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Gospel Spice | Awaken Delight in God through faith in Jesus Christ

Gospel Spice | Awaken Delight in God through faith in Jesus Christ

411 episodes — Page 7 of 9

S8 Ep 167"Live your truth" and other lies | with apologist Alisa Childers

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Stephanie welcomes apologist and author Alisa Childers for a lively conversation about the absolute truth of the gospel in the context of the current views that emerge from progressive Christianity and deconstruction movements.You have heard these. In our culture, we hear so much self-help and self-praise: “you are all you need”; “put yourself first;” “you are the hero of your own story”; “it’s all about you”; “you only live once”; “you can be your own best self”; “live your own truth”; “you do you;” “you are perfect just as you are.” And so much more… These meme-like, social-media friendly statements seem so nice and innocuous, but what if they were the beginning of a slippery slope towards unbiblical Christianity? Alisa is a powerful apologist who unwittingly embraced this faulty theology for a while, until she grounded herself in Christ again through thorough study and reflection. She tells us how she acquired what she calls her “guided, self-taught knowledge” and how she keeps up with what is happening in our rapidly changing world. She invites us in her journey and helps us identify red flags, and shares with us how she deepens her intimacy with God on a daily basis.Alisa Childers says of herself, “As a lifelong church-goer, follower of Jesus, and former CCM recording artist with the Dove award-winning group ZOEgirl, I experienced a period of profound doubt about my faith in my mid-thirties. I felt as though I had been tossed in a stormy ocean of uncertainty with no life jacket or lifeboat in sight. I didn't know where to find answers to my questions, or if answers existed at all. Did I have to accept it all on some kind of blind faith? I began to investigate my faith intellectually—I took seminary classes and read everything I could get my hands on. This began my journey from unreasoned doubt into a vibrant, rational, and informed faith.” You can also watch the live video of the conversation on our YouTube channel, and make sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_d9yg3WDsjU?feature=oembedMEET ALISA https://www.alisachilders.com/https://www.facebook.com/alisachildershttps://www.instagram.com/alisachilders/ ABOUT “LIVE YOUR TRUTH AND OTHER LIES”buy hereAre you tired of feeling like you have to check social media to find out what you’re supposed to think? Are you weary of the latest self-help books that promise to set you free but only imprison you with laundry lists of studies to consider, positive affirmations to recite, and Facebook groups to join?We’ve all seen the memes that populate the internet: live your truth, follow your heart, you only have one life to live. They sound nice and positive. But what if these slogans are actually lies that unhinge us from reality and leave us anxious and exhausted? Another Gospel? author Alisa Childers invites you to examine modern lies that are disguised as truths in today’s culture. Everyday messages of peace, fulfillment, and empowerment swirl around social media. On the surface, they seem like sentiments of freedom and hope, but in reality they are deeply deceptive.In Live Your Truth (and Other Lies), Alisa will help you to: · uncover the common lies repeated within progressive circles· hold on to the soul-restoring truths that God’s Word offers· be empowered to live the way your Creator designed youBeing the captain of your own destiny and striving to make your dreams a reality is a huge burden that you were never meant to bear. Discover true freedom instead.ABOUT “ANOTHER GOSPEL?”buy hereA movement seeks to redefine Christianity. Some think that it is a much-needed progressive reformation. Others believe that it is an attack on historic Christianity.Alisa Childers never thought she would question her Christian faith. She was raised in a Christian home, where she had seen her mom and dad feed the hungry, clothe the homeless, and love

Sep 16, 202245 min

S8 Ep 166Faith in word and deed | God's glory, our delight

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Welcome back to our Gospel Spice fall 2022 series, God's glory our delight! We took a break from this theme over the summer with our "summer inspirations" but this is officially our "back to school" episode as we dive back into our favorite series to date. "God's glory, our delight" is Stephanie's personal motto. In the spring, with episodes 146 through to 155, we entered into the deep waters of defining the glory of God and the quest of our hearts. Now with the second half of the series, we are going to the more practical side of delight. Stephanie invites us to ponder two illustrations to help us wrap our minds around the scope of our ambition to make the glory of God the delight of our heart. She quotes one of her favorite authors and theologians, Andrew Murray: “Humility is simply the disposition which prepares the soul for living on trust.”Stephanie says, "The Christian life is about growing in our experience of what we know to be true." She adds, "The glory IS there, and it IS real, and it IS delightful." She brings us back to Andrew Murray: “Faith is the organ or sense for the perception and apprehension of the heavenly world and its blessings.” Finally, she invites us to wonder: "how can we live a life that is the practical application of this objective reality?"Let's be practical...- Reminder – there are listening guides for each episode. They allow you to follow with pen and paper, or with your phone to take notes from the app. These listening guides are part of the workbook you can download for free as a member.- Today and each GGOD episode has a listening guide as well as questions for either group discussions or your own personal time, inviting you to ponder what you heard in the days to come.- Today we are introducing a new feature which is a listener suggestion: about halfway through the episode, there will be a 30-second musical interlude to allow you to pause and reflect on the lesson. You are also invited to use the second music break at the end of the episode, it is newly expanded, if you feel the need to chew on the lesson some more.- Also use our membership page to muse, ask questions, ponder, reflect, connect with us!- Please do remember that you can go back and listen again. We aim to give you the best quality content we can teach so it is intense and deep – that is because we highly respect you and your time, and we want to honor you as you seek to deepen your faith. There are all sorts of people listening alongside you, from overseas missionaries to seminary students to brand new believers, people listening as they drive or jog or run errands or do the dishes. So you are welcome, at whatever stage of your spiritual journey you find yourself in. If it means listening twice or taking notes using the listening guide, that’s awesome! Take it slow. These epsidoes are more akin to a slow cooked French meal than a McDonalds drive-thru!- Finally, there will be a Gospel Spice online Bible Study starting in a few weeks – go to gospelspice.com for more. It is free, live, weekly for 6 weeks, and on a private Facebook group. Small scale. In depth. More details to come. Sign-up now.- Also Sign-up for our newsletter so you know about those things before everyone else! This will also give you access to all our content for free, including a video version of this teaching. All in one easy place: https://www.gospelspice.com/sign-up-to-be-a-member This week’s key verses are:2Corinthians 4:7 - We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.John 5:44 - How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?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 gospelspi

Sep 9, 202245 min

S9 Ep 165Take back your joy | with Nicole Jacobsmeyer

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Stephanie welcomes like-minded soul sister Nicole Jacobsmeyer for a raw, deep conversation about pain, suffering, God’s role in it, and ours. Though they just met over this conversation, they clicked in deep ways. Throughout a decade of trials—from assault and depression to miscarriage and cancer— Nicole Jacobsmeyer really began to wonder: Is God giving me more than I can handle?Nicole's books is indirectly a powerful answer to the problem of evil and suffering in the world. While it is not a book for Christian apologetics, stephanie highly recommends it for anyone who seeks to answer these questions for themselves or for a loved one.In Take Back Your Joy, Nicole shares her story of questioning God - but falling more in love with Him than ever. Without sugarcoating her own struggles or yours, she equips you in your darkest moments to:· Embrace a clear sense of purpose.· Stay grounded in God’s Word.· Serve others with gratitude.· Choose forgiveness—again and again.· Discover the freedom of giving up control…and more!Nicole says, “We are not defined by the trials we face, and you are not alone in your suffering, doubts, and questions. I’ve been there. Take Back Your Joy invites you to see your life through a fresh lens as you glimpse the big picture of God’s work. Because I honestly believe that sometimes one of the greatest gifts is to have more than we can handle—so we can find a deeper joy in Christ who can handle it all.”Nicole wrote this book for you if...You’re wondering where is God in your painYou’re struggling to find hope and joyYou’re questioning your faithYou’ve experienced deep pain and suffering that doesn’t make sense with what you read in the BibleYou’ve lost your sense of purpose in lifeSo join Stephanie and Nicole today for a hard but powerful conversation about God’s sovereignty in our trials.MEET NICOLE JACOBSMEYERHi! I’m Nicole and I am so happy you found my little space on the internet. Make sure you find me on Instagram or drop a comment here so I can get to know you!A little bit about me…Besides my relationship with Christ, the most important people in my life are: my husband Andrew, my three sons Wesley, Reid and Nate, and our newest bundle of love, Maddie! I love people, comfy clothes, chocolate chips cookies, babies in diapers, watching my kids play sports, writing, and a good glass of red wine.Since becoming a mom almost 8 years ago, my life mantra has been: Embrace the Chaos! With a husband in the medical field, four kids under 8, and lots of moves in between, I needed an outlet to write. The Embracing Chaos blog was started in 2016. Four years later, I launched nicolejacobsmeyer.com as my author hub.When it comes to ministry outside of the home, I have a passion for helping women walk in victory, joy, and faith in the face of trials, sorrow, and suffering. I want to help women understand that God is good no matter what life brings and that it’s possible to find lasting joy in Him.In other HUGE news, my first book is coming out October 4th, 2022, and I’d LOVE to have you be a part of the launch team. Stay tuned!https://www.nicolejacobsmeyer.com/https://www.instagram.com/nicole.jacobsmeyer/https://www.facebook.com/nicole.jacobsmeyer1ABOUT THIS EPISODEThis conversation is part of 3-episode Gospel Spice Summer Inspirations with partner David C Cook. Go to https://davidccook.org/ and https://davidccook.org/esther-press/ for more 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/blogIdentity in the battle | Ephesianshttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/Malachi: Messenger to Messiahhttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/Wisdom from the Book of Prover

Sep 2, 202255 min

S9 Ep 163Navigating the dating game | with Ainsley Britain

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Stephanie welcomes Ainsley Britain to discuss teen and college dating. This conversation also welcomes anyone who plays an active role in the life of a teen or college girl--parents, mentors, friends, youth group leaders! In this Gospel Spice episode of our "Summer Inspirations with publisher David C Cook”, Ainsley explains that many young women enter or stay in relationships out of fear of being alone, shame, or insecurity which may cause them to lower their standards or expectations. What they find are men they normally would never have tolerated. Men they would have told their friends to avoid. What they find are BooBoo Dudes. While the term BooBoo Dude might be light-hearted, the concept behind them and the damage they cause women is serious. This term describes a man who portrays narcissistic and abusive behavior, which leads to confusion, shame, and eventual isolation.In her book, Ainsley describes red flags and also green flags - what to identify as harmful behavior, and what to look for in a healthy dating relationship. She explains to her teen and college-aged readers that they are worth fighting for--she connects them to Jesus in authentic, deep ways and challenges them to work through their pain towards wholesome healing. She and Stephanie also discuss the lies that these dear girls believe, and how being deeply rooted in our identity in Christ is the key to fulfilled living. Finally, Ainsley invites her audience to lend a hand and help someone else through their pain. She paints a stunning picture of grace and the purpose and power of a Christ-sized vision for her girls. She describes what dating can be, and gives advice to mentors of all ages!Before Ainsley ends the conversation by praying a beautiful blessing over you as you listen, she ends with practical tips to mentor teens and young adults:- establish the rules: trust is key!- ask the question WHY- be open to flexible conversations!- know the resources available to you- sometimes, go to the professionals!- warn them that you will disappoint them, and remind them that anything good is not from you as the leader, but from the Lord!Related through Ainsley’s humorous and vulnerable personal experiences, in the book you’ll learn about:- the often-unbelievable behaviors of BooBoo Dudes- how to exit a futureless relationship with higher standards- keeping or restoring your identity through Jesus- and reaching others trapped with BooBoo DudesWith wisdom rooted in the gospel, Ainsley tenderly brings the reader along her own journey toward confidence found only in Jesus. She embraced her identity and left BooBoo Dudes behind. Every woman can do the same.CONNECT WITH AINSLEY BRITAIN:Ainsley Britain has helped thousands of young adults embrace their confidence, date healthy, and discover their identity in Christ through her written words, podcast, and speaking engagements. Through extensive training from Belmont University, She Speaks Studio, Youth Speaker University, Compel Training, and more, she has advanced her God-given mission to help young adults all over the country. She is an Enneagram Coach through YourEnneagramCoach.com and is as real as one can get when it comes to talking about hard topics and fighting for oneself. Ainsley and her husband travel often and currently live in her home state of Louisiana.buy the book: "Don't Date a Booboo Dude" on Amazonwebsite: http://www.ainsleybritain.com/Facebook: Media and Parents Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MediaAndParentsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ainsleyb/We invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stepha

Aug 19, 202245 min

S9 Ep 162A personal conversation with Stephanie and Roslyn | Summer Inspirations

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Get ready for an out-of-the-ordinary conversation today! Stephanie is joined by dear friend and fellow Gospel Spice team member Roslyn Evans to discuss all things Jesus and Gospel Spice. This conversation is like a family reunion, and you are invited! They start off with a fun digression into the world of summer living, apologetics and personal passions, and then also raising kids, laundry lists and more. Then Stephanie gets pretty vulnerable and transparent as Ros asks her all the questions on her mind. A smattering:What are the concerns you see in the coming year for our world?How are you getting ready? And what is your advice for us?How are you doing personally? Give us an update on you and your family.For those of our listeners who are relatively new to Gospel Spice, can you give us your backstory from atheism to faith? And how did you end up in the US anyway?What is your heart for Gospel Spice this year?Stephanie and Ros end with an invitation to YOU our beloved audience, to connect with us because, as Stephanie says, it makes her day!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/blogWe invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stephanie and her occasional guests tell us about the importance of our definition of success, the key elements of leadership roles, the

Aug 12, 20221h 2m

S9 Ep 161Identify & battle anxiety, depression and relational concerns | Christ-centered soul wellness

