten what it means to care for yourself while caring for others, this conversation is for you.

If you want to feel energized by motherhood, this conversation is for you.

If you constantly feel weighed down by mom guilt, this conversation is for you.

If you can’t stop comparing yourself to other moms, this conversation is for you.

If you’re looking for ways to protect your emotional, spiritual, and physical health, this conversation is for you.

If you can’t break the cycle of pleasing others, this conversation is for you.

If you crave more meaningful relationships with your children, this conversation is for you.

Alli tells us, “Drop the “good mom” myths that have been stealing your happiness. Rediscover the beautiful, joy-filled, sacred and secret art of confident motherhood.” If you’re ready to rewrite the parts of motherhood that are stressful and exhausting so you can raise your little–or not-so-little–humans with a healthy mom mindset, it’s time to discover the secret art of confident motherhood.

MORE ABOUT “REMAINING YOU WHILE RAISING THEM”

You’re allowed to enjoy motherhood- and pursue it in your own unique way.

Remaining You While Raising Them will give you tools and a framework you can return to over and over as you pursue a life you love while raising children you love.

Alli says, “I know you want to be a wonderful mother. And you're worried you aren't. Whether you arrived at motherhood by birth, adoption, or marriage, you want to get it right. Me too. I spent too many years caught in the trap of lies that surround modern motherhood. I want more for you than that. You're worth it! This book will reassure you that you ARE worth it and give you the tools to enjoy motherhood more! Remaining You While Raising Them, may just change your life.”

PREORDER TODAY FOR ALL SORTS OF BONUS CONTENT

More at https://alliworthington.com/remaining-you-while-raising-them

BONUS | QUESTIONS TO GO DEEPER, ON YOUR OWN OR WITH A FRIEND

1. Have you ever felt overwhelmed or guilty after reading parenting books? How did it affect your parenting approach?

2. How do you think our own emotional and spiritual health as mothers impacts our relationship with our children?

3. Have you ever felt pressure to live up to societal expectations as a mother? How did you navigate through that pressure?

4. What have been some of the challenges and joys you've experienced as your children have grown older?

5. How do you define "mom guilt" and why do you think so many mothers experience it? How can we combat mom guilt in our own lives?

6. What are some ways that we unintentionally hinder our children's development by trying to do everything for them?7. How can we find a balance between being a supportive parent and allowing our children to experience their own struggles and failures?

8. Alli and Stephanie discuss the importance of experiencing God's love and understanding in the midst of pain. Have you ever gone through a period of feeling abandoned by God? How did you work through that?

9. How can we create a safe space for our children to be honest about their own doubts, disappointments, and feelings towards God?

10. How can we model resilience and faithfulness to our children, even in the midst of challenging circumstances?

ALLI WORTHINGTON SHARES HER STORY

“Who doesn’t love a good rags to riches story? Yep, that’s how it started for me. Ten years ago, we lost everything when my husband’s job came to a sudden and drastic end. That’s when I got very, very serious about figuring out how to create a business on the Internet and started my own online business. I have co-founded BlissDom and BlissDom Canada, the single largest international women’s small business conference in the world (now that was a mouthful!) I also co-founded and served as the CCO (Chief Creative Officer) of Blissful Media Group. And it all started when I founded the magazine for women, Blissfully Domestic. Through these major events, I’ve helped thousands of men and women start successful businesses online. I was a consultant and strategist who has worked with and advised Fortune 500 companies and small businesses, from tech companies to your favorite household brands. My book, Breaking Busy, has helped thousands of women break out of cycles of busyness and find purpose and happiness in this crazy world.Fierce Faith: A Woman's Guide to Fighting Fear, Wrestling Worry, and Overcoming Anxiety launched January 2018. I served as the founding COO for Propel Women from 2014-2018…”

More at https://alliworthington.com/

We are spending one whole month having conversations with inspiring guests about parenting at different stages of life - from newborns to adult children, and every stage in between! And then, we spend another whole month discussing essentials of physical, mental, and emotional wellness with a wide range of Christ-centered experts. 

