“What do you want?” Jesus asks this powerful question on several occasions. What do YOU want? If Jesus asked you this, how would you answer? How would you feel? In the Greek and Hebrew, to “want” is a multifaceted word that speaks to the heart, the mind and the body. In Psalm 23 when we read, The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” it means I am made whole, complete, so that I have no more need or unmet longing. It is the state of heaven – and, occasionally, heaven on earth. “What do you want?” Jesus asks. Stephanie takes us deep in Scripture through three powerful Greek words today. God is inviting you to capture your imagination, heart, soul and spirit through a deeper longing for Him. It is an intellectual search, a deep desire for Him, and also a need of our body. We will connect the dots and find that Jesus gives us the blueprint to answer this question the way the Father would invite us to. Let’s embrace Jesus’ invitation to ask, seek and knock – only to receive, find and have the door be opened. It is the same trio of Greek words, and it will inspire us to answer His question in the way that will bring us delight, for His glory. Support us!

Stephanie is joined by Sheila Wray Gregoire to discuss how to raise girls to resist toxic Christian teachings about sex, self, and speaking up. This conversation aims to serve parents of girls (and boys too!) from pre-teen years all to way to young adulthood. Sheila and Stephanie have an hour-long conversation of which today’s episode is the second part (episode 206 was the first half, accessible here:  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/237258/link/ or on your favorite listening platform) Parents want their daughters to thrive--to be strong, confident, and equipped to step into the life God has for them. Sheila asks, “What if the church is setting our daughters up to be small? What if the most common teachings girls hear in youth group make them more likely to marry an abuser? Less likely to understand consent? And more likely to blame themselves if they are assaulted?” Armed with data from an all-new survey of more than 7,000 women, the authors of The Great Sex Rescue, Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, and Joanna Sawatsky, reveal how experiences in church as teens affect women's self-esteem and relationships today in their new book “She Deserves Better.” They expose common evangelical teachings that can backfire: the purity emphasis that can cause shame rather than good choices, the dating rules that can prime girls for abuse, and the one overarching belief that can keep them from setting healthy boundaries. This book tackles tough topics like: -          The dating rule that works best—except when it doesn’t (and why we need nuance) -          How we can talk about clothing choices without causing body image issues or blaming girls for boys’ thoughts -          How to talk about saving sex without idolizing virginity or creating sexual anxiety -          How we can protect our daughters from a church hurt that could send them fleeing the faith And so much more. "Sheila, Rebecca, and Joanna are an all-star team, confronting the harm done to our daughters in both the church and the world,” said Aimee Byrd, author of The Sexual Reformation. “The title says it all. Full stop. Our daughters deserve better! This book is full of thorough research, refreshingly commonsense biblical wisdom, and practical help on how to talk with our daughters and prepare them for confidence and maturity." MEET SHEILA WRAY GREGOIRE Sheila Wray Gregoire is the face behind BareMarrige.com, the largest single-blogger marriage blog. She's also an award-winning author of nine books, including The Great Sex Rescue, and a sought-after speaker. With her humorous, no-nonsense approach, Sheila is passionate about changing the evangelical conversation about sex and marriage to line up with kingdom principles. She lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband. They have two adult daughters and two grandbabies. Support us!

Stephanie is joined by Sheila Wray Gregoire to discuss how to raise girls to resist toxic Christian teachings about sex, self, and speaking up. This conversation aims to serve parents of girls (and boys too!) from pre-teen years all to way to young adulthood. Parents want their daughters to thrive--to be strong, confident, and equipped to step into the life God has for them. Sheila asks, “What if the church is setting our daughters up to be small? What if the most common teachings girls hear in youth group make them more likely to marry an abuser? Less likely to understand consent? And more likely to blame themselves if they are assaulted?” Sheila and Stephanie have an hour-long conversation of which today’s episode is the first part (episode 207 will be the sequel, and will publish a few days later). Armed with data from an all-new survey of more than 7,000 women, the authors of The Great Sex Rescue, Sheila Wray Gregoire, Rebecca Gregoire Lindenbach, and Joanna Sawatsky, reveal how experiences in church as teens affect women's self-esteem and relationships today in their new book “She Deserves Better.” They expose common evangelical teachings that can backfire: the purity emphasis that can cause shame rather than good choices, the dating rules that can prime girls for abuse, and the one overarching belief that can keep them from setting healthy boundaries. This book tackles tough topics like: -          The dating rule that works best—except when it doesn’t (and why we need nuance) -          How we can talk about clothing choices without causing body image issues or blaming girls for boys’ thoughts -          How to talk about saving sex without idolizing virginity or creating sexual anxiety -          How we can protect our daughters from a church hurt that could send them fleeing the faith And so much more. "Sheila, Rebecca, and Joanna are an all-star team, confronting the harm done to our daughters in both the church and the world,” said Aimee Byrd, author of The Sexual Reformation. “The title says it all. Full stop. Our daughters deserve better! This book is full of thorough research, refreshingly commonsense biblical wisdom, and practical help on how to talk with our daughters and prepare them for confidence and maturity." MEET SHEILA WRAY GREGOIRE Sheila Wray Gregoire is the face behind BareMarrige.com, the largest single-blogger marriage blog. She's also an award-winning author of nine books, including The Great Sex Rescue, and a sought-after speaker. With her humorous, no-nonsense approach, Sheila is passionate about changing the evangelical conversation about sex and marriage to line up with kingdom principles. She lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband. They have two adult daughters and two grandbabies. Support us!

Stephanie invites you to ponder questions Jesus asks, and some statements that believers made throughout Scripture, that are really prayers in disguise, and an invitation for us to ponder the deeper things of the spirit and to invite Him to shape us into who He created us to become. Now you know that Stephanie loves to find unexpected connections in Scripture, so that we may experience afresh what might otherwise be stale and feel like microwaved leftovers, spiritually speaking. So today, let's sprinkle our time in Scripture with a dash of spice - Gospel Spice 🙂  In our previous episode we pondered the depth of Jesus' question to the invalid at Bethesda: "Would you like to get well?" Stephanie invites us to connect this question to another very familiar passage -- when Jesus calls Simon Peter to become a fisher of man, on the heels of the miracle of the fish catch on the seashore of Galilee. Simon says, "I am a sinner. Get away from me, Lord." Let's dive deep. This series is an invitation to immerse yourself in the various ways God communicates to us, and us to Him. So pay attention, He is here and willing to whisper in your ear. A word of caution: don’t come to Scripture with the agenda of finding yourself there. Right now we are going to take Scripture in. Like breathing, like eating, like smelling a flower. Don’t come to Scripture with the agenda of finding yourself there. Come with the firm intention of discovering God instead. And then Scripture will never disappoint. God promises to be found in the places where He dwells – His Word especially. And in the process, you will undoubtedly find yourself as you find Him. So as we enter the hallowed pages of Scripture together, through a humble doorway and a very simple story, ask yourself: what is this telling me about Jesus? 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. (*ListenNotes ranking, 2023) 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 Support us!