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Have you recently wondered if you are going crazy, or if it is the world around us that has gone mad? Today, Stephanie welcomes dear friend and Gospel Spice team member Lindsay, who is a Christian psychotherapist with over 20 years of professional experience helping believers and non-believers through the struggles of life. Lindsay shares that she is seeing a greater than ever proportion of patients who struggle with anxiety, depression, and/or boundary concerns, and a lot of teenagers too. So, she describes for us some of the symptoms of these presentations in order to help each one of us assess if we are experiencing some form of anxiety or depression, or go to the root of some of our relational tensions. She then takes us to the origin of the problem in Genesis 3 before she offers simple, practical DIY tips to overcome early stages of anxiety, depression and relational boundary issues. You will leave this conversation, having identified if you are even mildly struggling with these issues, and having practical, daily tips to start or continue the journey out of these difficult struggles.Lindsay gives us permission to struggle, and hope to know it is only temporary. She reminds us of our deep identity IN CHRIST, in the great I AM in whose strength we rest. She reminds us of our role to be ambassadors and stand-ins for God to one another as image bearers. So, if you or a loved one are struggling with any of these descriptions, you will be encouraged as you are reminded of you true and deepest identity.The seemingly simple choices that Lindsay offers as practical solutions are indeed simple - but the key is in their daily, consistent implementation. It is simple, but not necessarily easy - which is why we need community with one another and most of all, with God Himself. We will discover once again that it all boils down to who we know and experience God to be.Lindsay referenced a most useful book, BOUNDARIES by Cloud and Townsend. In August 2022, it is on sale at Christianbook.com for $5!!! So grab it now. Otherwise, here is also an amazon link to purchase it: https://www.amazon.com/Boundaries-Updated-Expanded-When-Control/dp/0310351804/---------------------------------------------------Disclaimer - you may need professional help, and we warmly encourage you to seek it if you need it!We invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stephanie and her occasional guests tell us about the importance of our definition of success, the key elements of leadership roles, the traps of comparison, the importance of theology, and much more! These stand-along episodes are meant to encourage you and challenge you to experience deeper fruitfulness in your various roles and ministries, in all the relationships and areas of your life. The topics we discuss are eternal and apply to both genders, across time and space and culture and age. So, join us for deep conversations with inspiring Christ-followers, conversations that will flavor your summer with the Gospel.Conversations about culture, leadership, success, dating, gender, and struggles with comparison, pride, and more: that is your Gospel Spice summer!Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Aug 5, 202251 min

S9 Ep 160Cultivate 3 secrets to a successful summer | with Shadia Hrichi, Shannon Popkin & Marci Seither

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!How can you make sure you have a well-spent summer? For today's episode, Stephanie has curated three of her most important not-so-secret secrets for a successful summer in particular, and a successful life in general:- Read your Bible to grow closer to the Lord and develop intimacy with Him;- Don't compare to others, but seek to serve them in humility;- Take time to rest, worship, and laugh.For each of these, Stephanie welcomes a dear friend to highlight each element today. So you're getting THREE conversations in this one episode! It is our special Summer gift to you, our beloved audience.First Stephanie welcomes Shadia Hrichi who shares with us her own journey towards deep intimacy with God. They discuss Hagar, a very special woman in the Bible who gets to give God one of His names - "the God who sees me." They also mostly focus on Tamar, whose powerful story of brokenness is redeemed by the only One who is able to deliver us from our bondage, fear, and trials. Do you need to be reminded that God is FOR you? You are not alone, and He is in every detail of your life. He is especially attentive when things are not going as you want them to - which is probably the case for most of us right now, in this season of the world when everything seems upside down and when it might feel that God is distant! He is closer than ever to the brokenhearted.Then Stephanie welcomes Shannon Popkin who reminds us that we are all attacked by the very real enemy of our soul who seeks to distract us from the Lord. Using the same old tricks that have worked for thousands of years, the devil seeks to entice us to compare to one another because that is exactly what he did with God - he wanted to be better than God Himself. We live in a culture that tells us that, unless we are number one, we are worthless. This is deeply damaging to the very fabric of our soul. With her book "Comparison Girl", Shannon reminds us that the cure towards wholesome healing is simple - yet not easy: we are never happier than when we take our eyes off of ourselves, and focus on another. Humility and other-centered service is the simple yet overlooked secret to a fulfilling life. Jesus role-modeled it for us, and invites us to step closer to His heart through selfless humility. How simple, yet how profound!Finally, Stephanie is thrilled to welcome Marci Seither who invites you to join her for a summer of pondering the goodness of God through rest, laughter and meditation. In her new devotional, Lakeside Retreat, Marci beckons us to experience God in the daily, to embrace Him in the simple, and to delight in Him in every moment. Her book is the perfect summer getaway to come back refreshed, renewed, and more in love with God than ever.MEET MARCI SEITHERMarci Seither’s writing career began after her humor article was published in a small-town newspaper. Since then she has authored two books and hundreds of articles for local papers, as well as for Guideposts, Light & Life, and Focus on the Family. She is a creative storyteller who has shared her love of stories with hundreds of schoolchildren as well as those attending one of her workshops. Besides writing, she enjoys trying new recipes, food photography, and capturing drone footage. Her biggest joy, besides being married to John for more than three and a half decades and raising six kids, is being grandma to six of the cutest kiddos in this hemisphere. Marci makes her home in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with John and their very spoiled miniature schnauzer—Pepper.website: http://marciseither.com/Social Media:https://www.facebook.com/marci.seither Instagram @marci_seitherMEET SHANNON POPKINShannon Popkin is a writer, speaker, and Bible teacher who loves to blend her gifts for storytelling and humor with her passion for Jesus. Shannon regularly speaks at Christian women's events and retreats, invit

Jul 29, 20221h 16m

S9 Ep 159What does it mean to lead well? | Summer Inspirations with Stephanie

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stephanie and her occasional guests tell us about the importance of our definition of success, the key elements of leadership roles, the traps of comparison, the importance of theology, and much more! These stand-along episodes are meant to encourage you and challenge you to experience deeper fruitfulness in your various roles and ministries, in all the relationships and areas of your life.Today's theme is leadership. We are all leaders, in one capacity or another. If you don't think you are ever in a position of leadership, think again! Leadership does not necessarily mean a large organisation. You lead as a parent, as a student, as a peer, and in many areas that might not feel like leadership as the world defines it! For example, a mother who is potty-training her child has to exhibit a certain and real set of leadership skills. A teacher in the classroom, or a small group leader at church, all have to learn how to improve their leadership skills. So... What is a good leader--and how can you spot a bad leader a mile away? What are the various traits of leadership, and how do they differ from styles of leadership? How can you learn from good and bad leaders? How do you identity bad leadership? How do you handle the various responsibilities that comes with your leadership?Stephanie gave this presentation to a group of Gospel Spice leadership trainees. You will get to hear their questions in the Q&A session at the end of this episode. If you are interested to participate in the next GospelSpice leadership training, email us at [email protected]. We hope to hold the next sessions in early 2023. If you wish to access the video that contains the deck of slides that Stephanie used, become a member at gospelspice.com (it's free) and you will find it on our member community board in "Stephanie's library."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 (le

Jul 22, 202247 min

S9 Ep 158Neither complementarian nor egalitarian | Summer Inspirations with Dr. Michelle Lee Barnewall

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!What are your thoughts on the importance of understanding culture to experience the teachings of Jesus at a deeper level? And, what about the gender debate in the church? And, pray tell, what on earth do these two questions have in common? Get ready for a meaty conversation today! Stephanie welcomes Dr Michelle Lee Barnewall, who is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. A Korean-American who grew up in Minnesotta and have lived throughout the US, she has a unique perspective on culture and is the author of several books, two of which we are discussing today. One is about the evangelical gender debate around egalitarianism and complementarism; the other is about entering the parables of Jesus as He intended. What do these two topics have in common? Several things we discuss:- a humble approach to culture,- a spirit of teachability,- the ministry of reconciliation,- a focus away from individualism, and towards a spirit of community.This conversation will most likely challenge your perspective, and we hope and pray it is the springboard to growth, and deeper intimacy with the Spirit of the living God! As Michelle says, "let's welcome the tension so that we will grow through it. Let's be comfortable with tension."This conversation feels a little like a seminary class under Michelle's expert teaching... and that is something to enjoy deeply! MEET MICHELLE LEE BARNEWALLMichelle Lee-Barnewall (PhD, University of Notre Dame) is associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. Besides the two books we are discussing in this episode, she is also the author of Paul, the Stoics, and the Body of Christ.Her next book? She brings her reflections on growing up as a minority race in America. It's a combination of personal experience and Biblical New Testament theology and it will come out in the future!ABOUT “NEITHER COMPLEMENTARIAN NOR EGALITARIAN: A Kingdom corrective to the evangelical gender debate"Regarding gender relations, the evangelical world is divided between complementarians and egalitarians. While both perspectives have much to contribute, the discussion has reached a stalemate. Michelle Lee-Barnewall critiques both sides of the debate, challenging the standard premises and arguments and offering new insight into a perennially divisive issue in the church. She brings fresh biblical exegesis to bear on our cultural situation, presenting an alternative way to move the discussion forward based on a corporate perspective and on kingdom values.Buy the book on Amazon now"Imagine using core biblical themes like corporateness, servant leadership, mutuality, and unity to discuss issues of the relationship of men and women to one another in the church. Imagine focusing not on power or rights but on the example of Christ. If you imagine reframing the gender discussion in helpful ways, then you will be interested in Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian. When one serves while leading and pays special attention to corporate versus individual themes, things are transformed from the way the world (and sometimes the way the church on both sides of the debate) talks about them. Read this book no matter which side of the debate you are on--and think afresh."--Darrell L. Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary"The church's debate over gender and leadership has become an intractable problem because we have adopted the model of the world, where leadership is about equality, rights, privilege, power, and position. Michelle Lee-Barnewall calls for a radical paradigm shift that adopts the upside-down values of the kingdom of God, where humility, love, service, unity, and responsibility replace power, privilege, and position as the guiding principles for true servant leadership. If put int

Jul 15, 202246 min

S9 Ep 157How would you define success? | Summer Inspirations with Stephanie

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!What is success? The world would have you embrace a particular definition. Even some teachings within Christendom might fall seriously short of the mark. What is the Biblical standard of success? Today's theme is success, its definition and application. Through her personal story and testimony, Stephanie invites you to embrace the most satisfying definition of success, and to apply it daily: You will measure success by the delight you take in God's glory! And when that becomes your quest, you are poised for a delightful, wildly successful life for the Kingdom.“God’s glory, our delight” is Stephanie’s motto and the beating heart of Gospel Spice Ministries, rooted in her personal encounter with God as a French teenage atheist. As believers, we face the daily challenge to ascribe glory where it belongs, and to delight in the process. What can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? How do we spice up our words to present them as a daily offering of delight to the glory of God? God sprinkles our stories with a dash of spice—and inimitable flair. Through her personal testimony and ever-growing devotion to Christ, Stephanie humbly invites you to delight in God’s glory today and every day.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/blogWe invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.Our Summer series invite you to p

Jul 8, 202231 min

S9 Ep 156The toxic trap of comparison | Summer Inspirations with Heather Creekmore

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Let's be honest today: do you look around and compare yourself to others? In other words, do you struggle with comparison? Do you feel shame because you compare to others and fall short? Who and what are you comparing yourself to? Are you trying to become the person you are comparing yourself to? And how is it working for you, really?What is the comparison ladder you are trying to climb? Physical appearance and body image? Career? Home status? Who are you trying to better? And, what does Jesus have to say to all these questions? Jesus does not place on us the burden and pressure of comparison, like we tend to. He has already finished all the work, and the finality of the cross is our reality to embrace. How do we then free ourselves from the pressure of comparison? We know the answer is Jesus, but seriously, how does that work?Today we are kicking off our Summer 2022 series with Stephanie's friend Heather Creekmore. They invite you to enter a comparison-free summer. Heather shares her struggle with comparison, and how toxic it was in her spiritual walk, and in every area of relationship. Heather's particular area of comparison was in body image -- she believed the lie that her life would be better if she looked a certain way. But comparison is something we can all be prone to, even if it is not body image (though, let's be honest - it is a problem many of us have, men and women both, regardless of what we actually look like!). As a man, do you feel you should look like Thor or Captain America to be accepted? As a woman, do you feel you should look like Wonder Woman to be loved? Does God care about our body image, our weight, our physical appearance? How can we honor Him in this area?Now, how about those of us who say, "I don't compare myself to others, but only to the ideal version of me." What does Heather have to say to that? She gives us a practical blueprint to overcome the toxic temptation of comparison.Heather says, "I spent two decades battling my body image. No matter how I changed my body, I couldn’t find contentment. I even became a fitness instructor thinking that would fix my body image issues. As a Christian, I knew that the Bible should have the answer, but I could never find it. I heard all the cliches, ‘I was fearfully and wonderfully made‘ and ‘It’s what’s on the inside that counts‘ but they never helped me. I still struggled with wanting more beauty."CONNECT WITH HEATHER CREEKMOREwebsite: https://comparedtowho.me/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherCreekmoreblog/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/comparedtowho/Twitter: @comparedtowhoPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/comparedtowho/_created/Her YouVersion reading plan "Compared to Who?": https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/29320-compared-to-who-a-10-day-plan-to-improvebody-imageWe 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/blogIdentity in the battle | Ephesianshttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/Malachi: Messenger to Messiahhttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/Wisdom from the Book of Proverbshttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebratedhttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/We invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stephanie and her occasional guests tell us about the importance of our definition of success, the key elements of leadership roles, the traps of comparison

Jul 1, 202252 min

S8 Ep 155Our glory is rooted in God's delight of us!