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Dare to dream about living a big life for the glory of God! That is our theme today, through seemingly mundane examples of daily faithfulness and stewardship. Today, Stephanie welcomes Janell Wood, who was inspired to host exchange students and turn it into a ministry. Hosting these students has not only impacted their lives but has also transformed Janell's life in the process. Stephanie was a foreign exchange student from France when she was 17 (30 years ago this year!) and, as you may know, she gave her life to Jesus at the end of her  year there. She is a living proof example of the power of faithfulness when a family welcomes a student in their home and shares Christ faithfully--albeit imperfectly. Being real and authentic is what matters. Janell therefore encourages us to be authentic and to ask God for guidance in making decisions that might affect our lives. Together, Stephanie and Janell talk about faith and daring to trust God to live a big life for His glory. Janell also discusses the importance of exposing her kids to different worldviews and traditions through hosting exchange students. In her ministry, Janell interviews young women who have questions about God and belief, and they speak with various Christian apologists to address these questions. Janell emphasizes the importance of being faithful in one's spiritual walk, and of loving God and our neighbors.

BONUS | QUESTIONS TO GO DEEPER

1. How has Janell's experience hosting exchange students challenged and transformed her faith in God?

2. Janell talks about embracing change and stepping out in faith. What are some examples of where you see this in your own life?

3. Janell emphasizes the importance of being authentic and seeking God's guidance. How do you remain authentic in your relationships and life experiences?

4. How has apologetics helped you to address your own doubts and uncertainties about faith?

5. What can we learn from Janell's approach to sharing her faith with others she meets in her work?

6. How has traveling and experiencing different cultures impacted your worldview and faith?

7. Janell's family intentionally exposes their children to different worldviews. Have you had conversations with your own family, friends, or colleagues about faith differences and how to love others well through those differences?

8. What can we do to "offer our lives" to God and be obedient to His call in our lives, even when we don't necessarily see the results?

9. How do you handle fear or doubt when stepping out in faith to do something new or challenging?

10. How can we seek God's guidance in making decisions that might impact our lives or the lives of those around us?

MEET JANELL WOOD

Janell Wood is a devoted wife and mother of four children who grew up in a Christian household and gave her life to Christ at an early stage. Although she experienced her own doubts and struggles with faith, she felt a nudge to go all-in for the Lord after reading Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love. Fueled by this call to action, Janell and her husband decided to do something extraordinary and ended up hosting exchange students from different parts of the world. Starting from the Netherlands, they now have hosted five exchange students and hope to host more! The experience has been life-changing for Janell, who now views this ministry as a way of opening her heart up to young women from different backgrounds who have never known someone who deeply loves the Lord. The journey has not been without its challenges, but Janell has found that God has been working in her life along the way.

Find Janell at https://www.janellmwood.com/

If you want more info about hosting foreign exchange students, go to www.efexchangeyear.org

If you want to get connected with Janell directly on this topic, meet her at https://efexchangeyear.org/iec/janell-wood/ or email her at  janellmwood@gmail.com

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

We are spending one whole month having conversations with inspiring guests about parenting at different stages of life - from newborns to adult children, and every stage in between! And then, we spend another whole month discussing essentials of physical, mental, and emotional wellness with a wide range of Christ-centered experts. 

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie shares what happened as she researched for this episode: "Let me tell you. I was NOT expecting what happened when I did my research. I think the Lord kindly likes to surprise us with glimpses of glory when we don’t expect them. So let’s say I wasn’t expecting to find myself in tears, flat on my face in my dining room, and almost breathless in awe of who Jesus is, as I saw Him through the research I did around this statement, "Behold the Lamb." I discovered fresh from the familiar pages of the New Testament an angle, a new depth that took my breath away. And I want to share the holiness of this moment with you today." Stephanie aims today to show us that, when we proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God, from the standpoint of the New Testament, we proclaim his glory as the Lamb of God that will be revealed in the future. There is a future dimension that is clearly stated, but somehow overlooked. And it is glorious. So, let's dig together into Scripture for fresh tastes of glory!

What do you think of when you hear the statement, “Behold the Lamb of God”? If you are somewhat familiar with the Old Testament and the history of Scripture, you know it’s a reference to the Passover lamb that was sacrificed annually as a covering for sins. Since they exited Egypt in about 1600BC, Moses and the Israelites were commanded by God to remember His salvation which He made happen by protecting all the people who had the blood of a freshly killed lamb on the door of their house. If there was blood on your door that night, the angel of death would pass over your house – thus the name “pass-over” – and would not come in to kill the firstborn male of your household. If you didn’t have that blood, then the firstborn male was killed. It didn’t make sense except by faith because God said so. And God did so.

