rousselle

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!

Episode 142 - God hinted at the great reversal He would usher in to destroy the effects of the introduction of the experiential knowledge of evil into our adama lives in Genesis 3:15. And, gloriously, He chooses to use us as vessels of His redemption efforts, just as we were the vectors that brought the curse. Freewill is a reality—the only possible birthplace of true love. The fact that He would invite us to become part of the redemption plan is mind-boggling in itself, since we caused the whole mess to start with.

We have largely focused on the importance of being informed—and not just about the facts of human oppression; it is essential that we should have a solid Christocentric theology that shapes our perspective on everything, including the whys and hows of the fight against oppression in our century. Today we will focus on the next I's, interceding, involvement and influence.

Informed. Interceding. Involved. Influencing: the 4 I’s whisper, “yet not I but Christ in me.” The 4 I’s apply to the fights of our lives, and most of all to the foundation of it all—our relationship with God: to know in our heads and in our hearts who God is and what He has done for us; to thus know who we are and what He calls us to do in His Name.

Once you have caught the vision through information, wrestled the evil through intercession and entered the action through involvement, the influence becomes easy to spread. Look around you: who can you tell? Look in your family, your neighborhood, your church, your social media community. Make a list of names. Invite them for a meal. Share your preferred organization(s)’s vision and mission. Become an ambassador for them. Share these series!

To influence, you must advocate, inform, invite others into the cycle of 4 I’s that you have experienced. And don’t stop there: keep informed; keep interceding; keep involved; keep influencing our generation.

And one day, one day not too long from now, we will all look back and say with Paul, “I worked hard… yet not I but Christ in me.”

 

For more on this topic, join our guest teacher for a thorough look at how to put these 4 I's in practice, with our special Gospel Spice teacher, Linda. Become a member today for free to access her teaching, along with all the other, member-exclusive lessons that take you deeper into the Gospel Spice experience of Shades of Red.

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 134 - Stephanie invites us to ponder what she calls "the spiritual law of gravity. It is quite simple, really. We all know not to break the physical law of gravity. It has its commandments. A smattering:

-          Do not jump off a high building.

-          Do not go into the deep if you don’t know how to swim.

-          Do not drop heavy rocks on your head.

Laws of gravity. We know any one of these would be enough to kill us; it does not take all of these together. Breaking one is enough to kill our body.

Moreover, none of us has ever challenged the laws of gravity. We don’t vote on them. We don’t approve or reject them. We don’t see them as optional preferences. We don’t think they have to do with personal choice. We accept them as facts of life. So much so, that we lovingly teach them to our children. Not to do so, would be parental neglect.

And so it is with the spiritual law of gravity. You don’t need to break all of its ten commandments to kill yourself spiritually. Only one is enough. A smattering?

-          Do not murder.

-          Do not commit adultery.

-          Do not steal.

-          Do not lie.

-          Do not envy.

When Jesus says that anger is murder, He is essentially saying that it does not take a 100-ton murder-boulder on your head to kill you; a one-pound rock of anger is plenty. It won’t take jumping off a 100-story building; a 2-story can be enough. And we all know that we can drown in less than a foot of water. It doesn’t take murder. Anger is enough. Murder as anger is one of the laws of spiritual gravity. Just ask Cain and Abel.

For more on this topic, join our guest teacher for a thorough look at what the spiritual law of gravity means for us humans, with our special Gospel Spice teacher, Lindsay. Become a member today for free to access her teaching, along with all the other, member-exclusive lessons that take you deeper into the Gospel Spice experience of Shades of Red.

BREAKING NEWS!

Shelley S. is the winner of the Gospel Spice giveaway we organized in January to celebrate our new membership platform. She will receive 2 exclusive Gospel Spice mugs, a Gospel Spice-green cloth covered journal, an 8*10 framable print and a pair of earrings made by a survivor of human trafficking. Congrats Shelley! We are honored to serve you.

Please check out gospelspice.com for more info on how to become a member!

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 108 - Welcome to our final episode in our Summer 2021 series, Identity in the Battle. Here is what is on the menu today, and for the next few weeks...

