Adorned Podcast

On our third episode on the spiritual disciplines we discuss prayer.  Prayer is a discipline that many of us have practiced since we were children, but yet it can still feel intimidating at times.  What is the purpose of prayer?  If God really is all-knowing why should we take the time to pray?  Is there a wrong way to pray?  What if I don’t feel worthy enough to pray?  We have asked many of these questions ourselves and we would love for you to join us as we discuss some of the answers.  It continues to be such a blessing to grow alongside our amazing listeners as we seek a deeper understanding of God and his Word.  

Quotes:

“Prayer is personal communication with God” -Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem 

“It is a human act that God has ordained and which he delights in because it reflects the dependence of his creatures upon him. He has promised to respond to prayer, and his response is just as contingent upon our prayer as our prayer is in accordance with his will.” -John Piper

“The Scripture teaches both the sovereign foreordination of God and the efficacy of prayer.  The two are not inconsistent with one another, for God ordains the means as well as the ends for His divine purposes. Prayer is a means God uses to bring his sovereign will to pass.” -R.C. Sproul 

“If we knew all that God knows, we would answer our prayers in the same way God does.” -Tim Keller 

“Praying in humble dependence indicates that we are genuinely convinced of God’s wisdom, love, goodness, and power. -Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem

Resources:

The Sovereignty of God and Prayer, Article by John Piper 

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem 

Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul 

“He Hears” sermons series - Matt Chandler 

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

This is the second episode in our series on the spiritual disciplines.  We had the absolute joy and privilege to discuss silence and solitude with Missy Zamora.  In today’s culture, this is a topic that isn’t commonly discussed and we learned so much during our conversation with Missy.  Where do we see this demonstrated in the Bible? What does practicing silence and solitude look like? What is the purpose of this specific spiritual discipline?  We would love for you to join us as we discuss these questions and more!   

Quotes: 

“Solitude is the practice of being still and silent before God with the posture of meekness.  Meekness is harnessing strength to the proper authority and being teaching which is an attribute of the disciples.  When I’m practicing silence and solitude my posture is that I’m giving everything in awe to the higher authority, God.” -Missy Zamora 

“If the disciplines are looked upon as a technique, you’ve missed the point.” -Missy Zamora  

“There are those big firework moments but most of our walk with God is just these tiny little flickers that remind us of who God is and who we are to him.” -Missy Zamora 

“God is always talking to us, but we’re not always being still and listening.” -Missy Zamora 

“How often is it that the distractions are meant to be the main attraction?” -Missy Zamora 

“God just wants our heart.  The world wants so much more and he just wants our hearts.” -Missy Zamora   

Resources: 

The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster 

The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adelle Calhoun 

The Spirit of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard   

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

This is our first episode of our new series on the spiritual disciplines.  We had so much fun sitting down to talk about worship with our sweet friend, Katie Cobbs.  Yes, you’ve heard her name before because we use her amazing music for our intro and outro to the show each week!  We discuss the fact that worship is about more than an emotional musical experience on Sunday morning. It’s about praising God for who he is and for what he has done.  We can do this each and every day in many different ways. We pray that you enjoy this conversation about what it means to truly worship our creator and our king.   

Quotes: 

“The spiritual disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are habits of devotion, habits of experiential Christianity that have been practiced by God’s people since biblical times.” -Don Whitney   

"Now the goal of practicing any given discipline is not about doing as much as it is about being: being like Jesus, being with Jesus. But the biblical way to grow in being more like Jesus is through the rightly motivated doing of the biblical, spiritual disciplines." -Don Whitney   

“Worship should be a lifestyle, not just something we do on Sunday morning.” -Katie Cobbs   

“Worship is a lifestyle spent ceaselessly laying aside our humanly initiates activity giving way to the teaching of Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit.  We offer our whole being in worship. Our voices in song, our bodies in posture, our spirits in prayer, all for the purpose of first loving our God. -Richard Foster   

“True worship focuses on God and not ourselves and points us to our maker and it humbles us before him.  It’s important for us to know what it is so we can do it in the right way. In a way that is glorifying and pleasing to the Lord.”  -Katie Cobbs   

Resources: 

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem 

Fresh Power by Jim Cymbala 

Worship Matters by Bob Kaughlin 

Humility by Andrew Murray   

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

On this week’s episode of the Adorned Podcast we thought it would be fun to recap our time at family camp in Colorado.  It was such a sweet week with our husbands, our kiddos, and our church family. The Lord used that week to really work in both of our hearts and we are so excited to share a part of that with you.   

Quotes: 

“We want these big moments, but what it takes is step after step after step to get to the mountaintop.  The Lord is faithful and you will have those moments, but He wants to meet us in the step by step, not just on the mountaintop.” 

“It’s ok and good to sit and be still and rest in The Lord.” 

“It was a sweet reminder of The Lord saying when the world around you is going crazy and everyone is saying you should volunteer for everything, it’s ok to just rest in me.”   

Resources: 

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver      

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

In our 5th episode of our series about who God is we had the joy of sitting down to talk about God’s sovereignty with our good friend, Katie Whaley.  Hearing Katie share her story and talk about how she’s seen God’s sovereignty in her life will never get old to us. We discuss how remembering that God is in control of all things big and small leads to a thankful heart.  No matter what season of life you’re currently in this episode will be a wonderful reminder that God truly is in control!