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Why are we wired to seek glory for ourselves? Stephanie suggests to you that we are wired by God Himself to seek glory because this reveals our deep longing for identity. And we will find and keep our identity when we make God’s opinion of us, namely His delight in us, the deepest root cause of our identity and glory.We all seek our worth – our weight, our glory – in the eyes of another. We are born looking for someone looking for us, as we have seen with our recent guests Curt Thompson and James Bryan Smith. We seek to be safe, seen, soothed and secure. Only God is SAFE when it comes to placing our glory within His hands. Only God is the rational logical choice – why seek your identity in the mirror-eyes of others when His eyes are available? Only God can soothe/satisfy our longing for glory eternally. His opinion beats all others in quality, accuracy, depth, and power to transform. Why settle for less?So, next time we are tempted to find glory (it can look like a search and a hunger for meaning, identity, fame, approval, love…) let's not go to our usual escape mechanisms, our indulgences of choice: social media, food, drink, shopping, addictions of any kind like porn or alcohol or drugs or gaming; let's not go first to our wife or husband or children or best friends. Go to God and wrestle through the unbelief until you remember the extent of the delight God takes in you. Say this to your heart: “God’s delight of me is the source of my glory.”"Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy.” (Zephaniah 3:17, HCSB) Rejoicing. Gladness. Quietness. Love. Delight. Joy. That is literally how God feels about you. who are you to disagree with Him? If God doesn’t constantly think negative thoughts about you, why then should you?Stephanie offers practical questions to assess our hearts when we receive glory from another: does it please my Father? Is it in accord with my identity in Christ? Does it glorify God ultimately? What does it do to my heart and my intimacy with Jesus? Does it draw me closer from Him or further away? Finally, is this glory measured in the Kingdom of God, or in the world of man?Our legitimate, safe, appropriate glory is found in the delight God takes in us.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 clo

Jun 27, 202247 min

S8 Ep 154Christ dwells and delights in you. Yes, YOU! | with James Bryan Smith

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Stephanie welcomes spiritual director, university professor and author James Bryan Smith to ponder the weight of God's love for us as His chosen creation. In his latest book, "The good and beautiful you" Jim invites us to peel back the layers of many lies we have commonly been fed in the church--about our worthlessness and predicament when our identity is primarily defined as "sinner." Jim likes to remind everyone - inlcuding himself - that Genesis 1 and 2 precede Genesis 3, and that grace and love precede sin and the fall! They discuss the difference between soul and self, and why the soul has such demanding needs. James tells us now the needs of our soul can be met in Christ alone.Jim describes ten things our soul cannot endure, and ten God-created longings. He says, "the soul is made to soar in trasncendance." Yet this is the furthest thing from self-help and narcissism! He invites us to "put to death our need ot establish our worth through what we accomplish." Who does not need to hear this in our generation of ever-hurried people? He talks of the sacredness of our God-bestowed body: "we cannot engage in a relationship with God apart from our bodies." Jim also talks about our deep-seated need to be wanted and desired. He says, "our identity is given by God - and it will find us! We don't have to search for significance; in Christ significance has found us." He prays and invites us to join him in asking the Lord, "O God help me believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful." Again, this is the furthest thing from narcissisim because it invites us to then consider every one around us in the same light - considering others as more important than ourselves, imitating Christ Jesus as Paul challenges us in Philippians 2.Jim says, "I am my own worst critic. I live under the tyranny of the ideal self." Anyone else can use a dose of truth against self-criticism? If God does not spend His days thinking negative thoughts about us, then why should we think those thoughts about ourselves - or others?Join Stephanie and James Bryan Smith for a profound and uplifting conversation about WHO YOU ARE IN GOD'S EYES.GOSPELSPICE AND IVPRESS GIFT TO YOU: GET 30% OFF AND FREE SHIPPING FOR "THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL YOU" only at ivpress.com by using the discount code SPICE22. This code is valid until July 4, 2022 - 2 weeks after the initial release of this episode. Enjoy this special gift! You can also watch the video of this episode on our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspiceCONNECT WITH JAMES BRYAN SMITHwebsite: https://jamesbryansmith.com/the book, The Good and Beautiful You: https://www.ivpress.com/the-good-and-beautiful-youJames Bryan Smith is the author of the Good and Beautiful Series which includes The Good and Beautiful God, The Good and Beautiful You, The Good and Beautiful Life, and The Good and Beautiful Community. He earned his MDiv at Yale and his DMin at Fuller and is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he also serves as the director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation.A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovaré, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister and has served in various capacities in local churches. He is the editor of A Spiritual Formation Workbook and Devotional Classics (with Richard Foster), and the author of Embracing the Love of God, Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven, Room of Marvels, The Magnificent Story, and The Magnificent Journey.Follow him on Twitter: @jamesbryansmithMORE ABOUT THE BOOK:GOSPELSPICE AND IVPRESS GIFT TO YOU: GET 30% OFF AND FREE SHIPPING FOR "THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL YOU" at ivpress.com by using the discount code SPICE22. This code is valid until July 4, 2022 - 2 weeks after the initial release of this episode. Enjoy this special gift! T

Jun 20, 202245 min

S8 Ep 153Develop Christlike humility. | God's Glory, Our Delight

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!How can we actively develop humility in our spiritual life, the kind of genuine, precious humility that will put a smile on our Father's face? Genuine, relentless humility is a life-long commitment.Stephanie takes us on a journey to experience what has been called the "spiritual disciplines" in light of our quest to delight more in God. She quotes John Piper: “Now, THAT would be the greatest salvation imaginable—if God should offer us the greatest reality in the universe to enjoy, and then move in us to see to it that we could enjoy it with the greatest freedom and the greatest pleasure possible.”Truly, that’s all we need. Let this mindset seep deeply into your being, and it will bear fruit. Be relentlessly humble. Cultivate relentless humility. It’s the secret. It’s actually super easy, but it requires a lifetime of practice.Paul said, “by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” `1cor 15:10That’s the balance: God does ALL the work—THROUGH us. We’re not in charge. We’re the car, He’s the driver. Yet He chooses to use this car. So, today we’re going to look at the other side of this "delight-in-God" coin: our participation. God invites us to participate even as He teaches us HOW to delight in Him.Join us to relentlessly develop genuine humility today.IMPORTANT NOTE - WE WILL SWITCH TO FRIDAYS AS OUR EPISODE RELEASE DAY, STARTING ON JULY 1 WITH EPISODE 156. Stay tuned every FRIDAY!! DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!NEW!Another

Jun 13, 202252 min

S8 Ep 152Invest in the Kingdom NOW | with Jonathan Evans

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!For Father's Day, Stephanie welcomes NFL chaplain and Pastor Jonathan Evans for a no-nonsense conversation about our investment as parents for the Kingdom of God. With his trademark candid and bold kindness, Jonathan shares his approach to parenting, as well as what he learned from his parents, Lois and Dr Tony Evans. We discuss fatherhood in particular, but these principles apply to all forms of parenting and for everyone who ministers to children of all ages! So, parents, grandparents, family members and all youth leaders -- this episode will inspire you, challenge you, and help you remember how eternal your investment is!Jonathan shares, “God is calling you to go further, rise higher, and achieve more in His name than you could ever imagine. But you will never get to experience all that God has for you unless you are willing to rise up out of the depths of your own disappointments, get up off the couches of your own comfort zones, and pursue His plan for this season. Now.”Beyond parenting, Jonathan shades his quest for a deeper intimacy with God. He remembers living life on “cruise control,” comfortable where he was, following in the footsteps of his well-known and respected father (Dr. Tony Evans), until one day he realized he didn’t know his own role or purpose in life. Jonathan didn’t wait to figure it out; he took action and pursued what God had in store for him. His book, Your Time is Now urges us to get out of the “comfort” rut and do the same. Using the Old Testament leader Joshua as a model for stepping up to God’s calling, Jonathan invites us to stop living at surface level, dig deeper, and step into our callings now, no matter what obstacles stand in our way. “Now is the time for you to live out your purpose for God,” says Jonathan. “Not when you’re older. Not when you’ve settled down. Not when you feel like you’ve got nothing else to do…Now is your season.” In Your Time is Now, Jonathan invites us to shift our perspectives from an outward concern about what the world thinks, to an inward focus on the only One whose opinion really matters: God.No matter the season we find ourselves in or the challenges we face, Jonathan encourages us to stand on the truth that God can and will use us and this season for His purpose, if only we intentionally and actively pursue Him.If you missed our Mother's Day episode, we invite you to check out the phenomenally inspiring convo between Molly De Frank and Stephanie about how to digitally detox your kids! Jonathan discusses the importance of keeping our kids grounded in real life and away from screens, so take a listen to Episode 147 (Digital Detox for kids with Molly DeFrank) for practical tips. MEET JONATHAN EVANSJonathan Evans is a pastor, speaker, mentor, and author who speaks passionately and powerfully about his relationship with God and has a burning desire to share his faith with others. He serves on the pastoral staff at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, a nondenominational church in Dallas, Texas, with his pastor, friend, and father, Dr. Tony Evans. Jonathan has roles in both the local church and in the national ministry, The Urban Alternative. Jonathan has a goal of building a legacy that leaves an impact. A dynamic speaker, he has shared at men’s conferences, youth events, churches, and other venues throughout the United States. Jonathan has also written several books, including Different, Get in the Game: A Spiritual Workout for Athletes (with Dr. Tony Evans), and Kingdom Family Devotional (with Dr. Tony Evans). Jonathan has also created powerful video and audio presentations to accompany his teaching, including spoken word videos that showcase his ability to deliver his messages with energy, creativity, and relevance.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathanblakeevansInsta: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanblakeevans/https://jonathanblakeevans.c

Jun 6, 202245 min

S8 Ep 151Why does humility matter? | God's Glory, Our Delight

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 151 - Jesus' humility is the roadmap to glory. Stephanie humbly invites us to dive into the meaning and expression of humility in Jesus's life. It started even before His incarnation - when He left the beauty and perfection of heaven to come dwell on planet earth, with a human body, and for the express intent to die a horrific death, not only physically but mostly a spiritual death of separation from His heavenly Father. What love is this... and it is demonstrated in meekness and humility. So, since humility was so essential to Jesus, so must it be with us too! Except... it does not come to us naturally. So we look at delighting in God in the context of humility today.This is an in-depth look at the meaning of the cross, and how we are called to the ultimate beauty of surrendering our self-will to delight in glories unimaginable. Today is an invitation to see, maybe for the first time or at a deeper level, that a quest to delight in God is truly the most reasonable, and the most enthralling adventure that we are called upon.We look at what it means to "be in Christ," an expression that can be so overused, it is devoid of meaning. Yet, the key to delight in God in found in its meaning. What does it mean, truly, to "be in Christ"? We talk about the delight of surrender, and the surrender of delight. We invite you to insert Jesus in every practical aspect of your life, only to find He is already there. That is true delight. Join us!DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIESDelighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in J

May 30, 202235 min

S8 Ep 150Why is delight in God essential? | God's Glory, Our Delight

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 150 - Why does it matter to delight in God? Why does God command us to delight in Him and enjoy Him forever? Doesn't that sound like the whinings of an egotistic tyrant, an insecure bully in search of affirmation, or a boastful narcissist? Stephanie invites us to discover the deeper meaning of delighting in God, and why it actually is the most logical, reasonable, and yes, delightful thing in the world.God is not human--it means He is the ultimate standard in all things beautiful and perfect and lovely and, yes, delightful. So, when He enjoins us to delight in Him, He is really inviting us to enjoy the ultimate best in all things. Doesn't sound so egotistic after all, does it?Jesus provides the perfect example for us--to absolutely no one's surprise! He role-models a life of perfect humility and delight in God. So we're taking a good look at delight in God as revealed in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God ... in the Face of Christ Jesus! That's one of the most foundational verses that Paul ever wrote, and it is one of our guides this week."God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 4:6, NIV. DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIESDelighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carrie

May 23, 202230 min

S8 Ep 149Overcoming shame with beauty | with Curt Thompson, MD

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 149 – Curt Thompson joins Stephanie to share in the experience of delighting in the glory of God through our eponymous series. They discuss the role of beauty in our identity—its creation and our awareness of it. They discuss the importance of crushing in our lives—how beauty often needs to be pulverized in order to attain its purpose, and how spice often delivers its best flavors and fragrance when heated and crushed. They ponder the importance to taste and see that the Lord is good—how sensing precedes our making sense of what we are sensing, and the importance of the five senses in our relationship with God and with one another. They dive into the cultural nuances of our brain formation and our mind transformation. They talk about shame, and desire, and delight, and beautyCurt invites us to experience Psalm 27:4 through the lens of delight in the glory of God:One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.(NIV, Biblica)Finally, Curt invites us to “practice for heaven” and to discover what it means and how to train our hearts and minds to become ready for the indescribable beauty of delight in the glory of God for all of eternity.MEET CURT THOMPSONCurt Thompson (MD, Wright State University) is a board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of Being Known, an organization that develops resources for hope and healing at the intersection of neuroscience and Christian spiritual formation. He is also the author of The Soul of Shame, The Soul of Desire, and Anatomy of the Soul.Inspired by deep compassion for others and informed from a Christian perspective, psychiatrist Curt Thompson shares fresh insights and practical applications for developing more authentic relationships and fully experiencing our deepest longing: to be known.With a considerable dose of warmth (and surprising measure of humor), Curt weaves together an understanding of interpersonal neurobiology (IPNB) and a Christian view of what it means to be human — to educate and encourage others as they seek to fulfill their intrinsic desire to feel known, valued and connected. He understands that deep, authentic relationships are essential to experiencing a healthier, more purposeful life — but the only way to realize this is to begin telling our stories more truly.Curt’s unique insights about how the brain affects and processes relationships help people discover a fresh perspective and practical applications to foster healthy and vibrant lives, allowing them to get unstuck and move toward the next beautiful thing they’re being called to make.Through his workshops, speaking engagements, books, organizational consulting, private clinical practice and other platforms, he helps people process their longings, grief, identity, purpose, perspective of God and perspective of humanity, inviting them to engage more authentically with their own stories and their relationships. Only then can they can feel truly known and connected and live into the meaningful reality they desire to create.Thompson is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and his main focus of clinical and research interest has been the integration of psychiatry, its associated disciplines, and Christian spiritual formation. He is actively engaged in learning and teaching as he supervises clinical employees and facilitates ongoing education groups for patients and colleagues. He also speaks frequently on the topic at workshops, conferences, and retreats.Serving as an elder at Washington Community Fellowship in Washington, DC, his duties have included preaching, teaching, and participation in the fellowship's healing prayer ministry. He and his wife, Phyllis, a licensed clinical social worker, are the parents of two children

May 16, 202253 min

S8 Ep 148What is the glory of God? | God's Glory, Our Delight

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 148 - We are so excited to welcome you to our new series, God's Glory, Our Delight. Now, this sentence. It means a lot, and especially to Stephanie because it has been her own personal motto and spiritual quest for years. So, really, this is an invitation to ponder the deeper life. We are convinced that there is no greater quest in life, and that no adventure can give you deeper meaning. We believe we will spend all of eternity, in utmost bliss, learning to delight in God in ever-deepening levels. So, identifying this quest as our most essential one, and then stepping into it with everything we've got, and then learning from one another, growing ever deeper into the wonder of this quest--THAT is, quite literally, practicing for heaven.Delighting in God is developing our spiritual muscles to practice for the reality of heaven. Nothing can be more important for each one of us as an individual spiritual quest, but also for the body of believers as a corporate endeavor. It encompasses worship, prayer, Bible reading and study and memorization, fasting and feasting, service, and all the spiritual disciplines. It is the ultimate expression of loving the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and spirit, and loving your neighbor as yourself. It is the meaning of life. It is the great quest.God's Glory, Our Delight. Nothing could be more important, and nothing could be more practical today.GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIESDelighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blogDo 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/signup2- 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!