(If you have joined us recently, a big hearty WELCOME! We are SO HONORED you are with us! We warmly invite you to start our Identity in the Battle Series at the beginning with episode 101 titled "What does it mean to be IN Christ?").

Over the course of the last eight weeks, we took deep dives into the letter to the Ephesians with a focus on putting on our God-given identity, and then putting on the armor to fight the battles of this life, grounded in who God says we are.

Today, we invite you into one last taste from Paul's words to the Ephesians. 

Paul reminds us that we have a choice: to sit on the sidelines OR take your place in the battle. Which will it be?

We already know the end: will this lead to complacency, or to courage? Paul challenges us to know that the scope of the battle is against evil, not against people. How will this flavor your conflits today?

Stephanie reminds us of foundational spiritual warfare strategies: 

1-     Become aware.

2-     Train up.

3-     Start standing firm.

4-     Keep resisting.

5-     Train others to resist.

As she puts it, "don’t go into the battlefield unarmed, or you won’t stay unharmed."

As we conclude, remember that the reality of our identity is found in the fullness of Christ.

Over the next two weeks, we will welcome two very special guests to celebrate our second Gospel Spice Anniversary! It's been two years now since we launched our little podcast. It is now reaching thousands upon thousands in over 120 countries! What a mind-boggling journey the Lord has laid out for us. It is our delight to walk it alongside you! So make sure ot tune in next week.

And then, after two weeks of special episodes, we will kick off our brand new study, called "Centering on Christ: the Tabernacle" with Episode 112. Stephanie shares that this is the season that led her deepest into study and Scripture. It has deepened her intimacy with God in fresh, spicy new ways, and we are pretty confident it will yours, too! So make sure to tune in for our new series starting just after our celebratory episode.

Every week, Stephanie shares truth from Scripture and invites you to dig deeper in your faith to delight in the glory of God.

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

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially - this is a team effort and we need your help to keep creating these high-quality episodes, as always available completely for FREE!

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

------------ 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.

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! For the price of a cup of coffee, PAY IT FORWARD with $5 or $10 to make a huge difference! Contact us to pay it forward by Credit Card, or donate via PayPal.

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 operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking. We do not take a salary, but only seek to cover our operating costs.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially

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

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

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 101 - Welcome to our brand new Gospel Spice series, Identity in the Battle. Over the course of the next eight weeks, we will take deep dives into the letter to the Ephesians with a focus on putting on our God-given identity, and then putting on the armor to fight the battles of this life, grounded in who God says we are.

In this first episode of this new series, Stephanie ponders that embracing our identity and calling in Christ takes a lifetime. It is a slow process of discovering, accepting, embracing our identity--and doing this, daily by letting it change who we are, into who God created us to be. It is rooted in the simple key of finding our roots IN CHRIST.

Paul mentions the theme of adoption much in our first chapter, so we take a deep dive into what adoption means--on earth, and in heaven. By looking at the legal and practical requirements, we taste new depths of flavors from our own declared adoption, in Christ, into the family of God as belove children. We ponder the inheritance promised to us: the freedom of children is their newfound inner spiritual freedom to choose to love God with all their strength, mind, soul and spirit and love one another as themselves.

Friend, intimacy with God is possible. Hearing His voice guiding you can be your reality this side of heaven.

We conclude this first episode in our series by weighing the meaning of the "sealing" of the Holy Spirit. What does it mean? What can we compare it to? And how is it truly transformative? Stephanie says, "Our true purpose cannot be realized apart from full surrender and belonging into this new family. Our growing likeness to Him gives us boldness through Him."

Finally, she shares, "one thing I have learned, and that is to let the Holy Spirit guide and direct. I am in the passenger seat of my life. Work from the Spirit, not your own natural abilities."

This series focuses on our identity for the first 2 episodes (today and next week) and then moves to the battlefield we are called to enter in this life. Satan fights hard to prevent us from being convinced of our adoption in our bones, because he knows the power of a child of God fully released for the kingdom.