Stephanie invites you to ponder questions Jesus asks, and some statements that believers made throughout Scripture, that are really prayers in disguise, and an invitation for us to ponder the deeper things of the spirit and to invite Him to shape us into who He created us to become. Today we welcome Jesus' question to the invalid at the pool of Bethesda: Would you like to get well? A simple question, begging for a seemingly obvious answer. But let's go deeper. And let's see how we would answer this question for ourselves today. This is about physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological healing. This is about restoring intimacy with the One who made us body, soul and spirit. It is, ultimately, an invitation to worship and trust. How will you answer? This series is an invitation to immerse yourself in the various ways God communicates to us, and us to Him. So pay attention, He is here and willing to whisper in your ear. A word of caution: don’t come to Scripture with the agenda of finding yourself there. Right now we are going to take Scripture in. Like breathing, like eating, like smelling a flower. Don’t come to Scripture with the agenda of finding yourself there. Come with the firm intention of discovering God instead. And then Scripture will never disappoint. God promises to be found in the places where He dwells – His Word especially. And in the process, you will undoubtedly find yourself as you find Him. So as we enter the hallowed pages of Scripture together, through a humble doorway and a very simple story, ask yourself: what is this telling me about Jesus? 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. (*ListenNotes ranking, 2023) 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 Support us!

Stephanie takes us to that very first effusion of the Holy Spirit on the believers gathered in obedience to Jesus' command to wait for the Spirit to come upon them.  Have you ever wondered who the Holy Spirit is, especially in relation to God the Father and Christ the Son? How about who He is in relation to us? We are told that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit at salvation. What does it mean, and what does it entail? We're looking at the nature and goal of a seal in the ancient world--and it takes you much deeper than a dusty history lesson! It's the most glorious of promises, and frankly, one of the most misunderstood ones. So today, peel the veil back and dive deep into the glory of the Holy Spirit. You may leave wet from head to toe--drenched in the guarantee of your inheritance, until you take full possession of it! Have you ever pondered that Pentecost is what makes us superior to the angels? Take a listen today! ANNOUNCEMENT | We are switching to 2 episodes a week this season! Love it? Hate it? Please let us know by filling out this one-question survey. YOUR OPINION MATTERS! thank you!   Stephanie mentions one of her favorite books, Chosen but free by Norman Geisler. At the date of the release of this episode, the paperback is listed for less than $10 on Amazon... you owe it to yourself to get it! Other resources are listed here: https://www.gospelspice.com/resources  THERE ARE THREE 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…) 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!   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! We want the money to go to those who really need it. No one at Gospel Spice is taking a salary. We are all donating our time. For example, a Podcast episode takes at least 10 hours of work each week. A complete Bible Study requires 500 man-hours. A Bible reading plan takes 100 man-hours. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. 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! 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 Support us!

God the Father could simply not wait to welcome Jesus back in Heaven after Easter. So much so, that He told us about the welcome party hundreds of years before it happened! It is a foretaste of the party that awaits YOU when you enter heaven. This is the sure hope that is the foundation of our faith.  In our current uncertain times, we can rest assured that if we are in Christ, we will have quite the welcome party in Heaven. Did someone you know and love recently reach the pearly gates? That is their reality today too! We look at the richness of the symbolism of the Ascension, but only because it is the precursor to one of the greatest celebrations for the believers: the gift of the Holy Spirit, the full indwelling of God Himself in the believers, given at Pentecost. We will delve deep into Pentecost in our next episode, but this is a glimpse into glory today! ANNOUNCEMENT | We are switching to 2 episodes a week this season! Love it? Hate it? Please let us know by filling out this one-question survey. YOUR OPINION MATTERS! thank you! BECOME A GOSPELSPICE MEMBER TODAY! Have you noticed our brand new website? It offers FREE MEMBERSHIP that gives you access to ALL -- we do mean ALL -- the GospelSpice content we have created for you since our inception in 2019! FULL studies, including - our most in-depth, CENTERING ON CHRIST: THE TABERNACLE - our most popular to date, IDENTITY IN THE BATTLE - daily wisdom through PROVERBS - and more! Membership gives you access to all sorts of members-only bonus content, such as workbooks, listening guides, questions to go deeper in your GospelSpice experience, quiet time and group study, as well as Bible references and more. We are also committed to keep on adding new content, so there will always be fresh spices here to experience the fullness of life with Christ! Signup for free at gospelspice.com to become a member for FREE and enjoy all these resources. 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. (*ListenNotes ranking, 2023) Support us!

Christie Purifoy is Stephanie’s near-neighbor and dear, dear friend. They invite you in the conversation to deepen our relationship with God through simple ways to add beauty to your home through flowers, year round.  What does gardening teach us about intimacy with Him? How do flowers invite us to trust Him through the seasons of life – the seasons of abundance, or growth, but also of winter, wilderness, and waiting? Through enchanting prose and delightful activities, avid writer, gardener and place-maker Christie Purifoy invites you to capture the curious magic of the garden and bring its life and joy into your home this season.  A flower garden is a place where endless possibilities are contemplated (and celebrated), where reason bows to beauty, and practicality gives way to whimsy. It’s where we sink our roots deep, lean into the rhythms of each season, and wish for beautiful things to grow. Stephanie has been labelled a “black thumb” as a child – meaning, she is more apt to kill a plant, than to give it the environment to thrive! Can she cultivate a home in bloom? Christie brings hope to this helpless flower-killer who constantly seeks beauty in all areas of her life. Christie and Stephanie had initially met a few weeks before they recorded Christie’s first guest appearance on Gospel Spice, back in 2022. And now they are together again to discuss Christie’s latest book, A home in bloom, and its deep ramifications in our spiritual lives and our relationships with one another. MORE ABOUT A HOME IN BLOOM A HOME IN BLOOM is the second book in the trilogy that started with GARDEN MAKER. They go so well together, both visually and thematically, that it would be a shame not to own both of them! They make the perfect Mother’s day gift, among many other gift occasions. This fully photographed guide shows you how to enjoy the many gifts the garden offers inside your own home, transforming your living spaces into places filled with warmth and wonder. Each season, Christie shares her notes on what to plant and walks you through easy projects that will surely become lifelong practices that help you bring the outdoors in. Learn how to grow your house into a home in bloom. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Home-Bloom-Enchanted-Seasons-Flowers/dp/0736982167 A Home in Bloom is now available online and in local stores everywhere! MORE ABOUT CHRISTIE PURIFOY Christie is a writer and avid gardener. She earned a PhD in English Literature from the University of Chicago and has taught literature and composition at the undergraduate level. Her books include Garden Maker: Growing a Life of Beauty and Wonder with Flowers, Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons, and Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace. She explores her love of gardening and all things beautiful at her Victorian farmhouse in southeastern Pennsylvania. Meet Christie at https://www.christiepurifoy.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. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: God's glory, our delight |  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us!