May 9, 202242 min

S8 Ep 147Digital detox for kids | with Molly DeFrank

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 147 - Are you concerned your children might be addicted to digital media? How can you know proper boundaries, and how can you weather a total digital detox without losing your mind in the process? How can you restore your children to the fullness of childhood--games and puzzles and twigs and fireflies and hide-and-seek--without losing sanity in the process? Molly DeFrank joins Stephanie for this special Mother's Day episode to talk about just that. And it's for dads, and grandparents, and aunts and uncles too! Molly is currently a stay-at-home mom of six beautiful little ones, aged 2 to 11. She has experienced the stress and fatigue and mood swings and temper tantrums that inevitably accompanied the words "screen time is up!" And she has crafted, through personal experience and through coaching many families, the solution that every modern parent has been desperately wishign for: the complete guide to digital detox in two weeks. It's not easy, she says, but it is simple. And efficient. It will reclaim your family life, and will poise you to become a steward of the beautiful children the Lord has entrusted into your care. Molly says, "As if parenthood didn’t bring enough stress on its own, moms and dads in 2022 are drowning in digital distractions up to our eyeballs. And if we don’t take a moment to clarify the role we want tech to play in our homes, it will continue to seep in and monopolize. It will steal the moments, days and years meant for connecting with, training and forming our kids’ hearts and worldviews. The quiet lulls, connective meals, and mellow drive times that filled our own childhoods are long gone. They’ve been displaced by digital entertainment. Parents are having fewer conversations with their kids, whose beautiful saucer-eyes now staring at tablets instead of their loving caregiver."She says, "I know because I shrugged off the nudges for years before I finally said “no more.” And as soon as we detoxed our own kids, everything changed. Since then, I’ve coached several families through their own digital detox journeys. Every single one witnessed transformation. Every single family’s results exceeded their expectations."With her trademark sense of humor, this California mom adds, "A LOT of people call me mom. I spaced my kids so close together that the hospital’s labor and delivery department gave me a punch card for a free sandwich. Then we also added several darlings via foster care—some for a day, some forever. We’ve parented lots of kids from all backgrounds. We’ve navigated kids through therapy, broken limbs, recovering from abuse. We’ve housed kids between juvenile hall stays. We’ve overseen autism therapy and high-honors students...."So, join Molly and Stephanie this week on the show--we promise you will leave with fresh hope and a renewed sense that you can take charge of your children's screen time with simplicity.MEET MOLLY DEFRANK:"In early parenthood, I was certain about many things. Like how I would never homeschool, listen to Kids Bop, or drive a minivan. A decade-plus later, I have blasted Kids Bop while driving my children to the homeschool coop—in my minivan.God lovingly used motherhood to show me the end of my rope, and how deeply I need strength outside of myself. Parenting is life’s best lesson in humility. And for especially thick heads like mine, God gives you many children in quick succession, then a few bonus kids for good measure. I enjoy black coffee strong enough to power a small jet, reading instead of cleaning, time spent across a table with friends, and eating any food that’s prepared impeccably. I’m also a recovering vegetarian. Send help, send tofu, drop me a line here on Facebook or Instagram. " https://mollydefrank.com/Facebook: Molly DeFrankInstagram: @mollydefrankBUY DIGITAL DETOX:Book: Digital Detox: The Two-Week Tech Reset for KidsDISCOVER

May 2, 202241 min

S8 Ep 146Where can I experience God's glory? | with John Lambert

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 146 - We are so excited to welcome you to our new series, God's Glory, Our Delight. Taking delight in God: Nothing could be more important, and nothing could be more practical today. Can we be totally honest here? This is Stephanie's favorite series to date, because it is her own personal life motto!We kick off the series with an episode that transitions us from Easter into this new season of deeper intimacy with God. You are invited to experience the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus today! Today Stephanie has invited a long-time friend who shaped her own theology of glory and of the cross of Jesus Christ when she was a young believer. Pastor John Lambert tells us about the places where he has encountered the glory of God in Scripture, and humbly invites us on a journey to do the same. What is human glory? What is divine glory? Who is Jesus Christ when it comes to God's glory? Most importantly, how does Easter and the crucifixion manifest the glory of God in most unexpected and most moving ways? Jesus’s Passion (His suffering) and His death are seen as the supreme showcase of His glory. How can this be? How can glory come from such horror and excruciating suffering?Jesus closed the gap between our sin and God’s righteousness. Because of this, Jesus’s complete innocence was given to us. John invites us to ponder glory emanating from creation is illusive, momentary, diluted and falls short of the glory of God. What times in your life have you experienced this momentary, fleeting glory? How long did it satisfy you? Did it make you want to keep seeking it?? If this type of glory never brings complete satisfaction why do we keep seeking it?DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIESDelighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, ro

Apr 25, 202240 min

S8 Ep 145God is moving in France! | with David Broussard

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Stephanie welcomes fellow Francophile David Broussard, founder and president of Impact France, for an update on what God is up to in France today. David has an unusual story of coming to faith from agnosticism while studying in France! Yes! It is one of the many parallels between his and Stephanie's story of faith--in uncanny reverse! Today we talk about the importance of the truth that Jesus is alive, as foundational to our faith and the cornerstone of Easter. David shares his unusual and inspiring journey of faith, and his heart to come alongside French and American Christians to develop bridges of fellowship and relationship. He talks about his ministry, Impact France, and he invites YOU to join thousands to pray for France for the next three weeks, starting on Easter day. David shares some of the most striking and inspiring French ministries impacting French Christians today, including (without prior agreement!) two ministries very close to Stephanie's heart and personal experience: Alpha France and The Chosen France. Join the conversation at impactfrance.org and prayforfrance.orgYou will also find Impact France on Insta at @pray.for.france or on our own Insta account, from which we follow all our GospelSpice guests!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImpactFranceTwitter: @prayforfrance We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blogIdentity in the battle | Ephesianshttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/Malachi: Messenger to Messiahhttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/Wisdom from the Book of Proverbshttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebratedhttps://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/GOD'S GLORY, OUR DELIGHT | THE GOSPEL SPICE SERIESDelighting in the glory of God. Does this concept strike you as reserved for spiritual contemplatives? What if, instead, it proved the highly practical, deeply foundational perspective you need right now?Why does God’s glory even matter in our day and age? How can we learn from Jesus to make His glory our true North and lifelong quest? What keeps us from fully stepping into this God-ordained purpose for our life? How do we kindle delight for God on a daily basis? And, once we have embraced God’s glory as our heart’s true delight, how can we then come alongside others?Join us to cultivate a sincere delight for God’s glory, rooted in an honest, hard look at the depth of our need, and in the much deeper Reality of His grace. Trace the glory of God through Scripture and in your own life. Behold the exact radiance of God’s glory, revealed in Jesus. Learn to see yourself as Christ does—through the lens of the Father’s love at the cross. Jesus offers to overwhelm our deadly self-centeredness with His resurrection power. He carries us every step of the way, even as He calls us to true humility on the path to glory.Who has time to cultivate the delight that comes from pondering the glory of God? And yet, nothing could be more urgent today. Marthas and Marys, Peters and Johns—we are all invited to dare to dream of a lifestyle of God-centered delight. Nothing could be more practical.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blogSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Apr 18, 202246 min

S8 Ep 144How to live a life worthy of life | Os Guinness | Easter 2022

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Os Guinness is back for this special Easter 2022 episode on the meaning of life. We discuss our role in seeking God, and His role in finding us! Os says, "Without God, we cannot know God; and we know God only when we meet Him."This Easter, we invite you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season, and to ask yourself if you are living the fullness of the life God has for you. We also invite you to invite others to ask themselves this essential question! Os tells us that questions can have "a subversive, even revolutionary potential." He talks about the power of personal experience in our journey to find God. In a nutshell, he invites us to taste and see that the Lord is good! As Os says, "coming to know God is coming home."Watch the LIVE conversation recording on our YouTube channel and make sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/0N1fFlVp4DQ?feature=oembed Os shares his latest book, The Great Quest, a most useful little jewel of a book to share the meaning of life with those who are seeking to live a life worth living: What is life all about? What are we here for? Is there any meaning or purpose to our existence? Thinkers throughout the centuries have pondered these questions. While the distractions of the modern world prevent many from grappling seriously with such matters, the truth is that humans cannot live without meaning any more than we can live without breathing or eating.The Great Quest is also perfect for Christians who seek to take their relationship with God to the next level (that would be all of us!) through reason and experience both. Os says, "faith in God is a step taken in the light of reason, and it may certainly be a step taken with deep emotions."Os tells us what keeps people from thinking about the examined life. What questions do we need to be asking? Where do we find answers? How do we go about exploring the answers that seem potentially legitimate? How does the Christian faith illuminate our quest in ways that no other worldview does? What does Easter mean in all of it? How does it provide the most --the only--adequate answer to our deepest longings? Why is truth more relevant than ever, in our postmodern, post-truth culture?ABOUT "THE GREAT QUEST""The unexamined life is not worth living." —SocratesOs Guinness invites us to examine our lives and join the great quest for meaning and a life well lived. For those who are up to Socrates' challenge, it is a search that is indispensable to making the most of life. Guinness charts the course of the thinking person's journey toward faith and meaning, calling for a firm grasp of reason, an honest awareness of conscience, and a living sense of wonder. He affirms that there is a time for questions, and that following those questions can indeed lead us to answers, evidence, and commitment.When life becomes a question, the search is on for an answer. Come find yourself on a sure path to meaning.ABOUT OS GUINNESSOs Guinness (DPhil, Oxford) is the author or editor of more than thirty-five books, including The Dust of Death, The Call, Fool's Talk, Carpe Diem Redeemed, The Magna Carta of Humanity, Last Call for Liberty, Impossible People, Unspeakable, and Time for Truth. He is the founder of the Trinity Forum, a prominent social critic, and a frequent speaker who has addressed audiences worldwide.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 a

Apr 11, 202251 min

S7 Ep 143Be inspired with real-life heroes of faith | with Jasmine Holmes

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 143 – Jasmine Holmes joins us for an inspiring conversation about 10 seemingly unknown Black women who changed their communities when they were alive in the 18th and 19th centuries, and whose legacy can still be felt today. Regardless of our gender, our color, our age, our culture or even where we live in the world, we can all learn much from each of these 10 heroes.Jasmine says: “Black women are made in the image of God carved in ebony. This book is an unapologetic rejoicing in the fact that God chose to make each woman profiled in this book both Black and female for His glory. And it was good.”These heroes of the faith might have been largely forgotten until today, but Jasmine underwent thorough research to bring them back into the limelight to inspire us. In her book “Carved in Ebony” Jasmine invites us on a journey of discovery to transform us spiritually and challenge us to be forces for good and for change in our communities. Through the research and reflections of author Jasmine Holmes, you will be inspired by what each of these exceptional women can teach us about the intersections of faith and education, birth, privilege, opportunity, and so much more.Carved in Ebony will take you past the predominantly white, male contributions that seemingly dominate history books and church history to discover how Black women have been some of the main figures in defining the landscape of American history and faith.LEARN ABOUT BLACK WOMEN WHO SERVED GOD IN EXTRAORDINARY WAYS:ELIZABETH FREEMAN - NANNIE HELEN BURROUGHS - MARIA FEARING- CHARLOTTE FORTEN GRIMKÉ - SARAH MAPPS DOUGLASS - SARA GRIFFITH STANLEY - AMANDA BERRY SMITH - LUCY CRAFT LANEY - MARIA STEWART - FRANCES ELLEN WATKINS HARPER. These names may not be familiar, but each one of these women was a shining beacon of devotion in a world that did not value their lives.MEET JASMINE HOLMESJasmine says of herself,I’m a pastor’s kid. In the parable of the prodigal son, I’m definitely the do-good “older brother” who used to think she had everything under control. Throughout my twenty-year walk with the Lord, I’ve been reminded time and again of my need for Christ — through miscarriage, through post-partum depression, through two cross-country moves in two years.The focus of my writing and speaking is identity. I understand what it is like to endure an identity crisis. For most of my life, I’ve wrestled with pretending to have a neat and tidy checklist of how I’m supposed to present myself to the world.I'm beginning to understand that my security can’t come from the external checklist or the opinions of others; it has to be found in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who is equipped to handle the messiness I tried to hide.https://jasminelholmes.com/https://carvedinebonybook.com/#bonuseshttps://www.facebook.com/jasmine.bauchamhttps://www.instagram.com/jasminelholmes/Jasmine L. Holmes is the author of Mother to Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope. She is also a contributing author for Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Our Identity in Christ and His Testimonies and My Heritage: Women of Color on the Word of God. She and her husband, Phillip, are parenting three young sons. They attend Redeemer Church, PCA in Jackson, Mississippi.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 mor