We love to remember that Jesus is the Lamb of God – meaning at least two things. First, He is fully God. And second, He willingly, voluntarily did this. God the Father didn’t force God the Son in some kind of cosmic tyranny to suffer for us. This was a decision that the Son made in full knowledge, and full power and love for us. “For the JOY set before Him He endured the cross” – that’s Hebrews 12:2. This is true power. Only absolute, ultimate power that has nothing to prove can so excruciatingly disrobe itself of power and become a helpless lamb. Philippians 2:5-8 tells us that He humbled Himself by going from heights of power we cannot even begin to remotely have a faint wisp of an idea of, to depths of humility that, similarly, we just cannot fathom because these depths are literally fathomless, bottomless, infinite – only an infinite being can go from infinite height to infinite depth and retain His wholeness. That is Christ. That is the Lamb of God. And it is glorious. And that is where we usually stop. For most of us, this is the meaning of the Lamb of God. And it is awesome and should cause us to fall in worship, to be sure. But there is more.

Stephanie adds, "my most sincere prayer is that I can somehow convey what I saw and that you too will find yourself worshipping. I usually have it as a rule to never ever hype a lesson, so here is me breaking my own rules but then it’s not about me, it’s about you and the very Spirit of God at work in you to reveal to you unspeakable beauties about the One He delights in, the Son of God, our very precious Lord."

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!

First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.

Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. 

And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

With the overwhelming pace of life, many of us struggle to stop long enough to be present. Too often we live our lives more at the pace of the culture in self-interest, drivenness, empty excitement and anxiety. Alan Fadling has spent years coaching leaders and communities how to live an unhurried life, teaching that productivity and success are not our chief end, but rather living at the pace that our true self longs to live. So, he and Stephanie discuss how to follow the pace of Jesus Christ. Jesus never hurried, yet He accomplished everything He needed. How can we run counterculture and embrace rest as part of our spiritual roots? Alan invites us to ponder the essential nature of slowing down in a culture that tells us that productivity is the measure of our worth.

Brew yourself a cup of your favorite hot drink, curl up with a blanket and join this slow, purposeful conversation about worshipping Jesus Christ through rest. As part of our “Pathways to God’s presence” series, Stephanie and Alan invite you to slow down enough to hear the whisper of God’s presence in your day.

You are invited to watch Alan and Stephanie on video at 

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MEET ALAN FADLING

Alan Fadling is president and founder of Unhurried Living, Inc. in California. He speaks and consults internationally with organizations such as Saddleback Church, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Cru, Halftime Institute, Apprentice Institute, and Open Doors International.

He is the award-winning author of An Unhurried Leader and An Unhurried Life, which was honored with a Christianity Today Award of Merit in spirituality. He is also coauthor (with Gem Fadling) of What Does Your Soul Love? Alan speaks from his award-winning book, An Unhurried Life, about unhurried life with God, in community, in leadership development, in solitude, silence and prayer, and in doing the hard work of continued growth. From his book, An Unhurried Leader, he speaks on leading from overflow, working and leading with God, grace-empowered leadership, and leadership vision. He addresses the intersection between personal spiritual formation and fruitful leadership engagement. People leave these gatherings inspired, encouraged and energized for their life and work with God.

Alan consults with groups of leaders to provide training in a way of planning, strategizing and leading that is well-rooted in deep intimacy with God. Incorporate a “seek the kingdom first” approach to leadership. Learn to plan events from a center of listening to God and seeing people through His eyes. Learning these patterns contributes to the sustainability of your leadership, and can produce “much fruit that lasts (Jn 15:16).”

Alan offers coaching to focus individual attention on issues of personal spiritual and leadership formation. He has served as a sabbatical coach to many. He brings decades of leadership experience to those he coaches. His coaching combines the essence of a spiritual director and the practicality of a leadership formation coach. Alan can help you get unstuck and find your unhurried and fruitful way forward in leadership and ministry.

