Exempla

In 1828, veteran missionary Adoniram Judson moved into a makeshift bamboo hut in the jungle and separated himself from the society of others. What drove a faithful servant of God into the depths of despair? Listen to the heart-breaking story and learn a lesson about the challenges of overcoming the paralyzing power of grief.

Transcript and sources: https://exemplapodcast.com/2024/03/02/a-dark-pit-in-the-jungle/

Does God care about how we worship Him? Which is more important to God: doing things the right way or doing things for the right reason? In 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah faced a dilemma when he hosted the Passover feast in Jerusalem. Listen to his story and learn an important lesson about our worship.

Transcript: https://exemplapodcast.com/2024/02/17/dirty-hands-clean-heart/

What would it have been like to witness the Boston Tea Party? Was it a chaotic free-for-all with tea flying in all directions? Not quite. Instead, the rebellious Bostonians who tossed British tea into the harbor shocked onlookers with their calm self-control. Listen to the story and consider a lesson in how we conduct ourselves. (Picture credit: Jesse Costa/WBUR)

Transcript and sources: https://exemplapodcast.com/2024/02/03/rules-for-a-tea-party/

I went skiing for the first time as a ten-year-old kid. The experience taught me some lessons. For one, it taught me that I will never be an olympic skier, but it also taught me an important lesson about music and one role that good Christian songs can play in my life.

Transcript and picture: https://exemplapodcast.com/2024/01/20/a-song-for-the-ski-slopes/

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle—the man who created Sherlock Holmes—wrote a book in 1922 in support of the claim that fairies had been seen and photographed in the British countryside. But how did two photographs taken by a couple of girls in their backyard become the subject of a nation-wide debate and how did Doyle get involved? As we explore this “fairy tale”, we’ll learn some important lessons about why we believe what we believe and how to guard against falling for lies.

Pictures, transcript, and sources: https://exemplapodcast.com/2024/01/06/arthur-conan-doyles-fairies/

What can we learn from the life of a little fir tree? With a little imagination and some help from a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, quite a lot! Join me for this tale about impatience, regret, and the power of a contented heart.

Transcript and source: https://exemplapodcast.com/2023/12/16/the-grumpy-little-fir-tree/

What is a pineapple worth to you? For aristocrats in 17th and 18th century England and France, money was no object when it came to having and displaying pineapples. Why did Europe lose its mind over this singular tropical fruit? Hear the story in this episode and consider a lesson about how we view God’s good gifts.

Transcript and sources: https://exemplapodcast.com/2023/11/25/the-pineapple-craze/

None of us enjoy having hard conversations, but when I told my son a frightening story and witnessed his unexpected reaction, I learned a valuable lesson about telling others things they don’t want to hear. Sometimes a simple story can be far more than just a story.

Transcript and pictures: https://exemplapodcast.com/2023/11/11/a-hard-story-to-hear/

You might know the moving tale behind the writing of “It is Well With My Soul”, but have you heard what happened to the author, Horatio Spafford, after he wrote his beloved hymn? His is a tragic story, but one that can teach us some valuable lessons.

Transcript, pictures, and sources: https://exemplapodcast.com/2023/10/28/is-it-still-well-with-my-soul/

The fear of missing out can be paralyzing. But when Jesus was presented with an exciting opportunity, how did He respond? Listen to the story and learn a lesson about missed opportunities from Jesus' example.

Transcript: https://exemplapodcast.com/2023/10/14/jesus-missed-out/