Apr 4, 202236 min

S7 Ep 142Can I really make a difference? | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!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 podca

Mar 28, 202228 min

S7 Ep 141How can I respectfully step into the racial dialogue? | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 141 - Stephanie is joined by 3 friends to explore a cross-cultural conversation around racial dialogue. Around a cup of virtual coffee, Angel, Beth and Lindsay answer some key questions and invite YOU to step up to initiate your own conversations towards racial reconciliation:- What has been your personal experience, or a meaningful encounter, with the idea of racial difference?- What does it take for conversations about differences to even be possible or be considered?- What is your reaction to how you are seeing the church in general handle this conversation? How about the idea of hoping the system can change?- If the church and the system are not stepping up to the task, then it is even more obvious that it is our role, on a personal level, to role-model these conversations. So, how do we develop trust and safety to create the context for them to happen?We hope this conversation will invite church-going believers to engage meaningfully with others who are different from them. We want to communicate that creating an atmosphere and foundation of trust is necessary for any meaningful conversation to start happening, and then for ever-deeper conversations to keep happening.This episode is a joint gift by the Gospel Spice team as a whole. It is an integral element of our Shades of Red series because we hope this conversation is an example of mature conversation between deep friends. We hope to stress that it is not the starting point of a relationship, nor the listener’s goal as a starting point. It is more like an end goal to keep in sight: the goal to get to a place where you too can have those conversations, and feel ok if they still feel awkward. Because they will!Communication is a dance that helps us find out how far we can take the conversation. Some key tips from this episode:- A commitment to racial dialogue is a series of small steps, a long obedience in the same direction.- Gauge the relationship at every step to decide if it is time to take it deeper, or best to let it cruise a bit.- As with dancing, we want to be ok to say you stepped on my toes, be ok to acknowledge and apologize, be ok to keep dancing and creating beauty together, even of not perfectly.- The importance of the music when you dance: being in tune togetherJesus role-models hard conversations and sets the tone for us: He is singing reconciliation over us, and invites us to dance to His music. How will YOU respond to His calling today?DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to en

Mar 23, 202250 min

S7 Ep 140Standing up to oppression | Informed. Interceding. Involved. Influencing

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 140 - Today we get practical. Stephanie gives us 4 clear steps that we can all take, and that we can trust will make a difference. They are the four I's:- Information- Intercession- Involvement- Influence.This is not just a cute mnemonic decvice; it is deeply rooted in Scripture and practical application. How can you keep on being INFORMED? How can you then move to heartfelt INTERCESSION? This will lead you to want to get INVOLVED, and we look at what it can look like. Finally, all this will necessarily lead you to want to INFLUENCE others and lead them to become informed, intercessors, and involved as influencers. There is so much packed into those four little I's. And the best part? We get to co-partner with God who is our Lord, Guide, Source, and Inspiration. His glory, our delight!(By the way... "God's Glory, Our Delight" is such a key concept, that it is the title and content of our NEXT GospelSpice series, starting soon! It's a huge deal here for us at GospelSpice because "God's Glory, our Delight" is the personal motto of our founder Stephanie Rousselle. Stay tuned for more info and to signup for free for this new in-depth God-soaked study!)DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!NEW!Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:Gospel Spice Ministr

Mar 21, 202216 min

S7 Ep 139Repairing racial brokenness | A fresh vision for deep healing with Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 139 - Christians are awakening to the legacy of racism in America like never before. While public conversations regarding the realities of racial division and inequalities have surged in recent years, so has the public outcry to work toward the long-awaited healing of these wounds. But American Christianity, with its tendency to view the ministry of reconciliation as its sole response to racial injustice, and its isolation from those who labor most diligently to address these things, is underequipped to offer solutions. Because of this, the church needs a new perspective on its responsibility for the deep racial brokenness at the heart of American culture and on what it can do to repair that brokenness. So, today Stephanie welcomes Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson, co-authors of a book that she is very eager to share with you, Reparations, in the context of our Shades of Red series. This is a deep, serious, and visionary conversation which, Stephanie hopes, will inspire you to embrace the practical steps of the Shades of Red series: to be informed, to intercede, to become involved, and to influence."REPARATIONS" makes a compelling historical and theological case for the church’s obligation to provide reparations for the oppression of African Americans. Duke Kwon and Gregory Thompson articulate the church’s responsibility for its promotion and preservation of white supremacy throughout history, investigate the Bible’s call to repair our racial brokenness, and offer a vision for the work of reparation at the local level. They lead readers toward a moral imagination that views reparations as a long-overdue and necessary step in our collective journey toward healing and wholeness.MEET THE AUTHORSDuke L. Kwon (MDiv, ThM, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is the lead pastor at Grace Meridian Hill, a neighborhood congregation in the Grace DC Network committed to building cross-cultural community in Washington, DC. Kwon is active in public conversations around race, equity, and racial repair in the American church, and he lectures on these topics around the country. His work has appeared in the Washington Post, Christianity Today, and The Witness.Gregory Thompson (PhD, University of Virginia) is a pastor, scholar, artist, and producer whose work focuses on race and equity in the United States. He serves as executive director of Voices Underground (an initiative to build a national memorial to the Underground Railroad outside of Philadelphia), research fellow in African American heritage at Lincoln University (HBCU), and visiting theologian for mission at Grace Mosaic Church in Washington, DC. He is also the cocreator of Union: The Musical, a soul and hip-hop-based musical about the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike. Thompson lives in Charlottesville, Virginia.Follow them at the Reparations Projects on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reparations_project/ 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/blogSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Mar 14, 202247 min

S7 Ep 138What does the Bible teach about slavery? | Paul's letter to Philemon

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 138 - in Shades of Red, our series on the consequences of sin on human relationships, Stephanie now takes a moment to ponder Paul's words to his dear friend Philemon. In this short letter, tucked towards the end of your Bible, many have found discomfort and controversy because Paul does not seem to openly reject the then-common institution of slavery. Does it mean that Paul condoned slavery? What does the Bible teach about this infamous practice? How can we reconcile what we think we read there, with our modern sensibilities? Could it be that Paul actually commanded Philemon to free his slave? Might we just need cultural eyes to read what Philemon read between the lines? Can we conclude with confidence that Paul rejected slavery in all its forms, even as he called himself a slave to Jesus Christ? This is the case we are making with this episode. Stephanie and GospelSpice team members are convinced that Paul utterly ordered Philemon to free Onesimus--albeit in culturally sensitive terms that our own 21st century Western culture does not have eyes to see. Slavery is an extreme form of human trafficking, clearly condemned by Scripture.You've probably heard that slavery back then was different from what we moderns think of--1619 and African slave ships. But even so, does it mean that Paul condoned THAT ancient form of slavery? how can that be right? what does the Bible teach about slavery, both in ancient times, and today? Slavery is an extreme form of oppression and trafficking, and a sin against God because we are all created in His image, male and female, Shades of Red, Adama-humans. We believe God rejects all forms of oppression, including slavery in all its forms. He calls us to surrender to Him alone, and to encourage one another to live in freedom under His perfect Lordship.This is an uncomfortable topic for many. Stephanie did much research, and sought the approval of several friends, on her team and outside her team here at GospelSpice before publishing this content. But it does not make this topic an easy one. So, take a listen. And then let us know what you think! We would love to hear from you. DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the c

Mar 7, 202233 min

S7 Ep 137Embrace the upside-down Kingdom | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 137 - Stephanie invites us to ponder the upside-down Kingdom of God that Jesus heralded. We talk about hell, about the enemy opf our soul and his strategies to take us down with him. We mostly focus on the supremacy of our Lord, King and Savior. No wonder Jesus talks about heaven and hell more than anyone else in Scripture. He is cupping our face in His hands and gently redirecting our gaze to our heavenly Father, who awaits to restore us to fellowship with Him and with one another—male ‘kai’ female. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and to unravel the threads of lies he has woven in our relationships and identity. Jesus restores our relationship to God, to one another, and to ourselves by losing His relationship to the Father, by dying alone, and by becoming sin in our stead so that we might become the righteousness of God as the very core of our identity (2Corinthians 5:21).When death became inevitable, He embraced the most despicable torture ever invented, so shameful it made His followers run away. Though He remained sinless after a lifetime of adama-dwelling, He agreed to swap places with us, adama for adama, and, in agreement with His Father since before the foundation of time, endured the ultimate torture: he became so intimately experientially knowledgeable about evil, that He experienced the separation from the Father that should have been ours at the base of our own tree of the knowledge of good and evil.In the upside-down Kingdom of God, the first will be last, and the last will be first. Weakness is strength, and pride comes before a fall. The poor in spirit will inherit the Kingdom of God. Blessed are the persecuted. These are the new laws of gravity in the Kingdom of God—so different from the ones in the fallen spiritual realm.Jesus gave us the spiritual laws of His Kingdom in what we know as the Sermon on the Mount. His Kingdom is not about equality and rights, or authority and leadership. It is about unity and love as God uses each one of us to build the Kingdom of God on adama-ground today—the adama-ground of our hearts, both personally and as the body of believers, as well as the adama-ground of all humanity, believers and unbelievers alike. We are all shades of red, and Christ died for all who call on Him to be saved. We are called to serve a world in dire need because we share with Christ our adama-flesh. The poor around us are many. Many are the worthy causes in our day.For more on this topic, join our guest teacher for a thorough look at the upside-down Kingdom Jesus invites us to join, with our special Gospel Spice teacher, Roslyn. 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. 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

Feb 28, 202227 min

S7 Ep 136Building a legacy under I AM | with Pastor Jamal Johnson | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 136 - Pastor Jamal Johnson of Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago joins Stephanie for a candid, heartfelt conversation about building a legacy under the great I AM. They discuss the current issues facing the American church in terms of conflict, division, and all things that work against the unity of the Body of Christ. So, when Pastor Jamal interprets Psalm 88 in light of the Negro Spirituals, it a beautiful immersion into the deep theology and vibrant faith that carried his ancestors through the dark days of American history, all the way to today. They also discuss the beauty and challenges of raising the next generation to delight in God, as well as the scars and pitfalls of parenting. Pastor Jamal challenges us with the timely question of what we will do with what has been entrusted to us, both from the past and towards the future. From heartache to hope, Stephanie was brought to tears a couple of times, and you just might be, too. Pastor Jamal has a huge heart for his family, his community, all his brothers and sisters in Christ, and for the world. His passion to "brag about his Lord" as he says, is beautifully contagious. As they discuss the various dimensions of pandemic, you will discover that the best one is the one we are called to - to love one another so the world will know that we are Christ's disciples. Pastor Jamal Johnson holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Legal Studies and a Masters of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He serves as the Assistant Pastor at the iconic & historic Progressive Baptist Church in Chicago’s Bronzeville community. In 2020 he joined the North American Advocate team for Biblica’s Reach4Life Discipleship ministry along with Matt & Danielle Forte. Pastor Jamal currently resides on the southside of Chicago with his beautiful wife Rheanna and their four fantastic children (Nasir, Na’ilah, Na’imah, Nuriyah). DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep inte

Feb 21, 202245 min

S7 Ep 135The consequences of the curse | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 135 - What does it mean to be "Shades of Red" as fallen humans? What are the consequences of the curse of sin in human relationships? Stephanie invites us to ponder the consequences of what we discovered about the law of spiritual gravity in Episode 134. Make sure to have listened to it before you tune in for today!We saw that the adama-red of the adama-ground is for the first time an echo of the adama-blood of adama-man in death (Genesis 4:3-11). It was only the beginning. We have all chosen to experience evil—maybe not in the form of murder, but as anger or resentment at least. We have broken the spiritual law of gravity, and it has spiritually killed us as effectively as a jump off a 1,000-foot cliff would kill our body. Spiritual death means we are all separated from the Tree of Life by those sword-wielding cherubim (Genesis 3:24). The swords will kill us if we seek to approach a holy God, who is Life. True life is so much off limits, that death will worm its way into our physical life, and we will die physically even as we are dead spiritually. Death will become so prevalent, in fact, that all of creation will suffer echoes of the spiritual death of adama-man-ground. Choices have consequences, and we look at what they were for our ancestors: Eve will not understand Adam’s burden, nor he hers. And now, male ‘kai’ female is no more. They are estranged from and at odds with each other. Fascinatingly, it is the very first time that male and female are treated differently—as separate Selves. The first consequence of their common choice of Self over God is their separation. No more male ‘kai’ female until Christ unites us again, as Galatians 3:28 points out. Now there is conflict and division, a focus on Self, a quest for equality and rights or authority and power, instead of God’s pre-fall plan of unity and love.For more on this topic, join our guest teacher for a thorough look at the potential risks of human relationships 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. 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/blogDo 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/signup2- 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 Sp

Feb 14, 202218 min

S7 Ep 134The spiritual law of gravity | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!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