GO TO https://www.unhurriedliving.com/ for more. Buy Alan’s new book at https://www.unhurriedliving.com/ayearofslowingdown 

Alan says, “These devotionals had their beginnings in my personal journal. I began to practice the regular discipline of spiritual journaling in my twenties. Since then, I’ve journaled thousands of pages and millions of words. My journal is a place where I wrestle, meditate, reflect, create, and, in it all, pray. It’s a place where I acknowledge the presence of God with me. I trust that the Spirit of God with me along the way will be with you as you read.”

Endorsements for “A year of slowing down”:

"The brilliance in this book cannot be overstated. Resting takes time. Lord knows, it takes great grace as well. When Israel came out of Egypt, it took a long time to learn the new rhythms of God under the lordship of Yahweh. This book invites us to a conversion of rhythm. And if you are like any of us, it may take a whole year. Highly recommended." - A. J. Swoboda, assistant professor of Bible, theology, and world Christianity at Bushnell University, author of After Doubt

"I can't think of anyone better than Alan Fadling to lead us on these five-minute daily retreats that he has provided. Far from being escape moments, these times will help us sink more deeply into reality." - Jan Johnson, president of Dallas Willard Ministries and author of Abundant Simplicity

"Don't be fooled by the title of this book into thinking it's about slowing down the pace of your life so you can 'smell the flowers' or somehow break away from the world. It's about adopting a pace of life that allows you to listen to the Scripture more fully, with your mind as well as your heart. That is what Alan has done in the writing of this book. He models it for us on every page. If this is the result of a deliberately unhurried pace, then I'm in!" - Michael Card, musician and author of Scribbling in the Sand.

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie invites us to ponder an original perspective to help us determine how to invest our time, money and talents wisely, with heaven in mind. What does Jesus mean when He urges us to "accumulate treasures in heaven"? Surely He does not mean we will need money in eternity. What are these treasures? And most importantly, HOW do we accumulate treasures in heaven?

Scripture teaches we are saved by grace alone, and faith in Christ alone, and that we cannot earn salvation. So, this is not about salvation. This is about living a life of delight in the glory of God on THIS side of heaven, and a life of investing wisely in what GOD says matters eternally.

Stephanie uses a fresh analogy and describes our life this side of heaven as a garden in which we live and work and move and play. But there is a great wall, so high we cannot peek over it, and it separates us from eternal life. This wall is death and, apart from Christ, it is terrifying. It casts its shadows of pain and suffering, hardship and afflictions, disease and sickness over us all. This wall has a door for each one of us--we will not cross over until our time comes, but we will not be able to avoid that door when our time comes. What awaits us on the other side of it and, more importantly since you already know what awaits you in Christ, how do we invest our lives wisely, this side of the wall? 
Jesus tells us to accumulate treasures in heaven. In other words, He tells us there are ways to toss our treasure over the wall of death, and into eternity. What can we toss? And HOW do we toss it?
In this episode, Stephanie invites us to ponder what it looks like to toss treasure over the wall, and then to discover how we will use it on the other side. What will this treasure look like? How will we use it in heaven?

We at Gospel Spice hope and pray that this episode will encourage you to keep running the race set before you, and to fix your eyes on Him who has crossed over to bring you from death to life.

NEW GOSPELSPICE CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY!

Enjoy our team's selection of favorite Christ-centered Christmas hymns this season. Search Gospel Spice on Spotify, or click here 

(note - there is also a Gospel Spice Worship playlist for all the other months of the year!)

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!

First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.

Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. 

And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Has reading the Bible ever felt like a chore? Have you ever wondered how to delight in God? How can love for God be your most tangible reality? How can we nurture a culture of curiosity and learning from one another, rather than be afraid of our differences? Stephanie welcomes Tara Leigh Cobble, the founder and CEO of D-Group and host of the Bible Recap podcast—and, most importantly, fellow lover of Jesus Christ! Together they weave an impromptu conversation that invites you to TASTE the delight AND SEE the beauty of knowing Christ more deeply! Their contagious passion for Scripture, their eclectic experiences of cultures, and their common excitement about knowing Jesus more will inspire you to delight in Him in fresh, spicy new ways. Tara-Leigh shares about recent archeological discoveries in Israel - including a synagogue in Magdala where Jesus most likely taught, and the very palace of King David. She shares her passion for Israel because it is a great way to fall deeper in love with Jesus!!