Quotes: 

“God is over and in control of all things and worthy of our trust”

 “Who God is as a person is enough to trust that He is sovereign over all things.” 

“If God wasn’t sovereign and in control of all things he wouldn’t be able to provide a perfect sacrifice.” 

“When you remember that God is in control it creates thankfulness in your heart.”  

Resources: 

Trusting God by Jerry Bridges 

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp 

Knowing God by J.I. Packer   

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

In our 4th episode of our series all about who God is we had a wonderful conversation with Evie Nicholson about God’s immutability, the fact that he is never changing.  Evie is a missionary for Campus Crusade and has so much wisdom about this topic.  This can be a difficult concept to grasp since every other thing and person in our lives do change, but Evie helps us beak it down so we can all understand this important part of God a little better.  We cover where is this found in scripture, what this means for our everyday lives, how this attribute brings us comfort and plays into our sanctification and more.     

Quotes: 

“Take any one attribute of God, and I will write semper idem on it (always the same). Take any one thing you can say of God now, and it may be said not only in the dark past, but in the bright future it shall always remain the same: "I am Jehovah, I change not."”  -Charles Spurgeon 

“All of God’s other attributes are built on His immutability.  His intimacy, his infinitude, his goodness would offer zero comfort if we were wondering if that could change.  He wouldn’t be a trustworthy God if these could change. Because of His immutability we can trust that all of his attributes will stay the same.”   

“Through all of life’s changes God is the same God that loves and sustains me.  He doesn’t change."

“Understanding that God alone is unchanging means that I can’t pretend that I’m immutable in order to make excuses for unchanged areas of sin in my life.”   

“Just as my assurance of salvation rests in the fact that God cannot change, my hope of sanctification rests in the fact that I can.” -Jen Wilkin

“Those grasping for the comfort of certainty are likely reminded that the only certainty is change itself.  Not a particularly comforting thought, but it’s also not a very accurate one it’s closer to the truth to say that the only certainty is God himself who changes not.” -Jen Wilkin   

Resources: 

Charles Spurgeon Podcast 

None Like Him by Jen Wilkin 

The Attributes of God by Arthur Pink   

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

In our 3rd episode in our series on who God is we discuss how God is a good father.  Kacie walks us through their journey with having a baby with an “incompatible with life” diagnosis and how even through a season of unimaginable pain, God was still good.  God is a good father that loves his children deeply. He welcomes us back with open arms when we’ve gone astray and he loves to give us good gifts! We talk about where this is found in scripture as well as how this impacts our day to day lives.     

Quotes: 

“God is good - not because he causes things that seem or feel “good” to happen in our lives, but because in the midst of the storm, God comes closer to us than the storm could ever be.” -Charles Spurgeon 

“God’s goodness is not just something he does, but it’s who he is.” “What is “good” for us is whatever it is that is going to bring God the most glory!” 

“When I can focus on God’s goodness it helps me put things in perspective and causes me to persevere knowing that he has a plan for my life and the life of my family and that it is good.”   

Resources: 

ESV Study Bible 

Knowing God by J.I. Packer 

Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul 

Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem 

In His Image by Jen Wilkin   

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

In our 2nd episode in our series on who God is we discuss how God is Infinite, yet so very intimate.  He is eternal. There is no beginning or end to God. He is bigger and mightier than we can wrap our minds around, but yet he is also intimate.  He knows our hearts and he desires a personal relationship with us. We answer the question of what a better understanding of these attributes means for our everyday lives.   

Quotes:       

“The finite can “grasp” the infinite, but the finite can never hold the infinite within its grasp.” - RC Sproul 

“It’s not just that God knows us personally, but he knows our hearts.  He wants our hearts. He wants our affections.” 

“God doesn’t just want us to know about him, but he wants us to KNOW him.” 

“ Knowing Jesus Christ still remains as definite a relation of personal discipleship as it was for the 12 when he was on earth. The Jesus who walks through the Gospel.” -J.I. Packer   

Resources: 

Knowing God by J.I. Packer   

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*

We are kicking off a new series called Who God Is. In this series we will be discussing attributes of God. In today’s episode we are discussing the trinity. We tackle some misunderstandings, hopefully provide a little more understanding into this complex, mysterious beautiful aspect of our God.   

Resources: 

De Trinitate - St Augustine  

The Ology - Marty Machowski 

Systematic Theology - Grudem 

Delighting in the Trinity - Reeves     

Additional Scripture References: Ephesians 1:9-12; Genesis 1:1-2; 1 Peter 1:18-21; John 17:6; John 4:34; John 15:26; John 16:13-14; John 14:16; Ephesians 1:13   

Quotes: 

“Look for the trinity as your reading and you will be surprised how often you see it.” 

“Trinity is not a hierarchy, but there is order” 

“There is no analogy taken from the finite that will clear up the mystery of the infinite” - St Augustine 

“The first time the word trinity is used was in 170 AD by Theolphilis of Antioch.” 

“We want to make sure we have a balanced view of the trinity so that we give God the right and full worship by worshiping all aspects of who He is.” 

“There is no self seeking, they are constantly pointing to each other, and to bring the others glory.” 

*The beautiful music heard on today’s episode is by Katie Cobbs*