Feb 7, 202220 min

S7 Ep 133What affects one affects all | with poet and Pastor Drew Jackson | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 133 - Stephanie welcomes Pastor and poet Drew Jackson who invites us to experience the gospel of Luke through his own culture today. He weaves his own growing-up years with Luke's words about the birth of Jesus, and his own ministry and outreach to the marginalized, with Jesus' calling to bring freedom to the captives and restoration to the wounded. His debut poetry collection, God Speaks Through Wombs, is a unique contribution to the world of poetry. This collection is a poetic telling of the first eight chapters of the Gospel of Luke, centering the theme of liberation. In this collection Jackson is asking the question, “What if we were able to hear the story of the Gospel of Luke from the perspective of those on the margins,” which Jackson says he believes was Luke’s intention in the first place. Throughout history the story of the Gospels has been co-opted by the powerful, and this is continuing to happen in our day. This collection of poems is an attempt to recover those voices that have so often been silenced. At the same time, this poetry is deeply personal and engages how the Gospel of Luke interacts with Jackson’s own story of being a Black man navigating the landscape of American life.Meet Drew JacksonDrew E. Jackson is a poet who came late to writing poetry, although he would say that his love for the art form began with hip-hop, learning to put words together from Nas’ Illmatic. He writes at the intersection of justice, peace, and contemplation, having a passion to contribute toward a more just and whole world. Born in Williamstown, NJ, Drew currently calls New York City home. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. While he’s not traversing the world of poetry, Drew spends his time pastoring Hope East Village, a church that he planted in March of 2018. Drew also serves as the President of Pax, an organization focused on promoting the peace of Jesus in the 21st century. Drew is blessed to share life with his wife Genay, and their twin daughters Zora and Suhaila.Connect with Drew: https://www.djacksonpoetics.com/ SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep interceding, get involved, and keep influencing our generation. We will also occasionally welcome special guests who share our passion to fight against oppression in all its forms, for example through the fight against human trafficking, or through racial reconciliation, and more.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blogSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Jan 31, 202250 min

S7 Ep 132Love is a choice | Shades of Red

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 132 - Love is a choice. What does it mean? Was it God's choice? Is it still His choice for us? was it ours? Do we get to choose to love God? What does it look like?God created us with a brain and a thirst for knowledge and understanding, and He invites us to use it. Our Christian theology must shape and inform our understanding of oppression and our role in fighting it. Why would we allow a secular worldview to shape our thoughts on this issue when we have access to the timeless wisdom and truth that comes from the Creator from before time began? So, it all begins with understanding God’s plan for adama-humanity.As Stephanie explains this week, love is by essence relational and decisional: in any relationship, love is a choice. If there is no choice, there cannot be true love. A mother cannot force a child to love her but welcomes the free expression of it. A husband cannot force love from his wife, though he may earn it. A command to love is an oxymoron. Love must be freely given and freely received to earn its name. Therefore, God could not make love mandatory. For love to be a choice, there has to be alternatives. God created us in such a way that we are most ourselves, and most happy, when we love Him. He is the ultimate in all things good and beautiful and lovely and perfect, so His desire that we should love Him is a desire to give us unfettered access to all that is good and beautiful and lovely and perfect—and nothing less. Every time we love something other than God, we settle for something less good, less beautiful, less lovely, less perfect than what we have access to. It’s a self-imposed tragedy we all experience on a daily basis.For more on this topic, join our guest teacher for a thorough look at what it means to be a "Shades of Red" human 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. 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/blogSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Jan 24, 202219 min

S7 Ep 131We are all SHADES OF RED.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 131 - Stephanie welcomes you in our brand new series, Shades of Red. What does it mean to be human? We go back to the garden of Eden to uncover God's purpose in creating Adam and Eve, and you and me. Unity is the overarching theme that permeates the creation of humanity. Slave or free, Jew or Gentile—regardless of these, God tells us that between man and woman, unity prevails. The unpacking of this profound Biblical theology has led to some of humanity’s most worthy accomplishments in the Name of Christ: the abolition of slavery, the creation of hospitals and orphanages, and so much more. It is even now the very reason why our generation is on the frontline of the fight against our day’s most pervasive evils.Because I am free, and especially because I am free in Christ, I am called to be a bond-slave in Christ to my brothers and sisters who are oppressed today. Our generation has the unique privilege to move countless to freedom, because we are all shades of red.DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family.PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people!Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog(*ListenNotes ranking, 2023)SHADES OF RED is a new original series by GospelSpice Ministries. We ponder humanity as loved, created, fallen and, in Christ, redeemed.SHADES OF RED brings you a simple theological perspective to understand the consequences of the curse of sin on humanity, followed by a practical approach to step up against the evils of our day, rooted in unity between man and woman. Weaving real-life Bible stories, this series will help you get informed, keep interceding, get involved, and keep influencing our generation. We will also occasionally welcome special guests who share our passion to fight against oppression in all its forms, for example through the fight against human trafficking, or through racial reconciliation, and more.Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blogDo 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/signup2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube

Jan 17, 202219 min

S7 Ep 130Loving the least of these | fighting human trafficking in our own communities with Raleigh Sadler

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 130 – Get ready for a vulnerable, powerful conversation today with Raleigh Sadler, author, activist and global influencer against human trafficking. Raleigh shares his personal journey away from the comforts of an expected faith, and into the unexpected world of serving “the least of these” in the Name of Jesus. He tells Stephanie about facing his fears and how daring to be vulnerable with God and with others is the key to embracing weakness as Paul does, and to live the life that God created for us. It is not easy—it will actually require everything you have, and then some—but it is modeled after what our Lord has done for us. Today, we invite you to dare to take a small step towards embracing Stephanie’s favorite verse, Philippians 3:10: For my determined purpose is that I may KNOW Christ, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.As you discover practical ways to serve the orphan, the widow, the vulnerable and the least of these in your own communities, you will taste fresh flavors of fellowship with the One who left everything behind and made Himself vulnerable in the ultimate sense, so that in Him we may learn to be weak so that He may be strong.GOSPELSPICE GIVEAWAY: "VULNERABLE" BY RALEIGH SADLERRaleigh Sadler is giving away copies of his inspiring book, "Vulnerable." Go to gospelspice.com/giveaway to enter for a chance to win.MEET RALEIGH SADLERHuman trafficking can affect as many as 40.3 million people globally. The problem is that most often those who are trafficked are hidden in plain sight. Victims are often hidden behind our assumptions. In other words, human trafficking is the exploitation of vulnerabilities for commercial gain. Exploiters are looking for those who are marginalized and stigmatized. They are looking for the people who won't be noticed by society at large.For this reason, human trafficking can happen anywhere because there are vulnerable people everywhere. But what would happen if the local church began to take notice of those who are most at risk of exploitation in their communities? Having served in Christian ministry since 2001, Raleigh Sadler believes that the local church is God's answer to those most vulnerable. Currently, he is the founder and executive director of Let My People Go. His passion is to see the local church fight global injustices, like human trafficking, by loving those whom traffickers most often target. His passion is to see the local church fight global injustices, like human trafficking, by loving those most vulnerable. He believes that the church should be leading the way in the fight against human trafficking because the Gospel frees us to pursue justice and mercy in our communities. With this message, he has worked with churches, universities, and other collaborative organizations around the country. He believes it is the responsibility of the church to love those who are at risk of exploitation. His most recent book, Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking (Broadman and Holman) is available now.Discover more at https://www.lmpg.org/Let My People Go is dedicated to building a network of well-equipped churches capable of loving those most vulnerable in their churches and communities. Practically, this "love" is evidenced throughout the congregation as the church identifies, empowers, protects, and includes those who traffickers would normally target. While any church can begin a ministry to the vulnerable, not every church can actually sustain this ministry overtime. For this reason, Let My People Go paces with each church as they aim to empower their congregation to care for the hurting in their respective communities.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

Jan 10, 202241 min

S7 Ep 129Dream for 2022 today | with Whitney Reynolds

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 129 – Stephanie welcomes Chicago-based friend and TV show host Whitney Reynolds for a fun, deep, and whimsical conversation to enter 2022. She tells us about her relationship with God, personally and at work, in her family, marriage and kids and through her friends. Her enthusiasm to encourage is deeply inspiring and endearing… and she is such fun to be with!Whitney says she used to be a “stale Christian” in the church—and she didn’t even know it. Because she is so cheerful and encouraging, she cruised through life until God called her to a deeper awareness of His presence, and she is enjoying it now, even beckoning us deep within alongside her! She shares about life with 6-year-old twins amidst a whirlwind of life and activity, keeping her eyes on her Lord. We talk about her very personal prayers for her little ones. We talk about the impact of her show all around the world, and in her own heart. God is using her very own show to teach her to embrace Him at a deeper level!Whitney and Stephanie move the conversation to our dreams for 2022. What are our dreams? How do we know they are from God? How do we show up for them? How do we let Him take centerstage?We invite you to join in this conversation of things deep and light too, and to rejoice for what God is in the making of doing in and through you in 2022!Emmy nominated & Telly Award winning Whitney Reynolds' national news background and love for people have been combined to create a show that is changing the dialogue for talk TV. She produces a program that is dedicated to being a safe space for delicate life stories. She discovered this mission first hand through her own difficult childhood. The Whitney Reynolds Show educates, inspires and makes a difference, one topic at a time. What started as an online talk show moved to NBC within its first year. In 2012 the show made strategic changes, which included a shift in focus and move to PBS & eventually streaming on TUBI TV. In 2020 the show was picked up for national distribution by NETA and starting premiering across the country January 6th of 2021.The mission however, doesn’t stop with her TV program. Since 2013 Whitney has hosted a motivational “give back” segment on iHeart Radio. She also authored Beyond The Interview and has a column in Cancer Wellness Magazine. Over the years Whitney has help fundraising over 2 million of dollars for local and global charities through her media work.Originally from Oklahoma, she's learned how to combine southern charm with big city hustle. Her motto is: If the door closes, find the darn window. Whitney graduated from Baylor University in three years and moved to New York to intern for Good Morning America. Post GMA, she was a morning anchor in both Oklahoma and Texas. She has since planted her roots in Chicago and lives in the Roscoe Village neighborhood with her husband David and 5 year old twins. CONNECT WITH WHITNEYhttps://www.whitneyreynolds.com/https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyReynoldsTVhttps://www.instagram.com/whitney_reynolds/ 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 supportin

Jan 3, 202249 min

S6 Ep 128Bring fresh spice in the bedroom | with Sheila Wray Gregoire

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 128 – Stephanie welcomes Sheila Wray Gregoire to talk about Christian marriage in general, and sex in particular. Sheila brings a fresh, different perspective to intimate relationship and invites us to reconsider some of the things we might have been taught through mainstream Christian marriage books. Have you ever wondered if women need respect, too, and what that looks like when husbands need love? This episode will hopefully trigger conversations between spouses within the context of Christian marriage. So, grab a cup of coffee, cuddle up under a blanket and dare to listen to this conversation together with your spouse; then, talk about what you hear, and share your reaction to Sheila’s message! Stephanie really encourages you to open up in conversation with your spouse. You will be surprised by what they think and believe—what an opportunity to correct some widespread misconceptions!We’re entering the conversation about sex and pleasure today, and it’s a great way to start 2022 afresh in our Christian marriages! Could it be that some of the things you may have read or been taught, are not actually true in your particular marriage? Might it be that some of these teachings do not foster trust and communication, but a spirit of animosity and ignorance? For example, have you ever heard it said that the Christian wife owes her husband sexual intimacy, regardless of whether she wants to, or not? Have you ever heard it said that a woman should give her husband sex at least every 72 hours? Have you ever heard it said that if, as a wife, you do not satisfy your husband sexually, he will be drawn to porn and unhealthy sex practices? Why do only half the women experience orgasm during sex, against almost 100% of men? Did you know that Christian wives experience more physical pain during sex, overall, than the general population? What if frequency was a symptom, not a root cause to a deeper problem? What is libido, and how is desire triggered? How does mainstream entertainment teach us the wrong definition of desire and libido? Have you ever seen how disrespectful it is to men to state that they always lust? Have you ever wondered how shameful this message is for men? Sheila brings a scientific AND Biblical approach that will help us reassess what “sex” really is: is it merely intercourse, or how can it become “love-making”?Sheila gives us the secret to a more vibrant sex life... just tune in!This is a sensitive, and maybe controversial conversation, and that is what makes for a healthy conversation! There is only one way to find out what you believe about a healthy sex life within your Christian marriage... take a listen, and talk with your spouse about this conversation!GO TO GOSPELSPICE.COM/GIVEAWAY to enter for a chance to win Sheila's book!!Sheila Wray Gregoire is a popular speaker, marriage blogger, and the author of eight books, including The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex. She loves encouraging women in their relationships, both with God and with their husbands, children, and friends. Her passion is for marriage, and she and her husband Keith speak together at marriage outreaches and at FamilyLife Canada marriage conferences. Sheila believes in authenticity, and gives real solutions to the very real and messy problems women, and couples, can face. You can usually find her in Belleville, Ontario, where she’s constantly texting her two young adult daughters and knitting. Preferably simultaneously.About “The Great Sex Rescue”:What if it's not your fault that sex is bad in your marriage?Based on a groundbreaking in-depth survey of 22,000 Christian women, The Great Sex Rescue unlocks the secrets to what makes some marriages red hot while others fizzle out. Generations of women have grown up with messages about sex that make them feel dirty, used, or invisible, while men have been sold such a cheape