God has been truly faithful to each one of us in this communal Gospel Spice journey. You, our beloved listener, is the reason why we started, the reason why we keep doing this week after week. Walking alongside you in your journey of faith, finding God at work in the every day and in the grand moments, and praising Him. Seeking Him and finding Him, delighting in Him and beholding His glory - that is the essence of life. It is meant to be a life lived in community - you and me, you and us, together. So, with humble gratitude, a heartfelt thank-you to you who are reading these lines and listening to (or watching) this episode.  The best celebrations in life take place when we are surrounded with family and loved ones. So, today we are celebrating God's enduring faithfulness over 200 episodes by digging behind the scenes and spending quality time with Him through three very special women who have profoundly shaped Gospel Spice - each one in her own God-given way. Linda invites us to embrace the love that comes from God. Angel challenges us to stay on mission for the Kingdom. Lindsay reminds us to trust God for deeper things.  Linda, Angel and Lindsay have done more to serve you, than you might know! So today Stephanie spends time with them and invites you to pull up a chair, put the kettle on for some tea or coffee, or maybe take us on a walk or on the road today with you. Scoot in, there is a place for you right here with us. We pray these conversations uplift you and encourage you to keep delighting in the glory of God today, tomorrow and every day!   THERE ARE THREE 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…) 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!   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! We want the money to go to those who really need it. No one at Gospel Spice is taking a salary. We are all donating our time. For example, a Podcast episode takes at least 10 hours of work each week. A complete Bible Study requires 500 man-hours. A Bible reading plan takes 100 man-hours. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. 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! 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 Support us!

Stephanie is delighted to welcome Richard Foster, the author of one of the most influential books in her life, Celebration of Discipline. Today, Richard, with Brenda Quinn, talk about the power of learning humility. He tells Stephanie, “The practice of humility has made me playful and free.” In our culture of raging narcissism, Richard calls humility the "vanishing virtue." He says that practicing humility has been "playful, freeing, fun, and freedom from [his] need to feel important." How wonderful! When Stephanie asks about how to learn humility, Richard answers, “We learn humility by taking up other tasks, like serving others.” Richard explains that humility is a secret gift that keeps on giving. He says, “one of the things we need to learn is to embrace and enjoy anonymity.” Richard encourages us to develop a passion for culture, encouraging each one if us to keep on living at the intersection of culture and Scripture here at Gospel Spice. He says, “look for the finger of God at work through every culture.” He adds, “in every culture there are things that are consonant with Scripture, and some that are dissonant. Our task is to discern among them.” In a society where raging narcissism dominates the moral landscape, the virtue of humility is often dismissed as irrelevant. Not only is humility vanishing from contemporary culture, but we are also witnessing how destructive a lack of humility has become among our churches and ministry leaders. And yet, Richard Foster, the founder of Renovare, insists that humility is central to the journey toward character formation and spiritual transformation. For this reason he decided to spend a year studying the virtue of humility. Using the Lakota calendar as a framework, Foster provides us with a look into the insights he gathered from sources ranging from Native American culture to Julian of Norwich to Scripture to personal friends. By engaging with both the spiritual classics and Foster's own experiences, Learning Humility provides profound insight into what humility can look like in our current cultural climate. Join Richard Foster on Gospel Spice today, and embrace the journey toward a life of humility, which he says leads us into "freedom, joy, and holy hilarity." MEET RICHARD FOSTER Richard Foster is founder, past pres­i­dent and cur­rent team mem­ber of Ren­o­varé. Hav­ing stud­ied at George Fox and Fuller The­o­log­i­cal Sem­i­nary, Fos­ter has served as a pas­tor and taught world­wide on spir­i­tu­al for­ma­tion. Author of dozens of arti­cles and six books, includ­ing Cel­e­bra­tion of Dis­ci­pline, Richard con­tin­ues to write on the spir­i­tu­al life. He and his wife, Car­olynn, have two grown chil­dren, Joel and Nathan, nine grand­chil­dren, and live near Den­ver, Colorado. Discover more at https://renovare.org/ MEET BRENDA QUINN Brenda Quinn is a pastor of spiritual formation in the Foursquare church and a writer of many years. She is also the author of the character profiles in the Life with God Bible. Brenda Quinn, former staff editor for Serendipity House and editorial coordinator for MOPS International, Inc., is cowriter of study guides for both "The Jesus I Never Knew" and "What’s So Amazing About Grace?" She coauthored the devotional "Meet the Bible" with Philip Yancey. Brenda lives with her husband and son in Colorado. We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: God's glory, our delight |  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us!

Stephanie welcomes fellow Gospel Spice team member Ros Evans for an in-depth conversation about taking Easter throughout the whole year. Easter is the most significant event of the Christian calendar--indeed of the world! How do we carry the meaning of Easter into all the other seasons of life? Why do we need the transformational power of Easter for 365 days a year, not just in March or April each year? How can we keep Easter fresh and new, and prevent the old stale flavors of Easters past to creep up in our passion for Christ? Ros has become an "everyday theologian," someone who is passionate to discover who God is and to enter ever more into deeper relationship with Him. But she was not always so. She shares her story of faith, from liturgical South African roots to vibrant American faith. She inspires us to never stop learning and growing, and role-models humble teachability. She explains how she used to think her faith was whole and full, only to discover there is so much more to fullness of life with Christ than she had ever dreamed to imagine. She chose to embrace the fullness of relationship with God over the last six years of her life, after a lifetime of real but lukewarm faith. She tells us how God met her, and how He is still today transforming her, by the power of His Spirit, into the person He created her to become. Ros invites us all to embrace our inner theologian and to dare to become more than we can imagine. In the course of the conversation, Stephanie shares a couple of illustrations to help us understand what it means to have the fullness of the infinite Spirit of Christ in us. Join us today! We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: 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 Support us!