----- IDENTITY IN THE BATTLE BIBLE STUDY ------

You have the option to go beyond listening to this series, and to participate actively. It is completely free, a resource by Gospel Spice Ministries. Go to gospelspice.com/identity to register for a self-paced Bible study. You will receive a downloadable, printable workbook containing listening guide for each of the 6 episodes in this series, space for note taking, and discussion questions if you want to do this study with a friend! What better way to enjoy a cup of coffee with a friend this season, than to discuss your identity in the battle together? So, grab a friend or family member, or someone to mentor or be mentored by, and register together. 

Special bonus! When you register, you will be added to an exclusive live Zoom call with Stephanie and the Gospel Spice Ministries team to discuss the episodes and ask YOUR questions! There will be 2 live calls over the course of this series (August 2021 only, upon initial release of the episodes).

 

Notes:

The first chapter of the letter to the Ephesians spells out our identity in Christ:

o   From all eternity – He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (1:3)

o   chosen and predestined for adoption into His family: In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will" (1:4-5).

o   Redeemed: “redeemed through His blood” (1:7), and 

o   Sealed w Presence of HS: “sealed by the Holy Spirit” (1:13).

o   Saved by grace alone, not works: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast'' (2:8-9).

 

 

Every week, Stephanie shares truth from Scripture and invites you to dig deeper in your faith to delight in the glory of God.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially

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

 

------------ 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.

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! For the price of a cup of coffee, PAY IT FORWARD with $5 or $10 to make a huge difference! Contact us to pay it forward by Credit Card, or donate via PayPal.

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 operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking. We do not take a salary, but only seek to cover our operating costs.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially

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

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!

BONUS Episode 97 - Stephanie welcomes Michelle Rayburn today. Michelle is a self-described former legalist Pharisaic believer, and she is well on her way to recovery through sheer grace. The very fact that she can talk about it shows the depth of the transformation that the Holy Spirit has woven within her.

Michelle grew up in the church, and discovered that her legalistic spirit was keeping her from the very One she was pursuing. With admirable vulnerability, she describes the years of daring to step out of the comfort zone of her little church world bubble.  She says she became “too Christian for her pagan friends, and too pagan for her Christian friends” and that is a good thing! The challenge of replacing the bitter spice of legalism with the sweet spice of freedom is a process that she shares with us today.

God has called Michelle to love those who are radically different from her—even the ones who are now the very way she used to be! How does God mentor her to love the unlovable – the very ones who remind her so much of who she once was? The secret? To aim to be the same person in the secret place of our thoughts, as we are in the public sphere of our behaviors and words.

As we go to practical ways to identify the seeds of a legalistic heart. Michelle gives us many red flags that are easy to spot… but harder to let go! We go to pride as the underlying issue beneath all sin, and how we are all guilty! How can we make room for the Lord to change our heart?

Go to https://michellerayburn.com/ for more!

If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season:

The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/

The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/

The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/

The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

 

 

If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward

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

Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. 

Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!

Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.

MORE ABOUT MICHELLE RAYBURN

Michelle Rayburn is a freelance writer and podcaster who appreciates how life’s difficulties can turn out to be opportunities learn and grow. She loves dark chocolate, iced coffee, and a breezy afternoon in the hammock with a good book. She’s the author of several Christian living books, including The Repurposed and Upcycled Life: When God Turns Trash to Treasure and Classic Marriage: Staying in Love as Your Odometer Climbs. She has also published articles and Bible studies in places such as Focus on the Family, Christian Communicator, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Today’s Christian Living, and ChristianBibleStudies.com.

Michelle has her MA in ministry leadership with a counseling emphasis. She has been married to her husband, Phil, for 30 years and they have successfully launched two sons into adulthood. With all that testosterone around, she has mastered the art of lighthearted sarcasm and dad jokes as a second language. But she’s delighted to have reinforcements on team estrogen with two daughters-in-love and a sweet little granddaughter!

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 94 - Stephanie welcomes friend Megan B. Brown to discuss the intricacies of full surrender and complete commitment to the Lord amidst a whirlwind of difficult life circumstances.