Dec 27, 20211h 0m

S6 Ep 127God invites us to co-create beauty | with Christie Purifoy

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 127 – This conversation is an invitation to cozy up by the fireplace, with a hot cup of your favorite spiced tea and intrumental music in the background. We hope you will enjoy it as 2021 gently comes to an end. Stephanie welcomes Christie Purifoy today. Christie describes herself as a gardener, writer and placemaker. She and Stephanie may only have met a few week ago, but it already feels like they have known each other much longer than that! That’s how God works when He brings His children together, isn’t it? And they invite you to join them for a whimsical conversation about all things spiritual—from a garden to an old red brick farmhouse, to all manner of human relationships under the canopy of heaven.Stephanie has enjoyed stepping into Christie’s books, lingering there to taste and see the beauty of the Lord through creation and through relationships. Christie’s unique writing style and whimsical storytelling is deeply attractive, and truly satisfying. Adding her books to your must-reads in 2022 would be a wonderful way to care for your soul!Christie Purifoy is a writer and gardener. Her favorite ordinary things include strawberry jam, homegrown flowers, and old books with someone else's notes in them. She lives with her husband and children at Maplehurst, a Victorian red brick farmhouse in southeastern Pennsylvania.Christie earned a PhD in English Literature from the University of Chicago before trading the classroom for a picket-fenced garden and an old writing desk. Today, she grows zucchini her four kids refuse to eat. The zucchini-loving chickens are perfectly happy with this arrangement.Christie believes that life, in all its pain and beauty and mystery, is a journey of love. Writing keeps her eyes wide-open to this astonishing reality. You can pre-order Christie’s latest book, Garden Maker, from any of these book sellers: https://www.christiepurifoy.com/garden-maker-book/LIMITED TIME OFFER - Preorder and Receive Valuable Gardening Resources from Christie: When you preorder Garden Maker, you’ll receive a free three-month subscription to Christie’s Black Barn Garden Club, a flower arranging guide, and a “plan your plot” printable to help you visualize your garden space. Redeeming your preorder is easy. Just order the book and return to this page to fill out the form: https://www.christiepurifoy.com/garden-maker-book/Christie's first book, Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons, was published by Revell in 2016. Her newest book, Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace, released in spring 2019 from Zondervan and is available wherever books are sold.See more of Maplehurst and meet Christie here.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

Dec 20, 202152 min

S6 Ep 126Enter God's presence in your wilderness

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 126 - Stephanie wrote this episode to invite you one last time to experience God in your wilderness, by centering on Christ through the Tabernacle. She invites you to walk with her in the wilderness campsite and make your way into the presence of God. It came to her after she started the series, so it is an unexpected Christmas gift!We hope it will be as special to you as it is to us!This special episode is a great way to introduce Gospel Spice and our Centering on Christ study to newcomers. It is also our final conclusion on the series. We hope you have been enjoying our special Christmas guests, and we promise we have exciting new ones coming this week!SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!! "A Gospel Spice Christmas" is a five-day devotional and reading plan available exclusively on YouVersion / the Bible App.Do you long for fresh spices to flavor your spiritual experience of the Incarnation of Christ? Are you tired of stale clichés that taste like microwaved Christmas dinner leftovers? Are you hungry for an explosion of fresh flavors in your Christmas devotions? Experience a Gospel Spice Christmas alongside the shepherds, and discover how to make your life a daily nativity scene where Christ can be born in ever-deepening ways.Click here or go to your YouVersion Bible App on your phone, and search "Gospel Spice." It is our gift to you! Enjoy!PAY GOSPEL SPICE FORWARD THIS CHRISTMAS.Did you know that this show is completely free because of listeners just like you who pay the show forward, so that it is free for you? We do not want to add paid advertisements because we believe that your time is precious. So, would you consider joining the Gospel Spice family by paying Gospel Spice forward? Because we are a registered non-profit organization, your donation is 100% tax-deductible (in the USA). Contact us for monthly payments, or donate by Credit Card or via PayPal.We invite you to join us to reach even more than the 125 countries we currently serve, and the thousands upon thousands who enjoy the Gospel Spice podcast.The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools brought to you by Gospel Spice Ministries. The Gospel Spice Ministries exist to inspire Christ-followers in our generation to delight in the glory of God by knowing and experiencing Jesus more intimately. 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.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. Donate by Credit Card, or donate via PayPal. 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/signup2- 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 p

Dec 13, 202131 min

S6 Ep 125Three ways to encounter Jesus this Christmas | with Cindy DeBoer, Marci Renee & Christine Trimpe

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 125 – Today is another Special Christmas Gospel Spice gift for you! Stephanie welcomes three dear friends, each with their own message right in time for Christmas. Join us for three short conversations to make this season unique among all. From a calling to leave everything to serve God overseas and even through death, to a special Christmas experience, to a passion to honor Jesus among the least of these—allow these conversations to inspire you, and take your Christmas experience to new levels with our guests.Cindy DeBoer shares her family’s story away from the typical American dream and towards embracing radical obedience. Moving overseas (twice!) and dealing with uncurable illness has shaped Cindy’s faith and taught her to delight in God through the highs and lows of life. This is one story you do not want to miss—personal promise from Stephanie!Marci Renee too has moved overseas several times, and lived cross-culturally most of her life. She now lives in Spain with her family, and has unexpectedly found herself in the trenches of the fight against human trafficking as she now works with a local halfway house, restoring women whose lives have been shattered beyond description. And yes, this is a Christmas story—about redemption for the least of these. We can relate. You will not be the same after you hear Marci—another promise from Stephanie.Finally, Christine Trimpe joins us to tell us about her discovery of the deeper meaning of Christmas—joy! Embrace her quest to seek and find joy in the gospel of Luke, the perfect Advent gift this season. Stephanie loves Christine’s contagious joy and her desire to share her passion with all those she encounters.Scroll below for all the ways to connect with these precious ambassadors of Jesus, this Christmas season and beyond!SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!! "A Gospel Spice Christmas" is a five-day devotional and reading plan available exclusively on YouVersion / the Bible App.Do you long for fresh spices to flavor your spiritual experience of the Incarnation of Christ? Are you tired of stale clichés that taste like microwaved Christmas dinner leftovers? Are you hungry for an explosion of fresh flavors in your Christmas devotions? Experience a Gospel Spice Christmas alongside the shepherds, and discover how to make your life a daily nativity scene where Christ can be born in ever-deepening ways.Click here or go to your YouVersion Bible App on your phone, and search "Gospel Spice." It is our gift to you! Enjoy!CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTSCindy DeBoerWebsite: https://cindydeboer.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cindy.deboer.79Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindydeboerwrites/Marci ReneeWebsite : https://culturalstoryweaver.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/culturalstoryweaverInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/culturalstoryweaver/Twitter: https://twitter.com/culturalstoryLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-cultural-story-weaver/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/culturalstoryweaver/Christine TrimpeTo order Christine’s book: Seeking Joy through the Gospel of Luke (https://christinetrimpe.com/joy)Bonus Chapters of Seeking Joy––an early Christmas gift for you: Seeking Joy BONUS Chapters--an early Christmas gift! (https://christinetrimpe.com/seeking-joy-bonus-chapters)Contact email: [email protected] Website: www.christinetrimpe.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineTrimpeLLCInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachchristinetrimpe/Twitter: https://twitter.com/KetoChristineMIYouTube: @ChristineTrimpe https://youtube.com/christinetrimpePinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/joyfulketolife/PAY GOSPEL SPICE FORWARD THIS CHRISTMAS.Did you know that this show is completely free because of listeners just like you who pay the show forward, so that it is free for you? We do not want to add paid advertisements because we believe th

Dec 8, 202156 min

S6 Ep 124Redeem your Christmas shopping & honor Christ | with Kristen Welch

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 124 – Gospel Spice welcomes Mercy House Global and its founder, Kristen Welch. Stephanie has been a fan of Mercy House Global for some time, because of its unique purpose to provide dignified jobs to women out of sex trafficking in Kenya, and to survivors of human trafficking all over the world—locally, in Houston, and globally, in over 40 locations. As Christmas approaches, we Western consumers have the choice to buy responsibly, and to honor God with how we purchase our gifts this season. Think about where your purchases come from; could they come from a sweat shop, where children or women labor for unsustainable wages? Did you know that some children are forced to harvest the cocoa beans that will be used to fill our stockings this season? Did you know that some women are physically chained to their sowing machines to create the cheap stockings that we will purchase to put that chocolate in?How can you be sure that your purchase does not condone modern slavery, but God-honoring practices? Buying fair-trade from reputable Christian organizations is an easy way to spend our money wisely. It is more expensive, for sure. But buying smaller items made with ethical, Christ-centered purpose is preferable to buying bigger, labor-trafficked goods.How about being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us? We want to be able to say, at the end of a phase of our lives, that we have been faithful. What does it look like, and how can we take steps to ensure we will be able to say this, when God brings a phase of our lives to a close, and ushers us into a new phase of life?This is the conversation today on the Gospel Spice podcast with Kristen Welch. It’s not easy to hear; but what about being purposeful towards doing the most good this Christmas? Now is our chance to honor the birth of our Savior through our purchases. Join us this season to experience a labor trafficking-free Christmas, and to support organizations who help women out of sex trafficking too.Go to https://mercyhouseglobal.org/ for more info, and specifically to https://shop.mercyhouseglobal.org/ for shopping ideas.If you want to find out more about sex trafficking, we recommend our Gospel Spice interview with Rebecca Bender, available here (Episode 111, dated September 20, 2021): https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/episode/what-can-i-do-today-to-fight-human-trafficking-a-practical-conversation-with-rebecca-bender-89449/SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!! "A Gospel Spice Christmas" is a five-day devotional and reading plan available exclusively on YouVersion / the Bible App.Do you long for fresh spices to flavor your spiritual experience of the Incarnation of Christ? Are you tired of stale clichés that taste like microwaved Christmas dinner leftovers? Are you hungry for an explosion of fresh flavors in your Christmas devotions? Experience a Gospel Spice Christmas alongside the shepherds, and discover how to make your life a daily nativity scene where Christ can be born in ever-deepening ways.Click here or go to your YouVersion Bible App on your phone, and search "Gospel Spice." It is our gift to you! Enjoy!PAY GOSPEL SPICE FORWARD THIS CHRISTMAS.Did you know that this show is completely free because of listeners just like you who pay the show forward, so that it is free for you? We do not want to add paid advertisements because we believe that your time is precious. So, would you consider joining the Gospel Spice family by paying Gospel Spice forward? Because we are a registered non-profit organization, your donation is 100% tax-deductible (in the USA). Contact us for monthly payments, or donate by Credit Card or via PayPal.We invite you to join us to reach even more than the 125 countries we currently serve, and the thousands upon thousands who enjoy the Gospel Spice podcast.The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools broug

Dec 6, 202136 min

S6 Ep 123The Chosen | with producers Chad Gundersen and Chris Juen

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 123 – The Chosen is with us again today! This special episode is one of our Christmas 2021 Gospel Spice gifts to you 🙂 Chad Gundersen and Chris Juen, Producers for The Chosen and owners of Out of Order Studios, join Stephanie for an exclusive conversation to talk about all things The Chosen Christmas, and so much more! With great humility and passion, they both describe themselves as the ones who come alongside Dallas Jenkins to make his vision come true—and today, they tell us how they do that, every day! So, join us today to experience The Chosen from the inside!We start the conversation with “The Messengers,” the special Christmas with the Chosen movie, and then take it further and deeper. You will hear unique insights into the making of the show, the behind-the-scenes of how relationships with actors, fans, and the team grow and evolve over time.Chad tells us about the philosophy behind The Chosen – the desire to serve the fans and the audience by providing a Christ-centered experience. He vulnerably shares “One of my biggest prayers is, 'Lord don’t let me mess this up.'” How we at Gospel Spice can relate to this!Chris shares how the entire team consistently yields to the Lord’s guidance and direction: “we have a very loose hold on our plans, and time after time after time, His plans are so much better… and almost unachievable.”Stephanie loves both men’s passion for Christ, so representative of the spirit of The Chosen. They also go personal, and tell us about their wives’ roles, and how it is a family and team effort that requires much sacrifice, too. The Chosen is the real deal, and Gospel Spice fully loves all things The Chosen!MEET THE PRODUCERS OF THE CHOSENFor the last 25 years Chris Juen has been involved in many studio tent pole films for both Visual Effects and Animation while working at Sony Pictures. In 2004, after playing a key role on Robert Zemeckis's Polar Express, he made the jump from Live Action to CG Animation. He played a crucial role in helping to setup the new Sony Pictures Animation Division. While at Sony his credits included Co-Producer on hits like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Arthur Christmas, as well as Digital Producer of the animated films Surf's Up and The Polar Express. Juen is also credited as the Visual Effects Producer on Beowulf and a Visual Effects Producer on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. In 2015, along with producer Chad Gundersen, Chris started Out of Order Studios, where they have produced numerous TV shows, animated projects and feature films, including the ground-breaking TV series, The Chosen.Chad Gundersen’s producing career began over 25 years ago while in college at the University of North Texas. While there, Chad co-founded Night & Day Films in 2000 and made numerous award winning commercials, music videos and short films. Going out on his own in 2006, Chad started Gundersen Entertainment where he worked alongside studios like 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate and Sony to produce multiple life-changing films. Some of his more notable projects include Like Dandelion Dust starring Academy Award Winner Mira Sorvino and Barry Pepper, The Trial starring Matthew Modine, Hoovey starring Patrick Warburton and Lauren Holly, as well as the children’s animated series, Owlegories. In 2015, along with producer Chris Juen, Chad started Out of Order Studios, where they have produced numerous TV shows, animated projects and feature films, including the ground-breaking TV series, The Chosen.SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!! "A Gospel Spice Christmas" is a five-day devotional and reading plan available exclusively on YouVersion / the Bible App.Do you long for fresh spices to flavor your spiritual experience of the Incarnation of Christ? Are you tired of stale clichés that taste like microwaved Christmas dinne

Dec 1, 202158 min

S6 Ep 122What does our future hold?