Tara-Leigh shares her concerns for our generation, and her perspective on how to inspire our generation to delight in God. She explains how the Bible went from boring and unpleasant, to delightful and her ultimate delight! She also draws out attention to the dangers of taking Bible verses out of context and the essential nature of placing our Bible readings within context. 

Finally, Tara-Leigh gives us a clear call to unity, humility, and curiosity. What can we learn from one another? How do cultures and personality differences enrich our lives instead of creating fear of difference?

Join them over a cup of coffee, with your Bible open and your heart ready to hear from God about how to grow your intimacy with Him today! Stephanie teared up and Tara-Leigh could not stop smiling from ear to ear—these are unmistakable pointers to God’s presence and goodness!

Watch the live conversation on our YouTube channel and make sure to subscribe: 

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MORE ABOUT TARA-LEIGH COBBLE

Tara-Leigh Cobble's zeal for Biblical literacy led her to create D-Group (Discipleship Group), which has grown into an international network of 300+ Bible studies that meet every week in homes, churches, and online. She also writes and hosts a daily radio show called "The God Shot", as well as a daily podcast called "The Bible Recap" to guide listeners through a chronological 1-Year Bible reading plan. The podcast has crossed over 140 million downloads and reached #2 on the Apple Podcast Top Overall Charts. More than 20,000 churches around the world have joined their reading plan to know and love God better. Her book The Bible Recap (Baker / Bethany House) and Bible study He’s Where the Joy Is (Lifeway) aim to help people not only understand Scripture but to love God more as a result!

For more information: taraleighcobble.com | thebiblerecap.com | mydgroup.org

Social media: @taraleighcobble | @thebiblerecap | @mydgroup

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

This month we are celebrating the anniversary of Gospel Spice! We launched our first episode in 2019, when we faithfully and haltingly followed God's pretty clear directions!

Would you please take a moment to celebrate with us? There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice 

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do 1 or more of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup 

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie enjoins us to embrace exotic faith with the goal of developing the perspective of heaven in our hearts - namely, in order to start perceiving our life and circumstances and relationships the way God does.

God sees us as He created us to be—not as we are today, right now, with all our imperfections. He sees the finished product. One of Stephanie's favorite descriptions of ourselves?  "We are half-baked masterpieces."

Masterpieces? That’s how God calls us:

Ephesians 2:10 - For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Psalm139:14 -  I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Genesis1:27 - So God created mankind in his own image,
    in the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

But half-baked, because we are a work under construction.

Philippians 2:12-13 - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Ephesians 4:24 - put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Half baked masterpieces. That’s you and me today. Stephanie shares, "The more I see myself as God sees me, the easier I will find it to delight in His glory."

So in this context, how do we approach suffering, and how does humility give us the proper perspective when trials and pain hit home? Humility is both the soil that allows faith to grow, and the fruit that grows from that tree of faith. And it all points to delight in the glory of God as our ultimate goal and purpose.

Paul tells us of his amazing revelations. He says he was caught up in the third heaven (2Cor 12:2). He literally got the perspective of Heaven. And it was so glorious, that he was actually at risk of developing pride. At risk of thinking he was better than others for having been granted such a perspective. So God, in His wise goodness, afflicted Paul with a thorn. Paul asks for the affliction to be taken away.

That’s the context for a few famous verses from the pen of Paul, when God tells Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2Corinthians 12:9) and Paul’s conclusion, verse 10: For when I am weak, then I am strong.

This is a lesson we all must learn if we truly seek to delight in the glory of God. Pride has no place in this quest. So Paul went from pride of place to delight in God. He didn’t regret it for a minute: the moment he understood why this affliction was not taken away, but that it was given as a grace, then he stopped asking for it to be removed.

He actually started thanking God for it. Not because he was masochistic or loved being in pain, or wanted to be pitied, or wanted to tell us how amazing he is for handling such pain. But Because he wanted to live in God’s strength, not his own.

Listen to the full episode now! We warmly encourage you to find the listening guide and personal questions at gospelspice.com/delight - they are completely free and will assist you in embracing the full experience of this lesson.

 

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!

First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.

Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. 

And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

This month we are celebrating the anniversary of Gospel Spice! We launched our first episode in 2019, when we faithfully and haltingly followed God's pretty clear directions!

Would you please take a moment to celebrate with us? There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice 

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do 1 or more of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup 

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

How can we actively develop humility in our spiritual life, the kind of genuine, precious humility that will put a smile on our Father's face? 