Welcome to our final and deepest Easter episode. Today, we are going deep! This episode is released on Good Friday and so its theme bridges history from Eden to Easter. You can also view the video of this episode on YOuTube at https://youtu.be/AN0Vkhnms_Q  You know the story. God created the world and everything in it. Including a man, for whom God created a beautiful garden. The man was to tend the garden and enjoy its luscious produce, amidst unbroken fellowship with God and with all the animals. But something was missing… This is not a story primarily about genders or human relationships. This is the Easter story. It is the origins story of our identity, and it is completely wrapped up in the identity of our King. You have heard it said that Jesus is the second Adam. It is straight from several passages of the New Testament. And when we see the birth and core identity of Adam and Eve, we behold Jesus’ death. God caused Jesus to die. God created a bride for the man – God created a bride for Jesus. We are Eve. We are the bride. We have been taken from the heart of the Son of God. And, when Adam is brought to sleep to birth Eve, this is God drawing a stick figure to announce to us what He has already decided in the heavenly places before time was. He is announcing what will take place in future time but has been decided before Genesis 1:1. We have been taken out of the beating heart of Christ, our eternal Adam. The decision was made before the foundation of time. The stick figures were drawn by the Father in the garden, with Adam and Eve as the actors playing for us the scene that would truly take place later. And later came on the cross. It is the Easter story. It means that our deepest identity is that we are Eve. We are the beating heart of Christ, the rib that was taken from Him through death. His beloved whom He calls bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.  There is nothing you can do to lose your identity in Christ, because you did nothing to earn it. It is the Easter story. All the Pauline passages about the roles of Adam and Eve suddenly shine with new depth when you consider this. Indeed, Christ is the head of the church, and that is symbolized in the way Adam was first and gave life to Eve. Christ preexisted the church – He preexisted humanity as a whole. Easter is the actual event to which this passage points. On the cross Jesus was put to sleep, so that the church could be born.  On the cross His side was pierced. That is where the bride came from. The church has one name that echoes through the centuries as its most compelling identity. We are the body of Christ and the bride of Christ. Just like Eve is, literally, the body of Adam and the bride of Adam. When Jesus sees you, He sees the bone of his bones and the flesh of His flesh. He sees His bride, his beloved. Just like Adam knew that Eve had come from him, yet was different. It took the death of the Son to birth the fullness of the new creation, the fullness of what it means to be Imago Dei. This indeed is the Easter story. 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. 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 Support us!

Nicky and Pippa Gumbel are among the most influential leaders of the church today, on a global scale. They have a unique vantage point on the state of the world, and the challenges facing our generation as believers. At the same time, they are humble and unassuming, so approachable and genuinely kind, that they would love to share a cup of tea with you if they met you. This rare balance is deeply attractive, and the fruit of a lifetime of dependence on the Holy Spirit. Stephanie and her husband Jonah have the deepest respect for them, and find themselves blessed to get to learn from them. When they lived in the UK with their pre-teen kids, they attended the church where the Gumbels were pastoring, Holy Trinity Brompton in South Kensington, London. One of the fastest growing churches in the UK, HTB is a multi-site church that the Gumbels only recently retired from. Stephanie welcomes them on the show today, and she is ready with a lot of questions! They talk about the state of the universal church of Christ today in the world, from their perspective –  including a word of encouragement for the new generation and the red flags they are noticing in the culture. They share where they think the power of influence is shifting, and how we can depend on Christ to guide us in the challenges ahead. Their passion for defining the line between Scripture and culture leads to some great advice on what it looks like for our generation. Nicky shares one thing he regrets, and Pippa shares about the power of revival and trusting God’s sovereignty through life. Having been married 45 years, Pippa and Nicky share wisdom and insights into the makings of a marriage that holds the distance to the glory of God. Their dependence on the Holy Spirit is palpable, and deeply attractive. They tell us about the Alpha Course, the global phenomenon that invites spiritual seekers to embrace faith through conversations and personal connections. If you do not know the Alpha Course, Stephanie warmly invites you to discover it and to try it out. In this Easter season, it is the perfect time to invite your seeking friends to attend. Join them for a life-changing experience of faith! Pippa and Nicky share with us how they are running their race with perseverance, through the hardships and the good times, and pray for us at the end of our time together. You WANT to receive this prayer for yourself, so make sure to tune in! DISCOVER THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR APP: https://bibleinoneyear.org/en/ The Bible in One Year is a daily Bible reading plan which takes you through the whole Bible in 365 days.  It is ideal for anyone who is looking for an easy and accessible way to read and understand the Bible. Each day includes passages from a Psalm or Proverb, the New Testament and the Old Testament along with a daily commentary from Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, leaders of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) Church in London and pioneers of Alpha. The Bible in One Year will encourage you to engage more closely with the Bible, to apply its teachings to everyday life and to grow in your relationship with Jesus. You can follow along by reading the text or listening to the audio commentary and you can choose the version that best suits your lifestyle; the Classic version (25 minutes), or a shorter Express or Youth version (both around 15 minutes). Over 4.5 million people from 160 countries have experienced Bible in One Year. Why not join them, find your own rhythm and draw closer to God. Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha and Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, which he leads with his wife Pippa. Together, they introduced the Bible in One Year commentary in 2009 as a daily email for their congregation. Since then, it has become a successful app, book, podcast and website with a global following. Join them today as they take you through every chapter and verse of the Bible, sharing their reflections and prayers along the way. Nicky says, “Join us as we read the Bible each day. It’s a practice that we have been doing for over 30 years and we hope it will benefit your life as much as it has ours.” DISCOVER THE ALPHA COURSE: https://alpha.org/ Alpha is a series of conversations about things we all question in life: Why do bad things happen to good people? What's the purpose of life? What's next? If you're looking for a judgment-free space to ask hard questions and share your own opinion, there's a place for you. Connection | Connecting with others is what we were made for. All sessions start with a time to connect and build friendships, eliminating awkwardness and creating space for important conversations. Content | Alpha’s content explores the big questions we all ask, and guests from any background can unpack the basics of Christian faith. Bring your questions, you’ll find you’re not alone. Conversation | Those who attend Alpha share that their small group discussions are hands-down the best part of the experience. No questions are off limits and there’s nothing you can’t say (really). DISCOVER THE MARRIAGE COURSE: https://themarriagecourse.org/try/the-marriage-course/ The Marriage Course is a series of seven sessions, designed to help couples invest in their relationship and build a strong marriage. Nicky and Sila Lee, authors of The Marriage Book, developed The Marriage Course for couples looking for practical support to strengthen their relationship. The course is designed to help couples build strong foundations, learn to communicate more effectively and resolve differences well. Courses are run in various locations, including churches, homes and cafés, all around the globe. Extra resources: CT article: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2022/july-web-only/nicky-gumbel-alpha-course-htb-church-retirement-sermon.html We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: God's glory, our delight |  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us!

Stephanie invites us to enter the last week of Jesus' earthly life. We will take a long, slow look at the events that precede the Cross and the Resurrection. On the menu here at Gospel Spice today, the first-century Jewish custom of betrothal! And, more specifically, how Jesus shouted loud and clear that He is the Bridegroom come the fetch His bride, the church... Matthew makes abundant use of non-spoken cultural clues to deliver this message clearly to his audience. But wait, we don't even really know what betrothal is anymore. And who knows what the ceremony entailed in first-century Israel? Well, you might actually know more than you think! It will remind you of many familiar passages taught by Jesus... who knew we knew so much!?! 🙂 Stephanie opens the first-century Jewish custom of betrothal to our 21st century western minds. We focus on the betrothal ceremony's elements--the proposal, the bride-price, and the drinking of the cup as covenantal agreement. We follow the bride-to-be as she took up to twelve months to prepare and adorn herself in every way--physical, and spiritual. We follow the groom-to-be in his various endeavors to prepare their future life together. And then, the big day finally came--the wedding celebration could start! Jesus drew one parallel after another to help us understand He is the Groom come for His bride, the church universal. Find out what 2,000 years of western history made us forget! This episode is a bonus episode to accompany Episode 195 which aired jsut previously. Make sure to listen! If you enjoyed this episode, you may appreciate Season 1 of Gospel Spice which aired in 2019 and 2020. Check out episodes 1 to 50! THERE ARE THREE 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…) 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!   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! We want the money to go to those who really need it. No one at Gospel Spice is taking a salary. We are all donating our time. For example, a Podcast episode takes at least 10 hours of work each week. A complete Bible Study requires 500 man-hours. A Bible reading plan takes 100 man-hours. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. 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! 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 Support us!