Today, discover the story of someone who challenges others to dare to step up as she has been challenged to step up. We discuss the challenges of a military career, as Megan's husband is currently actively deployed overseas. Megan is a missionary to American military communities around the globe. We discuss what an active missional lifestyle looks like on a daily basis--in our neighborhoods and communities. as Megan says, "lives are most certainly changed on sofas." We need to embrace the local church model of home meetings to develop a sturdy foundation of trust with the Lord and with each other. What do successful local, God-centered communities look like?

We also discuss what it looks like to submit our gifts to the local church, and how to step fully into what the Lord has ordained for and through each one of us. 

What does it look like to "do it afraid"? What truths from the Lord will help us surrender to Him?

GOSPEL SPICE GIVEAWAY!!

Megan is giving away 5 copies of her new book, Summoned. Go to gospelspice.com/giveaway for a chance to win!

If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season, as a way to get ready for Episode 100 and our brand new "Identity in the Battle" series, starting on Episode 101!

Some listeners' favorites:

The Gospel of Matthew:https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/

The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/

The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/

The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/

 

MEET MEGAN B. BROWN.

Megan B. Brown is a new and upcoming author, a Christian speaker, and a military missionary. She is passionate about equipping the United States military community to carry the redemptive story of Jesus to the four corners through radical hospitality, sound biblical teaching, and community discipleship.

Megan is the author of Summoned: Answering a Call to the Impossible, releasing in May 2021 by Moody Publishers and the Managing Editor for Brave Women, Strong Faith- an anthology collection of stories written by military women and wives. In Summoned, you’ll enter the story of Esther—her calling, pain, and role in God’s plan for salvation—and see how God is always working in the lives of His people, even when He seems distant. Through this 8-week study, you’ll develop a deeper appreciation for God’s Word and begin to see that stepping out in faith for His glory is often the first step to encountering His redeeming love.

Megan says, "I wrote a book a book about a phenomenal woman, but really, I wrote a book about a phenomenal God."

While Megan loves writing- books, blogs, and articles- Megan also enjoys traveling around the country speaking at ministry events, retreats, conferences, and churches.

You will find Megan here:

https://www.facebook.com/megan.b.brown.96

https://www.instagram.com/megbrownwrites/

https://www.meganbbrown.com/

 

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 91 - Stephanie welcomes former NFL running back Matt Forté and his amazing entrepreneur wife Danielle to discuss their faith, their marriage and parenting, the importance of truth in our search for deeper intimacy with God, and much more! In this candid and genuine conversation, Matt and Danielle share the secret of their successful marriage, and their endless pursuit of more of God in every aspect of their lives. They take us back to their own childhood and coming to faith, and how they aim to role-model authentic faith, grounded in truth, to their own children. Matt shares the spiritual discoveries he made while on the football field, the depth of his commitment to fatherhood in his family, his community and beyond, and how his faith came full circle when they visited slums in India.

They share how parenting has increased their respect and love for one another. Matt shares that one of the most important aspects of fatherhood is to build a strong relationship with your children’s mother when possible, since we are airing this special interview on Father's Day week.

And then, right as we were recording this interview from the Fortés’ home in Chicago, their 5-year old son walked in to give them a hug before naptime. It was a perfect illustration of everything we had been discussing, so it made the cut and you are invited to share in that special, unrehearsed moment of family love!

Finally Matt and Danielle share about their current calling into ministry, and how Jesus-centered humility stemmed from temporary glory. They are now global ambassadors for Biblica. Find out more at biblica.com and whatsyourfortefoundation.org

If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Click to check out the first episode of each season:

The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/

The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/

The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/

The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/

https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward

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

Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. 

Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!

Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.

---- GET TO KNOW MATT AND DANIELLE ----

Dubbed an "Uphill Runner" for his uncompromising drive, and Top 50 NFL player in 2015, Matt Forté exemplifies fortitude in every sense. His ability to overcome obstacles, including the impact Hurricane Katrina had on the area in which he was raised and went to college, down to his training, has proven that his fighting spirit prevails despite whatever the obstacle.