Genuine, relentless humility is a life-long commitment.

Stephanie takes us on a journey to experience what has been called the "spiritual disciplines" in light of our quest to delight more in God. She quotes John Piper: “Now, THAT would be the greatest salvation imaginable—if God should offer us the greatest reality in the universe to enjoy, and then move in us to see to it that we could enjoy it with the greatest freedom and the greatest pleasure possible.”

Truly, that’s all we need. Let this mindset seep deeply into your being, and it will bear fruit. Be relentlessly humble. Cultivate relentless humility. It’s the secret. It’s actually super easy, but it requires a lifetime of practice.

Paul said, “by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” `1cor 15:10

That’s the balance: God does ALL the work—THROUGH us. We’re not in charge. We’re the car, He’s the driver. Yet He chooses to use this car. So, today we’re going to look at the other side of this "delight-in-God" coin: our participation. God invites us to participate even as He teaches us HOW to delight in Him.

Join us to relentlessly develop genuine humility today.

IMPORTANT NOTE - WE WILL SWITCH TO FRIDAYS AS OUR EPISODE RELEASE DAY, STARTING ON JULY 1 WITH EPISODE 156. Stay tuned every FRIDAY!!

 

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!

First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.

Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. 

And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 151 - Jesus' humility is the roadmap to glory. Stephanie humbly invites us to dive into the meaning and expression of humility in Jesus's life. It started even before His incarnation - when He left the beauty and perfection of heaven to come dwell on planet earth, with a human body, and for the express intent to die a horrific death, not only physically but mostly a spiritual death of separation from His heavenly Father. What love is this... and it is demonstrated in meekness and humility. So, since humility was so essential to Jesus, so must it be with us too! Except... it does not come to us naturally. So we look at delighting in God in the context of humility today.

This is an in-depth look at the meaning of the cross, and how we are called to the ultimate beauty of surrendering our self-will to delight in glories unimaginable. Today is an invitation to see, maybe for the first time or at a deeper level, that a quest to delight in God is truly the most reasonable, and the most enthralling adventure that we are called upon.

We look at what it means to "be in Christ," an expression that can be so overused, it is devoid of meaning. Yet, the key to delight in God in found in its meaning. What does it mean, truly, to "be in Christ"? We talk about the delight of surrender, and the surrender of delight. We invite you to insert Jesus in every practical aspect of your life, only to find He is already there. That is true delight. Join us!

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 150 - Why does it matter to delight in God? Why does God command us to delight in Him and enjoy Him forever? Doesn't that sound like the whinings of an egotistic tyrant, an insecure bully in search of affirmation, or a boastful narcissist? Stephanie invites us to discover the deeper meaning of delighting in God, and why it actually is the most logical, reasonable, and yes, delightful thing in the world.

God is not human--it means He is the ultimate standard in all things beautiful and perfect and lovely and, yes, delightful. So, when He enjoins us to delight in Him, He is really inviting us to enjoy the ultimate best in all things. Doesn't sound so egotistic after all, does it?

Jesus provides the perfect example for us--to absolutely no one's surprise! He role-models a life of perfect humility and delight in God. So we're taking a good look at delight in God as revealed in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God ... in the Face of Christ Jesus! That's one of the most foundational verses that Paul ever wrote, and it is one of our guides this week.

"God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV.

 

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 148 - We are so excited to welcome you to our new series, God's Glory, Our Delight. Now, this sentence. It means a lot, and especially to Stephanie because it has been her own personal motto and spiritual quest for years. So, really, this is an invitation to ponder the deeper life. We are convinced that there is no greater quest in life, and that no adventure can give you deeper meaning. We believe we will spend all of eternity, in utmost bliss, learning to delight in God in ever-deepening levels. So, identifying this quest as our most essential one, and then stepping into it with everything we've got, and then learning from one another, growing ever deeper into the wonder of this quest--THAT is, quite literally, practicing for heaven.

Delighting in God is developing our spiritual muscles to practice for the reality of heaven. Nothing can be more important for each one of us as an individual spiritual quest, but also for the body of believers as a corporate endeavor. It encompasses worship, prayer, Bible reading and study and memorization, fasting and feasting, service, and all the spiritual disciplines. It is the ultimate expression of loving the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and spirit, and loving your neighbor as yourself. It is the meaning of life. It is the great quest.