We invite you to consider Easter under a fresh light, a slightly different angle, maybe with a sprinkle of unexpected spices. Our goal today is to know Jesus more – because that is the essence of Easter. One of the best ways to experience Scripture afresh is to connect the Old and the New testaments, so today is about creating a sense of wonder and astonishment at the very event of Easter. We are entering the banquet that Joseph gave his brothers in Genesis 42-45 as the gateway to experience the Last Supper in the Upper Room – Jesus’ last meal with His disciples, and the instruction of the Communion. We will also study another key event that links the two and is linked to each of them, namely  PASSOVER – that will be instituted by God through Moses as they leave Egypt. You can also view the video of this lesson on YouTube at https://youtu.be/94zE3huzJiw  SUPER SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! WE WOULD LOVE TO FEATURE YOU ON GOSPEL SPICE! For our 200th episode, Stephanie will compile a handful of stories from our beloved listeners. How has the Lord met you recently, and has Gospel Spice played a role? Email us at contact@gospelspice.com today to apply! Deadline is March 25, 2023. Thank you! About our episode today... Joseph’s banquet represents the entry to Egypt, the escape from famine and death. It is a family reunion and a hopeful new start for the young Jewish nation that is summed up in the 70 family members. The last supper, taking place in the upper room on the night that Jesus was betrayed, the last night before he was killed, is a symbol of spiritual freedom. Just like Moses liberated the Jews from the physical oppression of the Egyptians, Jesus will liberate all who believe in Him from the spiritual oppression of sin and death. So Jesus is like Joseph in the sense that he provides escape from famine and death, and like Moses in the sense that he provides liberation from sin and death. The last supper is a mix of two primary events, and it is also where Jesus gives us the sacrament of communion, or the Lord’s supper. Every Jew would celebrate Passover on that night, ever since they entered the Promised Land 1500 years earlier. This particular last supper is the last Passover, really, because the true Lamb of God has finally come to do what the Passover has been pointing to all these years. So today we are connecting Joseph’s banquet to the last supper with occasional connections with Passover because Passover and last supper are intricately linked in places. We will look at the central role of Egypt, the freedom from slavery, the preparations being made around these two feasts, the guests who attend, the atmosphere around the events, the revelations made, the restoration of relationships, and the entry into a glorious future, and even the promise of hardships. We will ponder the role of cups and promises, access to Kingdoms, and the reversals of true intimacy. We will end with the glorious feast of the Lamb that awaits every one of us as followers of Christ. Happy Easter! BECOME A GOSPELSPICE MEMBER TODAY! Have you noticed our brand new website? It offers FREE MEMBERSHIP that gives you access to ALL -- we do mean ALL -- the GospelSpice content we have created for you since our inception in 2019! FULL studies, including - our most in-depth, CENTERING ON CHRIST: THE TABERNACLE - our most popular to date, IDENTITY IN THE BATTLE - daily wisdom through PROVERBS - and more! Membership gives you access to all sorts of members-only bonus content, such as workbooks, listening guides, questions to go deeper in your GospelSpice experience, quiet time and group study, as well as Bible references and more. We are also committed to keep on adding new content, so there will always be fresh spices here to experience the fullness of life with Christ! Signup for free at gospelspice.com to become a member for FREE and enjoy all these resources. Support us!

We wrap our series, Pathways to God’s Presence, with an invitation to practice heaven and the presence of God in our lives today. Stephanie beckons us to ponder the seasons and moments of our lives as cycles of growth towards deeper intimacy with God. She opens for us the joy and privileges of godly stewardship of our resources – time, talent and money – as so many opportunities to implement small, incremental God-ward changes in our daily rhythms. She asks, how do we spend our time? How do we invest our God-sourced resources? Do we truly aim to live each moment in awareness of God’s presence? He is the source of all things good and beautiful and perfect and joyful. Do we live in accordance with that truth? And, since none of us fully do, how can we make growth an abiding reality? You can watch this episode on video on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/MMPHvXFGAUo You are invited to enjoy a BONUS episode where Stephanie shares her favorite books as the resources she has used for this series. It is available on video only on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/W6G8rvgviSY - Enjoy! Stephanie invites us into the Lord’s prayer to taste fresh flavors of humility and practical tips on how to experience the presence of God. She invites us to make our lives a continual practice for heaven as the convergence of all that we have seen through our series—all the pathways to the Presence of God converge in the place of intimacy with Him through Jesus Christ our Lord and King. Finally, we take our place around the table of the Lord’s Supper, our final moments together in the series, to embrace our life as an other-centered witness for the glory of God. Stephanie says, “I hope our times together have help you find answers to become the person God has crafted you to become, the person you know you want to be when you meet Jesus on that glorious day at the end of the path, only to discover that the path will have only just begun and that, in the words of CS Lewis I already quoted in an earlier episode: “Now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.” BECOME A GOSPELSPICE MEMBER TODAY! Have you noticed our brand new website? It offers FREE MEMBERSHIP that gives you access to ALL -- we do mean ALL -- the GospelSpice content we have created for you since our inception in 2019! FULL studies, including - our most in-depth, CENTERING ON CHRIST: THE TABERNACLE - our most popular to date, IDENTITY IN THE BATTLE - daily wisdom through PROVERBS - and more! Membership gives you access to all sorts of members-only bonus content, such as workbooks, listening guides, questions to go deeper in your GospelSpice experience, quiet time and group study, as well as Bible references and more. We are also committed to keep on adding new content, so there will always be fresh spices here to experience the fullness of life with Christ! Signup for free at gospelspice.com to become a member for FREE and enjoy all these resources. 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 Did you know that there is a FREE listening guide available for each episode that Stephanie teaches? It allows you to take notes and highlight what speaks to you most. It is available to all GospelSpice members. Go to https://www.gospelspice.com/sign-up-to-be-a-member to signup today and access ALL the listening guides to ALL the GospelSpice series taught by Stephanie. Support us!