Since 2013 Matt has been working with the youth to instill those same values and principles. Matt was raised in Slidell, Louisiana and graduated Tulane University with a degree in finance. While attending Tulane, Matt rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his senior year and was on the Heisman Candidate Watch List. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears where he would play for 8 years. In 2016, as an unrestricted free agent, he was signed to the New York Jets. He is a two time ProBowler and is married to Danielle Forte.

Versatile, efficient and passionate, three words that describe Danielle Forte’s “get-the-job-done” mentality.   Danielle, wife of Matt Forte and mother to their two children, is also the Creative Director and Founder of their family-focused fashion house geared towards women and kids, 828 Brands. In addition to running 828 Brands and the Forte household, she also heads up initiatives for The What’s Your Forte? Foundation as the Foundation’s co-founder. Danielle believes that lending the proverbial hand to someone in need is the first step of the journey ahead..

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 85 - Stephanie takes us on a stroll through Proverbs to uncover the meaning, reach, and dangers of pride. Proverbs, alongside all of Scripture, teach "grace to the humble, but justice to the proud." Is that good news? Is justice what we seek? Or, do we desperately need grace?

We focus on pride. What is it? How does it manifest itself? How can we avoid it? Good pride, bad pride... how do we know the difference? This episode challenges us to see that anything short of begging for grace is sheer folly. So, what does it mean? 

The previous episode in our current series on Proverbs (episode 84) focused on the topic of fear. Stephanie explains that fear is rooted in a deflated view of God, but that pride is always rooted in an inflated view of Self. Oswald Chambers said, "pride is the deification of self." So, we travel down time lane and look at two of the most infamous examples of pride: first Satan; then, Adam and Eve. And then a more recent one: ourselves. 

Stephanie introduces us to two French words that both mean "pride" in English... with a level of nuance that will help you understand how to differentiate "good" pride and "bad" pride. Consequently, we look at human glory as always stemming from spiritual pride. 

We discover that we have a choice: will we embrace a life of pride, or one of humility? Of justice, or of grace? Of Self, or of Christ? The choice is ours. The consequences of our choice are not. Ultimately, our choice is informed by our view of Christ. Who is He to us, truly? Not as we would perfectly recite in Sunday Class, but as He is in the middle of the night, when the walls are closing in and there seems to be nothing but darkness. Who then is Christ truly to us? This, will define our choice to trust Him, or to reject Him in our actions--if not out words.

The choice is ours. Its consequences are not.

Finally, we end with the proper place of pride in the life of the sold-out believer. Again, it is rooted in who we believe God is, and who we believe we are in His eyes. We turn to Jesus as our role-model: how did He embrace pride and humility? What does it tell us of His heart for us? What does it tell us of His trustworthiness? Stephanie calls us to boldly enter the Throne Room, on our knees.

 

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward

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

Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. 

Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!

Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.

 

--------- GOSPEL SPICE GIVEAWAY ---------

The latest Gospel Spice Giveaway is about to open! Starting May 10, enter at gospelspice.com/giveaway for a chance to win the book that Jennifer Rothschild will come to tell us about NEXT WEEK, Episode 86.  Make sure to take a listen, starting May 10, 2021!

New giveaways open on Gospel Spice all the time. Don't miss the next one if you happen to listen to this episode after the giveaway closes.

--------- CELEBRATING THE ASCENSION AND PENTECOST ---------

This year, Gospel Spice is not publishing episodes dedicated to the celebration of the Acension and Pentecost. These are crucial, momentous events in the life of Christ, and of the church. Please go to https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/gospel-spice/series/experience-the-ascension-and-pentecost/ to listen to all our content on this pricelesss topic! You will also find several other topic-themed inspiring series at the bottom of the page: gospel-spice.com

--------- NEW SUMMER SERIES STARTING JULY 19 2021 ---------

Stephanie mentioned our new Gospel Spice series, Identity in the battle, starting July 19, 2021. We offer a brand new option to go deeper into our series together. It is completely free, and registration will open on JUNE 1, 2021 at gospelspice.com/identity. It is only available over the Summer 2021, so if you catch this episode after we've closed our Summer 2021 series, stay tuned for MORE options! Check gospelspice.com for the latest updates.

This season of the Gospel Spice Podcast is powered by Biblica! We are grateful for this partnership.

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!