God's Glory, Our Delight. Nothing could be more important, and nothing could be more practical today.

We invite you to experience the entire series on video on our YouTube channel at 

We invite you to experience anew the fullness of the God's Glory, our Delight series on VIDEO on our YouTube channel here: 

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GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie welcomes fellow Francophile David Broussard, founder and president of Impact France, for an update on what God is up to in France today. David has an unusual story of coming to faith from agnosticism while studying in France! Yes! It is one of the many parallels between his and Stephanie's story of faith--in uncanny reverse! 

Today we talk about the importance of the truth that Jesus is alive, as foundational to our faith and the cornerstone of Easter. David shares his unusual and inspiring journey of faith, and his heart to come alongside French and American Christians to develop bridges of fellowship and relationship. He talks about his ministry, Impact France, and he invites YOU to join thousands to pray for France for the next three weeks, starting on Easter day. 

David shares some of the most striking and inspiring French ministries impacting French Christians today, including (without prior agreement!) two ministries very close to Stephanie's heart and personal experience: Alpha France and The Chosen France. 

Join the conversation at impactfrance.org and prayforfrance.org

You will also find Impact France on Insta at @pray.for.france or on our own Insta account, from which we follow all our GospelSpice guests!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpactFrance

Twitter: @prayforfrance

 

We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Identity in the battle | Ephesians

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/

Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/

Shades of Red | Against human oppression

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/

God's glory, our delight 

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/

 

GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIES

Delighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?

Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?

Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.

Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 141 - Stephanie is joined by 3 friends to explore a cross-cultural conversation around racial dialogue. Around a cup of virtual coffee, Angel, Beth and Lindsay answer some key questions and invite YOU to step up to initiate your own conversations towards racial reconciliation:

- What has been your personal experience, or a meaningful encounter, with the idea of racial difference?

- What does it take for conversations about differences to even be possible or be considered?

- What is your reaction to how you are seeing the church in general handle this conversation? How about the idea of hoping the system can change?

- If the church and the system are not stepping up to the task, then it is even more obvious that it is our role, on a personal level, to role-model these conversations. So, how do we develop trust and safety to create the context for them to happen?

We hope this conversation will invite church-going believers to engage meaningfully with others who are different from them. We want to communicate that creating an atmosphere and foundation of trust is necessary for any meaningful conversation to start happening, and then for ever-deeper conversations to keep happening.

This episode is a joint gift by the Gospel Spice team as a whole. It is an integral element of our Shades of Red series because we hope this conversation is an example of mature conversation between deep friends. We hope to stress that it is not the starting point of a relationship, nor the listener’s goal as a starting point. It is more like an end goal to keep in sight: the goal to get to a place where you too can have those conversations, and feel ok if they still feel awkward. Because they will!

Communication is a dance that helps us find out how far we can take the conversation. Some key tips from this episode:

-        A commitment to racial dialogue is a series of small steps, a long obedience in the same direction.

-        Gauge the relationship at every step to decide if it is time to take it deeper, or best to let it cruise a bit.

-      As with dancing, we want to be ok to say you stepped on my toes, be ok to acknowledge and apologize, be ok to keep dancing and creating beauty together, even of not perfectly.

-        The importance of the music when you dance: being in tune together

Jesus role-models hard conversations and sets the tone for us: He is singing reconciliation over us, and invites us to dance to His music. How will YOU respond to His calling today?

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.

SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep interceding, get involved, and keep influencing our generation. We will also occasionally welcome special guests who share our passion to fight against oppression in all its forms, for example through the fight against human trafficking, or through racial reconciliation, and more.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 140 - Today we get practical. Stephanie gives us 4 clear steps that we can all take, and that we can trust will make a difference. They are the four I's:

- Information

- Intercession

- Involvement

- Influence.

This is not just a cute mnemonic decvice; it is deeply rooted in Scripture and practical application. How can you keep on being INFORMED? How can you then move to heartfelt INTERCESSION? This will lead you to want to get INVOLVED, and we look at what it can look like. Finally, all this will necessarily lead you to want to INFLUENCE others and lead them to become informed, intercessors, and involved as influencers. There is so much packed into those four little I's. And the best part? We get to co-partner with God who is our Lord, Guide, Source, and Inspiration. His glory, our delight!