You are in for a super special treat today as Stephanie welcomes back her all-time favorite guest and friend, Os Guinness, to discuss his latest book, which you do not want to miss, and also to celebrate 50 years since the publication of his first book. The book they are discussing today is going to go down in history as one of the most influential books for our generation, Stephanie is absolutely sure of it. It is simple yet so powerful. You will read it quickly, yet you will find yourself pondering it for months. You will want to gift it to every spiritual seeker you know, as well as every serious believer, because it has something to tell each one of us about the meaning of life. Stephanie read right through it the first time and could not put it down. Then she went back and reread it slowly, savoring its stories and discovering deeper meaning. She is currently enjoying her third read through, and is even more inspired than before. Oh, please make sure to enjoy this absolute treat. Through the course of our conversation, Os gives us his take on what has been happening in Asbury, and what we need from there. Os calls us to pray for a true spiritual awakening and challenges our culture’s understanding of “legacy” and they discuss the meaning of a truly successful life. Os even reveals what he thinks is his favorite book among his many! You can watch the whole conversation on video at youtube.com/gospelspice - make sure to subscribe so you never miss another exciting Gospel Spice episode! SUPER SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! WE WOULD LOVE TO FEATURE YOU ON GOSPEL SPICE! For our 200th episode, Stephanie will compile a handful of stories from our beloved listeners. How has the Lord met you recently, and has Gospel Spice played a role? Email us at contact@gospelspice.com today to apply! Deadline is March 25, 2023. Thank you! EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR ALL GOSPEL SPICE LISTENERS! Go to IVPRESS.COM and enter the coupon code SPICE to receive 30% off all of Os’ books until March 24, 2023! WIN ALL OF OS GUINNESS’ BOOKS WITH IVPRESS THROUGH GOSPELSPICE at gospelspice.com/giveaway  Gospel Spice and IVPress are celebrating 50 years of Os’ books by giving away an entire LIBRARY of all of Os Guinness’ books published by IVPress, and a beautiful organic canvas Gospel Spice tote to carry them all! The tote features the Gospel Spice motto that Stephanie and Os discuss in the interview: “God’s glory, our delight.” Go to gospelspice.com/giveaway to enter for a chance to win the bundle. Giveaway is open until March 24, 2023. Winner will be picked among all the valid entries. Let us tell you a bit more…  This year, 2023, marks fifty years since Os Guinness published his first book back in 1973, “The Dust of Death.” It started what has become a prolific writing career for the well-known social critic. Today in our time with Os, we hope to introduce (or reintroduce) you to Os Guinness, and his profound contributions to discussions about freedom, culture, faith, and the quest for meaning and purpose. Stephanie and Os start by discussing Os’ latest book, a truly brilliant, magnificent little gem for all of us to be inspired by, and titled, Signals of Transcendence. The modern world is a place of great distraction, and it can be difficult to make sense of our human existence. But at some point in our lives, we may experience particular moments that prompt us to search for something deeper. Sociologist Peter Berger described these hints and clues as “signals of transcendence” that awaken us to unseen realities. In Signals of Transcendence: Listening to the Promptings of Life, Os Guinness tells stories of people who experienced signals of transcendence and followed them to find new meaning and purpose in life. Notable figures such as Leo Tolstoy and C. S. Lewis as well as lesser-known individuals experienced a variety of promptings that signaled to them that life could not continue as they had thought. Through unsatisfied longings or disillusionments or glimpses of beauty or joy, these moments drew people toward epiphanies of transformation. And the same can be true for us, should we have the courage to follow the signals wherever they may lead. BONUS! READ A SAMPLE OF SIGNALS OF TRANSCENDENCE “I’m at a point in my life where I realize that there has to be more to life. Something must be missing.” This remark, made to me by a business leader in Silicon Valley, expresses what countless people come to see in their own way and say in their own words. Previously, they were mostly contented in some season of life; some were wealthy, successful, and even highly celebrated in one field or another. But they reached a point where they knew in their heart of hearts that none of it quite satisfied as they hoped. Who am I? Why am I here? What is life all about? Life raises such questions to all of us at some point, and certain experiences break into our lives that spur us to question whether our answers are deep enough, prompting a search for what we sense is missing—an unnamable something more. Life itself is extraordinary, and somehow, we all want to know what it is to live a worthy life, one that fulfills the promise of life. Peter Berger, the eminent social scientist, described the experiences that trigger such longings as “signals of transcendence”— arresting and intriguing experiences that both capture our attention and call for further explanation. The thrust of these signals points to some meaning beyond themselves, and they won’t let us off the hook until we stir ourselves to find what it is. Such experiences puncture one’s satisfaction with the status quo and push one to search for something beyond. The signals stir in us a sense that there must be something more to life, but what is that often unnamable something? In stirring us, signals of transcendence are a prompting by life itself, as it were. They trigger both a contradiction and a desire, and call into question the past, the present, and the future. They challenge the present and the past by contradicting the temptation to settle down and be satisfied. They challenge the future by spurring a desire to search for the something that is missing, that toward which the experience is hinting. In so doing, the signals lay bare some aspect of our human existence that we have forgotten or suppressed, at least partially— including things lost and left behind. Such aspects of a fuller and more complete reality must be rediscovered if life is to be lived to the full. Equally, an understanding of those aspects has to be grounded solidly if it is to be truly fulfilling. Hence the quest for faith and meaning triggered by the signals—the quest for meaning that is adequate and faith that is true. Follow the signals and discover more of the reality of who we are and what the universe and life are about; then our lives will be better aligned and more able to be free and fulfilled. Freedom, after all, is simply the ability to be who we are, to think freely, to speak freely, and to act freely. But who in truth are we, why are we here, and what is life about? The signal is power packed with the thrust of such questions.” (Taken from the introduction to Signals of Transcendence) MEET OS GUINNESS OS GUINNESS (DPhil, Oxford) has had a lifelong passion to make sense of our extraordinary modern world and to stand between the worlds of scholarship and ordinary life, helping each to understand the other—particularly when advanced modern life touches on the profound issues of faith. As a frequent speaker and prominent social critic Guinness has addressed audiences worldwide, from the British House of Commons to the US Congress to the St. Petersburg Parliament. He is a senior fellow at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and was the founder of the Trinity Forum. Born in China to missionary parents, Guinness is the great-great-great-grandson of Arthur Guinness, the Dublin brewer. After witnessing the climax of the Chinese revolution in 1949, he was expelled with many other foreigners in 1951 and returned to England where he was educated and served as a freelance reporter with the BBC. Since coming to the United States in 1984, he has been a guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies and a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution. He was the lead drafter of the Williamsburg Charter, celebrating the First Amendment, and has also been senior fellow at the EastWest Institute in New York, where he drafted the Charter for Religious Freedom. He also coauthored the public-school curriculum Living with Our Deepest Differences. Guinness is the author or editor of more than thirty books, including The Call, Time for Truth, Unspeakable, The Magna Carta of Humanity, The Great Quest, Zero Hour America, and others. We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: God's glory, our delight |  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us!