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 122 - Today is our last day in our Tabernacle series, as we get ready to celebrate Christmas in our upcoming season. What better way to prepare for the Incarnate Christ, than to behold one last time the symbolism of the Tabernacle for the incarnation?So we retrace our steps all the way back from Eden, shedding yet another perspective on the essential nature of our understanding of God’s tabernacle for us today as believers.We also take time to tie in loose ends, which point to our Lord gloriously: where is the Ark of the covenant today? What will happen in the future, according to Bible prophecy?Stephanie takes us on a highly experiential episode by highlighting key texts from the Book of Hebrews, and their significance for the Tabernacle today. In a nutshell? The essence of being “IN Christ” and Christ being “IN” us.More details about this final episode in our series:It began as a garden, that became a forbidden place. It was a dwelling place, not a tent. The tent began as just a tent, the dwelling-place of Abraham … It was our first lesson, 8 weeks ago.First came the Tabernacle, a tent whose architect was God, but whose builder was Moses; it was a copy of the future, heavenly tabernacle that would come down from heaven to be the true dwelling place of God with Man, and Man with God. His Name would be Jesus.That first tabernacle, it was a tent within a tent, separated by a veil, a veil which protected God’s people from the nuclear-blast strength of His glory.The Tabernacle traveled and traveled, leading Israel into the promised Land. It finally settled in Jerusalem, and became the Temple.Then, “the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us”; God, in the person of Jesus, dwelt with his people, and died for them. The true Tabernacle had revealed His glory.God now dwells among his people through his Holy Spirit. We, individually and corporately as the universal church, are the Tabernacle and the Temple.Jesus was our forerunner, the “firstborn from the dead” (Col 1.18). We are the next ones after the FIRST born. The human body is a tent, the Tabernacle, or Temple, of the Holy Spirit during life, but soon to be taken down, and replaced, “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Cor 5.1).That’s where we are today. So, what’s next? Revelation takes us up to heaven, God’s people dwelling with him in glory. There is no veil, no separation. Revelation does not end with man going up to heaven to live forever with God. It ends with God coming down from heaven to live with man – in a tent which is now a great city.From the garden to the city that contains a garden – that’s Revelation 21. That glorious heavenly Jerusalem, united with the New heaven and the New Earth, is glorious for many reasons; the most astounding is that God Himself dwells there—and therefore, this is the very definition of heaven.One thing is conspicuously absent from the new Jerusalem. There is no temple, no tabernacle. John did not see a temple in the city, “for the Lord God almighty is its temple, and the Lamb” (Rev 21.22). This city is not a building, and the church is not a building. The new Jerusalem is not, essentially, a city but the church, the people of God with whom he has always wanted to dwell.The Bible ends with the glorious promise that God will come again to dwell with His people forever—at a much more glorious level than anything we have ever experienced even in our most intense moments of intimacy through the Holy Spirit.Can you imagine what awaits you, because you are IN Christ and He is IN you?----About this study: Through the Tabernacle, taste and see that the Lord is good! This might be the most in-depth series yet to release on the Gospel Spice podcast. Yet, its mix of storytelling and insightful illu

Nov 29, 202155 min

S6 Ep 121How do we prepare room for God this Christmas? | with Susie Larson

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 121 – Susie Larson joins Stephanie today to ask, What Matters Most This Christmas Season? What if you approached this Advent more open to the things of God? What if you decided to be expectant that God would move in your midst? What if you made room for the joy found in the coming of our King?Stephanie absolutely devoured “Prepare Him Room”, the brand new Christmas Advent devotional that Susie is bringing to us this Christmas. You can also watch the live video of the conversation on our YouTube channel, and make sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/P9MYgSdx2yM?feature=oembedThese are some of Stephanie’s favorite quotes from Susie’s latest release:"It takes great maturity to embrace holy contentment and holy expectation simultaneously.""Whenever we ask for more from God, He asks for more from us.""Jesus was physically weak but spiritually strong. So can we.""If we don't think God cares about our hunger, we'll miss out on the beautiful experience of His provision; We will be too full on lesser things to notice it.""With Jesus, subtraction precedes multiplication. Humility precedes breakthrough.""Humility and faith is an irresistible combination for Jesus.""God wants you to want His influence.""Jesus invites us to approach Him with wide-eyed wonder and ask that all of who He is would come in and change all of who we are."In their conversation today, Susie shares with Stephanie what she is asking God for Christmas: that He would teach her to leave this year and enter the next, trusting Him more. This is a bold, ambitious, Christ-centered prayer.Susie reminds us that the first Christmas was not commercialized, but was focused on the light of the Lord against the backdrop of darkness. She tells us that our “not yets” do not make us “have nots”—because that is how Christmas came to be. Jesus identifies with the broken and the poor. “Silent night” was deep darkness; and yet, light was entering and is inextinguishable. Her raw emotion when she shares about her precious Lord, is beautiful and draws us deep into worship.Susie prays a humble, bold prayer for everyone who will be listening to this episode. This prayer gave Stephanie goosebumps. Do not miss the blessing and the anointing of this prayer over you! It is a most special Christmas gift from Susie to you this year.Gospel Spice Giveaway:“Prepare Him Room” invites you to give God sacred space in your holiday season as you ponder the miracle of Christ and respond to His work in your life. As you begin your Christmas preparations this year, journey through Luke's account of Jesus' birth, life, death, and ultimate resurrection. God invites you to be still and let Jesus radically transform you this holy season. Let earth receive her King!Susie is giving away several copies of “Prepare Him Room.” Go to gospelspice.com/giveaway to enter for a chance to win. Winners will be notified directly.Meet Susie Larson:Susie Larson is a talk radio host, national speaker, and bestselling author. In both 2016 and 2017 Susie was nominated and voted into the top ten groups for the National John Maxwell Leadership Award. Susie has been married to her dear husband Kevin since 1985 and together they have three wonderful sons, three beautiful daughters-in-law, two beautiful grandchildren, and one adorable pit bull named Memphis. Susie’s passion is to see women everywhere awakened to the value of their soul, the depth of God’s love, and the height of their calling in Christ Jesus.You will find Susie at susielarson.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/susielarsonauthorYou will also find her on Instagram @susielarsonauthorSPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU!! "A Gospel Spice Christmas" is a five-day devotional and reading plan available exclusively on YouVersion / the Bible App.Do you long for fresh spices to flavor your spiritual experience of the I

Nov 22, 202154 min

S6 Ep 120How can we enter the Holy of Holies?

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 120 - Last week we reverently stepped into the Holy Place. Today—today is the most hallowed day in the Jewish calendar, symbolically for us. This is the day we clothe ourselves fully in the righteousness of our Great Hight Priest, Jesus our Messiah, so we can enter with Him, through Him and In Him into the Holy of Holies.The Holy of Holies was the single most sanctified spot on planet earth—the very place where God established His residence among men.So we take out time today to experience the fullness of the import of this moment. We ponder the meaning of holiness, and of glory. We behold our insignificance, yet our utmost significance in Christ. We bow down, we worship, and we adore.The Ark of the Covenant and the Mercy seat reveal their symbolism to us today in Christ Jesus our eternal Great High Priest.He is today interceding for you from the very Throne Room of heaven.Enter boldly under His Name.Experience the power of intimacy and fellowship.About this study: Through the Tabernacle, taste and see that the Lord is good! This might be the most in-depth series yet to release on the Gospel Spice podcast. Yet, its mix of storytelling and insightful illustrations makes it easy-to-understand, approachable, and relatable. As with everything Gospel Spice, it is completely Christ-soaked.----If you want to dig deeper, we offer a FREE resource: a 50+ page guidebook available only for those who register for free at gospelspice.com/tabernacle. It will guide you through the podcast series by providing daily readings and activities around your personal time with God this season. Get yours today!----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 familyPAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financiallyPRAY 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 familyPAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financiallyPRAY 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 n

Nov 15, 202150 min

S6 Ep 119Holy Hush.

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 119 - Today. Today! Today, we are going in. This is the day we have been building up to, ever since we entered our Centering on Christ: The Tabernacle podcast series here at Gospel Spice. Literally thousands have joined us from all over the world.And today--today, we are entering the Holy Place.In the first half of our series so far, we’ve entered the outer court of the Tabernacle, separated from the people, set apart for an encounter with God.We have sacrificed at the bronze altar, experiencing the cleansing of the Cross at salvation, where Christ died for us.We have washed at the washbasin through baptism and a life of sanctification, because we have embraced our identity as fully set apart for Him, His royal priesthood.We took time so that we would grasp the weight of the privilege that is ours.And now, it all comes down to this moment: we are faced with the invitation to proceed into the presence of God and enter the holy place.We have learned that only the priesthood was allowed into that hallowed space. In Christ, we are His royal priesthood, acquired at the great cost of His very life.And today—now—is the time we reverently step in.Holy hush.Reverent awe.Behold your God.----Through the Tabernacle, taste and see that the Lord is good! This might be the most in-depth series yet to release on the Gospel Spice podcast. Yet, its mix of storytelling and insightful illustrations makes it easy-to-understand, approachable, and relatable. As with everything Gospel Spice, it is completely Christ-soaked.If you want to dig deeper, we offer a FREE resource: a 50+ page guidebook available only for those who register for free at gospelspice.com/tabernacle. It will guide you through the podcast series by providing daily readings and activities around your personal time with God this season. Get yours today!----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 familyPAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financiallyPRAY 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 familyPAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financiallyPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Nov 8, 202154 min

S6 Ep 118Holding on when you want to let go | with Sheila Walsh

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 118 – How do we hold on when we want to let go? How do we persevere with God when we are about to give up? How do we answer our WHY questions? How does our trauma inform and shape our faith? How can we know that God is trustworthy in the midst of trauma, crisis and disaster? Stephanie welcomes international speaker, bestselling author and fellow Bible geek Sheila Walsh. From Scotland, Sheila is an author, Bible teacher and television host. She has spoken around the world to over 6 million people and reaches a potential 100 million daily as co-host of the Life Today television program. Sheila loves to make the Bible practical, sharing how God met her at her lowest point and helped her to rise up again. Her message? God is faithful and He is holding you!Sheila’s books have sold over 5.5 million copies including multiple bestsellers “It’s Okay Not To Be Okay” and her new book “Holding On When You Want To Let Go.” This latest book is the focus of our episode today.Sheila vulnerably shares the traumatic events of her childhood, the loneliness, anxiety, and depression that still creep into her life, how the coronavirus pandemic magnified and exacerbated her struggles, and the source of the hope that keeps her holding on each and every day. “I am still learning how to be healed and whole,” says Sheila Walsh. “God is still writing my story. He is writing yours too. The pieces are not lost. You are not forgotten, overlooked, pushed aside. Your story is simply not finished yet. We all wish that we were able to be the perfect parents, partners, friends, to never bruise another soul, but we are flawed and that’s why each one of us needs a Father.” In an effort to connect with the millions worldwide who are hurting struggling with mental health and pain from their past, Sheila honestly shares the issues that plague her, the promises and miracles she clings to, and the practical strategies and steps and that have helped sustain her on her journey to keep holding on.For those having a hard time hanging on, Sheila offers a lifeline of hope. With great compassion born of experience and hardship, she comes alongside the hurting, fearful, and exhausted to remind them that no matter how insurmountable their struggles may feel, hope and love are freely available from the God who writes their story. Sharing from her own pain and digging deep into biblical stories of rescue, hope, and miracles, she gives readers the strength to keep going, to keep holding on to God in a world turned upside down. “I don’t know what the missing pieces in your story are. I don’t know the circumstances you find yourself in right now or why you might feel as if you are just clinging to hope by a thin thread. But I do know this. You are not alone. You are not abandoned. You are seen. You are loved. You are believed. You are forgiven. You are free. Hold on to God with everything that’s in you and on the days when you feel yourself slipping, remember you are being held.”CONNECT WITH SHEILABuy “Holding on when you want to let go”: https://sheilawalsh.com/holdingon/https://sheilawalsh.com/https://www.facebook.com/sheilawalshconnectshttps://www.instagram.com/sheilawalsh1/https://twitter.com/SheilaWalshIF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, YOU WILL LOVE OUR GOSPEL SPICE SERIES! Click to check out the first episode of each season:We are currently in the middle of our series titled "Centering on Christ: the Tabernacle" which is such a fitting context for today's interview! Check out the first episode in this current series on gospelspice.com or wherever you are listening to this one from!https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/"Identity in the Battle": https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode

Nov 1, 202149 min

S6 Ep 117Your questions, answered | What are YOU asking about the wilderness experience?

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE:I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself!So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord.**If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at [email protected] **Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him!Episode 117 - In this special episode celebrating our mid-way point in our current podcast series titled “Centering on Christ: the Tabernacle” we invite you to join Stephanie and special host Chera for a live Q&A session recorded when this series was initially taught as a live Bible study in 2020. The live audience asked the questions we are answering for you today:What does Sephora have to do with the Tabernacle????What was it like to travel with the Tabernacle through the wilderness?How does the Holy Spirit manifest Himself in the Old Testament, in comparison to the New?What is the role of the Holy Spirit in heaven (compared to earth in the believers today)?How is the garden of Eden the first tabernacle?What does it mean that “the glory departed” in Ezekiel?How do you understand God’s treatment of Moses at the end of his life?We hope you will enjoy this lively conversation, recorded live between Stephanie and Chera!Next week, we will resume our series with the second half –entering deeper into the Tabernacle, all the way into the famed Holy of Holies.Through the Tabernacle, taste and see that the Lord is good! This might be the most in-depth series yet to release on the Gospel Spice podcast. Yet, its mix of storytelling and insightful illustrations makes it easy-to-understand, approachable, and relatable. As with everything Gospel Spice, it is completely Christ-soaked.If you want to dig deeper, we offer a FREE resource: a 50+ page guidebook available only for those who register for free at gospelspice.com/tabernacle. It will guide you through the podcast series by providing daily readings and activities around your personal time with God this season. Get yours today!----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 familyPAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financiallyPRAY 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 familyPAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financiallyPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Oct 25, 202157 min