(By the way... "God's Glory, Our Delight" is such a key concept, that it is the title and content of our NEXT GospelSpice series, starting soon! It's a huge deal here for us at GospelSpice because "God's Glory, our Delight" is the personal motto of our founder Stephanie Rousselle. Stay tuned for more info and to signup for free for this new in-depth God-soaked study!)

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!

First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.

Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. 

And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.

SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep interceding, get involved, and keep influencing our generation. We will also occasionally welcome special guests who share our passion to fight against oppression in all its forms, for example through the fight against human trafficking, or through racial reconciliation, and more.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 136 - Pastor Jamal Johnson of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago joins Stephanie for a candid, heartfelt conversation about building a legacy under the great I AM. They discuss the current issues facing the American church in terms of conflict, division, and all things that work against the unity of the Body of Christ. So, when Pastor Jamal interprets Psalm 88 in light of the Negro Spirituals, it a beautiful immersion into the deep theology and vibrant faith that carried his ancestors through the dark days of American history, all the way to today. They also discuss the beauty and challenges of raising the next generation to delight in God, as well as the scars and pitfalls of parenting. Pastor Jamal challenges us with the timely question of what we will do with what has been entrusted to us, both from the past and towards the future. 

From heartache to hope, Stephanie was brought to tears a couple of times, and you just might be, too. Pastor Jamal has a huge heart for his family, his community, all his brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the world. His passion to "brag about his Lord" as he says, is beautifully contagious. As they discuss the various dimensions of pandemic, you will discover that the best one is the one we are called to - to love one another so the world will know that we are Christ's disciples. 

Pastor Jamal Johnson holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Legal Studies and a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  He serves as the Assistant  Pastor at the iconic & historic Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago’s Bronzeville community. In 2020 he joined the North American Advocate team for Biblica’s Reach4Life Discipleship ministry along with Matt & Danielle Forte. Pastor Jamal currently resides on the southside of Chicago with his beautiful wife Rheanna and their four fantastic children (Nasir, Na’ilah, Na’imah, Nuriyah). 

 

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.

PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)

SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.

SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep interceding, get involved, and keep influencing our generation. We will also occasionally welcome special guests who share our passion to fight against oppression in all its forms, for example through the fight against human trafficking, or through racial reconciliation, and more.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 133 - Stephanie welcomes Pastor and poet Drew Jackson who invites us to experience the gospel of Luke through his own culture today. He weaves his own growing-up years with Luke's words about the birth of Jesus, and his own ministry and outreach to the marginalized, with Jesus' calling to bring freedom to the captives and restoration to the wounded. 

His debut poetry collection, God Speaks Through Wombs, is a unique contribution to the world of poetry. This collection is a poetic telling of the first eight chapters of the Gospel of Luke, centering the theme of liberation. In this collection Jackson is asking the question, “What if we were able to hear the story of the Gospel of Luke from the perspective of those on the margins,” which Jackson says he believes was Luke’s intention in the first place. Throughout history the story of the Gospels has been co-opted by the powerful, and this is continuing to happen in our day. This collection of poems is an attempt to recover those voices that have so often been silenced. At the same time, this poetry is deeply personal and engages how the Gospel of Luke interacts with Jackson’s own story of being a Black man navigating the landscape of American life.

Meet Drew Jackson

Drew E. Jackson is a poet who came late to writing poetry, although he would say that his love for the art form began with hip-hop, learning to put words together from Nas’ Illmatic. He writes at the intersection of justice, peace, and contemplation, having a passion to contribute toward a more just and whole world. Born in Williamstown, NJ, Drew currently calls New York City home. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. While he’s not traversing the world of poetry, Drew spends his time pastoring Hope East Village, a church that he planted in March of 2018. Drew also serves as the President of Pax, an organization focused on promoting the peace of Jesus in the 21st century. Drew is blessed to share life with his wife Genay, and their twin daughters Zora and Suhaila.

Connect with Drew: https://www.djacksonpoetics.com/

 

SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.

SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep interceding, get involved, and keep influencing our generation. We will also occasionally welcome special guests who share our passion to fight against oppression in all its forms, for example through the fight against human trafficking, or through racial reconciliation, and more.

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!