Today is the episode where we tackle all sorts of countercultural concepts, like fasting, silence and solitude, and rest as a form of worship. So let’s get to it! First, Stephanie reminds us that fasting is expected – not mandated. She also says that fasting requires a biblical purpose – otherwise it’s just going hungry. Fasting is a fast-track to intimacy with God, for the primary reason that He has declared it so. He has wired us to be body, soul and spirit, and in some mysterious way when we go without food, it nourishes our spirit. So fasting has to be undertaken with a deeply-rooted purpose that has to be biblical, otherwise it doesn’t fall under God’s ordained blessing, and don’t expect anything from it except going hungry and being miserable. You can watch Stephanie give this lesson on video format on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/3qGg1gv7z2o  She says, "Fasting is an accelerator of spiritual growth." Stephanie shares that fasting is a joyful privilege. WE GET TO FAST and when we do, as Christians, we access the ear of God in ways that He said work mysteriously. If you want the ear of God attentively tuned to your words, then fast. He always listens and hears you, of course. But He also promises that He bends His ear in undivided attention when we fast. Why would we not enjoy this privilege? Stephanie gives us the details of fasting – what it is and what it is not; the purposes within it; and some tips and best practices for the proper focus and perspective. She says, “Fasting is super-charging God’s answers to our prayers, so fasting is also us inviting God to answer prayers as HE sees fit in even more powerful ways.” She also reminds us that “fasting is an acquired taste” and it will require practice and growth. Fasting is a way to discover easter eggs in God’s plan for you—extra, special blessings that He will reveal only to those who enter into this most intimate privilege. So the question is not, Should we fast? But the question becomes, When do we start? Throughout the rest of the episode, we cover Bible memorization, the disciplines of silence and solitude, and then focus on rest and sabbath. Rest is another countercultural concept, like fasting, silence and solitude. Stephanie focuses on the aspects of rest and the deep-seated freedom it brings. She brings up a few points: First, rest feels like it goes against our nature. Also, rest is countercultural. And finally, rest puts us face to face with our sin. Rest requires perseverance, and promises a plentiful yield of peace and harmony. Rest requires accountability, before God, before one another, as well as before our own souls and hearts. How intentional are we about setting time to rest, and just as importantly, entering true rest in experience? Stephanie says, “Rest is doing something you don’t normally do during the week, something you really enjoy, not to escape your life and empty your mind, but to live life to the fullest and fill your mind and heart with what brings you joy and pleasure.” Let’s then focus on Jesus, who was after all, the Lord of Rest, the Lord of the Sabbath. Rest is a mindset. Just like work is a mindset. The world would have us believe that we should always work. That is bondage and slavery. But rest in Christ is available every day – not just once a week, or whenever you choose to incorporate patterns of rest in your life. A good rule of thumb, like with silence and solitude, is to incorporate daily rest, weekly rest, seasonal rest, and annual rest. Weave rest into your rhythms. As you travel the pathway of rest deeper into God’s presence, you begin to acquire the perspective or worldview of heaven on rest. It is constantly available to the Christ-follower. Follow Christ on this pathway of rest because he is the Lord of the Sabbath. He knows the way. He will show you what it looks like for you specifically in your current season of life. We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: God's glory, our delight |  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Did you know that there is a FREE listening guide available for each episode that Stephanie teaches? It allows you to take notes and highlight what speaks to you most. It is available to all GospelSpice members. Go to https://www.gospelspice.com/sign-up-to-be-a-member to signup today and access ALL the listening guides to ALL the GospelSpice series taught by Stephanie. Support us!

Today we are tackling some big topics in our Pathways to God’s Presence series. Our focus is on what God calls us to do, and specifically how we are called to do it. We are not going to emphasize trying harder or striving deeper or hustling a bit longer. These are not pathways to the presence of God. These are the counterfeit ways of the world to trick you into exhaustion, dryness and uselessness and then defeat when we finally realize it was a dead end.We are free to choose – God’s way of patience, waiting, praying, trusting, or the world’s way of hustling. It is truly our choice. We have that much freedom and power.  And the truly wise will choose the pathways of God. Love and humility and surrender in joyful obedience are the hallmarks of the believer’s fullness of life.  Now, If love requires freewill then humility requires freewill too. Love is a choice, and in the same way humility is a choice. Jesus role-modeled both for us when He left heaven for earth. The last act of the will is surrender to God. Humility is surrender of our will to God. As you have probably heard us say before here on GSP, the voluntary loss of our freewill and our free choice to the will of God is our ultimate act of love and the proof of our growing humility. You can’t measure your growth in humility but you can measure your growth in genuinely other-centered love and it’s connected. Genuine Love is the visible manifestation of authentic humility. We know that Love is one of God’s most essential characteristics, which means God is the most humble Being. We are made in His image and are never happier than when we are behaving from the identity He created us to have. It follows that love and humility go hand in hand in our very being too. We are looking at Prayer in the form of intercession and supplication in this episode. We ponder the prayers of Paul and of Jesus as inspiration to pray for others and for ourselves. That is the power of Scripture at your fingertips to alter eternity and change the course of people’s lives for their good and the glory of God! We ponder Bible intake in the context of community. Finally, we look at service as an act of worship today. Humility and service go hand in hand, and the Apostle Paul role-models these in poignant ways. He is our example today.  You are invited to watch Stephanie teach this episode on video at  3f4e20b772a3e94063206838a847befd  Paul’s prayers have it all. They are intercession and supplication. They show deep intimacy with the Father and exhibit profound Christlikeness. They are rooted in Scripture and have become Scripture – this is Bible intake to the next level. Paul’s prayers are rooted in serving and loving the people he is praying for. Often, the deepest service we can give someone is to pray for them the words of Scripture over them. Paul’s prayers are true, Christ-focused worship of the highest order. This is fellowship. This is community. This is love. This is worship. Paul shows us that service – which in his case was pastoring the churches – that service that feels like sacrifice, because it is sacrifice, is worship. We don’t hear any overtones of bitterness from Paul. He is sacrificing a lot, and he is doing it gladly. We are called to grow IN grace. We are already fully walking the path of grace because we are IN Christ. So we are called to keep taking the next step on our journey in grace and towards deeper experience of grace. Not find another pathway into grace. You cannot walk into something you are already fully immersed in. That’s the thing. Many Christians seem to believe that we have to find this grace. That we have received salvation, but that it is now up to us to grow in sanctification. That we are to grow into the grace we have already received. That sounds exhausting. But that’s the thing about being IN Christ and growing IN grace. You are already in. But many of us forget. We let the toils of this life and the care of this world choke the seed of faith and belief that has been planted. We add works to grace. We know better than to call it that, and yet that is what we do. Stephanie says, “Again, no striving. All abiding. I promise you it is the most practical advice I could tell you. I cannot walk this path for you. I am trying to give you practical tips on where to plant your feet next, but at the end of the day you have to commit to trying. And you will find that the slow process of God transforming you looks a lot more like rest and sabbath than it does striving and hustling.” A good practice is to consider your Spiritual gifts for the sake of others. How can you put your spiritual gifts to work for others, with a goal to sincere love and humility? This is very practical, and it can be a real challenge when we are addicted to striving and performing. Here’s a challenge if you are accustomed to performing and achieving for others – how can you serve out of rest and out of a deep sense of abiding in Christ? Not to perform, not to check something off your life, not to impress anyone (God, others or yourself). But a generous, selfless act of service to another. It is simpler and harder than it sounds. Have you noticed how we tend to become like the people we spend most of our time with? There is the joke that pet owners start looking like their pets. And I have noticed that couples who have been married many decades have the same mannerisms and can finish each other’s sentences. In other words, spend enough time with Jesus and you will not be able to help becoming more and more like him. Christlikeness is the fruit of abiding with Him. So of course Paul tells us that the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace patience kindness, etc. – because when you abide in Christ, you end up increasingly growing in his likeness. You become the person God created you to be – literally created in his likeness. The secret is to KNOW that you are abiding. Scripture informs you of the reality of the promise of His abiding in you – and then it challenges you to realize that Jesus cannot abide in you without you abiding in Him! If he is living inside your house, then you are living with him! It is inevitable. It means you invite him in – and you invite him to transform you. You don’t do the transforming. You cannot strive to grow. Spend time with Jesus and it will just happen. You will grow to become like him. It is a slow process, and that is a good thing. The spiritual life as a lessening of the striving and a growing of the resting, abiding. Doing less. Accomplishing more. We end this episode with a focus on the role of suffering and pain. There comes a point in our spiritual path where we prefer to have Christ and a taste of his suffering, a splinter from his cross, a thorn in our flesh – rather than to lose him altogether. The splinter from the cross cleanses and purifies us more than any worldly delight ever could. It takes deep intimacy with Christ for his cross to rub against our flesh so closely, that a splinter lodges under our spiritual skin. Love God, love others, love yourself. Delight in obeying the only Will that will always result in your fruitfulness and utmost happiness. THERE ARE THREE 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…) 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!   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! We want the money to go to those who really need it. No one at Gospel Spice is taking a salary. We are all donating our time. For example, a Podcast episode takes at least 10 hours of work each week. A complete Bible Study requires 500 man-hours. A Bible reading plan takes 100 man-hours. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. 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! Did you know that there is a FREE listening guide available for each episode that Stephanie teaches? It allows you to take notes and highlight what speaks to you most. It is available to all GospelSpice members. Go to https://www.gospelspice.com/sign-up-to-be-a-member to signup today and access ALL the listening guides to ALL the GospelSpice series taught by Stephanie. Support us!

Do you often feel stuck battling the same fears, temptations, lies, and doubts, wondering if you’ll ever overcome them? Does it seem as if you’re in that battle alone? Stephanie welcomes Judy Dunagan to discuss Christ-centered solutions to these problems that plague most of us. How do we live in the victory that Christ has purchased for us? How does it become our reality TODAY? Judy has traversed many valleys of anxiety, burnout, relational conflicts, and more. She is well-equipped from the trenches to give us insights on how to walk the pathways to God’s presence that Jesus opened for us. In this conversation, Judy focuses on the nature and power of prayer, as well as the essential foundation of a high Christology. You are invited to experience Jesus as the mighty Lion of Judah today! Judy says, “Take heart. The enemy’s roar is but a whisper in the presence of our mighty God.” In The Loudest Roar, you’ll marvel at the power, majesty, and authority of our Lord Jesus and learn how to stand in the unshakable victory He’s already won for you. In that victory, you will: - Discern God’s voice over the lies of the enemy - Stand firm in faith rather than give way to fear - Dwell in the cover of God’s armor over you and your loved ones - Keep your thoughts captive to truth Find victory over cycles of sin in your life God’s roar over you will become your roar, diminishing the lies of the enemy . . . to a whisper. You are invited to watch Judy and Stephanie on video at  3f4e20b772a3e94063206838a847befd  MEET JUDY DUNAGAN JUDY DUNAGAN is an acquisitions editor for the women’s Bible studies and books at Moody Publishers. A wonder seeker of God and His Word, Judy is passionate about discipleship and making God’s Word and prayer come alive in everyday life. She is a speaker and Bible teacher and serves on the Board of Deeper Walk International, the ministry her father Mark I. Bubeck founded. Judy and her husband Rick live in Colorado. Connect with Judy at: www.JudyDunagan.com Endorsements for The Loudest Roar “The Loudest Roar is a much-needed book for today, filled with truth and wisdom. Judy writes with clarity, strength, and warmth, inviting the reader to take hold of everything that Christ has taken hold of for us. Reading it will empower you to understand your position of authority in Christ and how to live in the victory that Jesus has won for us. Read it. Underline it. Marinate in it. Take it to heart. Make it your own.” —Stasi Eldredge, New York Times bestselling author, Captivating “If you want to rise up and make a difference for yourself, those you love, and your community, read this book. To be victorious, which God wants for you, you must appropriate God’s strengths and weap[1]ons. I benefited from so many of Judy’s explanations, stories, and challenges, and you will, too. I need[1]ed her insights and refreshing, vulnerable, and accurate explanations of relevant Scripture. Passages came alive! And her prayers! They’ll mature me and give me hope. I’ll be reading them often. Truths here will allow you to become who you know you want to be—an equipped and powerful warrior in God’s army!” —Kathy Koch, founder of Celebrate Kids, Inc., and author of Five to Thrive, 8 Great Smarts, and other titles “If you long for courageous faith, authentic truth, righteous living, and a prayer life that faces fear and uncertainty head-on, look no further. In The Loudest Roar author Judy Dunagan teaches us to defeat the enemy and stand firm in the mighty strength of our powerful Lion of Judah! This book gave me tools to develop my ‘roar’ in the face of disappointment, discouragement, temptation, and unfulfilled expectations. Read this treasure on your own, or better yet, with a group of friends who will explore the ‘Going Deeper’ section together. The prayers in the back of the book give you everything needed to roar like our Lion, and to send the enemy whimpering away.” —Carol Kent, Executive Director of Speak Up Ministries, speaker, and author, When I Lay My Isaac Down “ This book on spiritual warfare is optimistic, realistic, and personally applicable. I appreciated Judy’s candor in sharing her personal struggles and even those within her own marriage. This is a book that can be given to any Christian, knowing that all of us need to be reminded that we are in a winnable battle with our unseen enemy, whose roar is drowned out by the louder roar of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. The book is a wonderful reminder that we are serving a King who has already won!” —Erwin W. Lutzer, Pastor Emeritus, The Moody Church, Chicago We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Or, of course, you can start at the beginning with episode 1.  Season 1: the gospel of Matthew like you've never experienced it https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3280/link/ Season 2: Experience Jesus through the Psalms https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/ Season 3: the gospel of Luke, faith in action https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/ Season 4: Proverbs spiced with wisdom https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ Season 5: Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Season 6: Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Season 7: Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ Season 8: God's glory, our delight |  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us!