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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially

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

------------ DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES ------------

The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries.

In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God.

In more details: we provide resources to empower Christian leaders across generational, social, ethnic and geographical boundaries towards more intimacy with Jesus Christ and discipleship effectiveness through a Biblical Christocentric foundation. The Gospel-Spice Ministries provide a safe environment for spiritual and community growth empowering people to know Christ more intimately, serve one another more powerfully, and reach the world for Jesus.

PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people! For the price of a cup of coffee, PAY IT FORWARD with $5 or $10 to make a huge difference! Contact us to pay it forward by Credit Card, or donate via PayPal.

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking. We do not take a salary, but only seek to cover our operating costs.

PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family

PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially

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

Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us. 

1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup

2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you!

4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address [email protected]. It is our privilege to pray for you!

So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions:

1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup

2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice

3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel!

4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Is life getting in the way of your time with God? We offer encouragement and accountability as simple as 1-2-3.

1- Choose your new series: Pick a theme or topic that speaks to you right now. Scroll for description of level and need.

2 - Sign-up for email reminders: Provide your name and email, and we will send you a weekly link with the next lesson in the series you chose.

3 - Grow your faith: Enjoy your weekly lesson straight in your inbox, including the occasional bonus content!

All our series are available in this format. Go to https://www.gospelspice.com/choose now to choose!

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 100!!! Whoa! What a celebration today here at Gospel Spice!! We are rejoicing over God's relentless faithfulness as we reach this symbolic milestone. ONE HUNDRED episodes! That's over 65 hours of content, and countless hours of teamwork. What better way to celebrate with YOU, our beloved listener, than to invite you to join us behind the scenes and discover how the Gospel Spice Ministries work to serve YOU each week??

Stephanie is joined by the entire Gospel Spice team: Chera, Linda, Angel, Lindsay, Angie and Beth, not to mention her husband Jonah who makes a quick appearance despite his dislike of the spotlight! In this double-length episode, you will hear each one's heart to delight in God's glory. And you will understand anew how Stephanie counts herself the most blessed of ministry leaders, being supported by such an amazing team!

You will hear from Chera and her passion to deepen your intimacy with God through worship and glimpses at His beauty. You will hear from Jonah and his wisdom on how to navigate our culture today, and how to keep our eyes on what truly matters. You will experience the beauty of discipleship through the eyes and heart of Linda, and the passion to share the gospel to the ends of the earth that Angel will communicate to you. You will be drawn deeper into delight for God's glory through Lindsay's perspective. And finally, you will hear about the nuts and bolts of the ministry through Angie and Beth! What a journey this has been--and what a testimony to God's unfailing love.

Through it all, we invite you to celebrate God's goodness and to tell us YOUR story. So, email us at [email protected] and tell us what God is doing in your life!

Starting next week, you're invited to enter our latest series, "Identity in the battle." The podcast episodes will take you deep into some of the chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians. If you wish to go deeper, we have all sorts of free resources, such as optional quiet time sessions, prayers, journaling, and also an option including everything you need to come alongside someone else through this series. Register for free at gospelspice.com/identity today! This is a unique add-on to your Gospel Spice experience. Taste and See that the Lord is GOOD!

THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY!

First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact.

Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast. 

And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

BONUS Episode - Stephanie welcomes Miranda Jo Davis, author, speaker, Seminary-trained and Christian yoga instructor. Do the words "Christian" and "yoga" belong in the same sentence? Can one be a full-on, on-fire worshipper of the one true God in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and practice yoga?

What happens if a Christian tells you that yoga is wrong, but your doctor tells you it is good for your body and your health? How do you reconcile these contradicting views? Can yoga be good for a Christian?

We realize this can be a hot-button topic. So, we encourage you to make your own discerned conclusion, based on this episode AND other sources. In this episode, we seek to bring you some interesting elements but do not seek to convince you. This being said...

How do you identify toxic practices in yoga? What are the red flags that indicate a worldview that dishonors Christ? What needs to be removed from the traditional yoga practices, and what do we replace it with, to align yoga practices with our faith?

Miranda brings her perspective, steeped in Scripture and worship. She has faced persecution from secular Yoga masters because of her "narrow-minded" faith. She chooses Christ every day as she serves through yoga with a Biblical perspective. She has learned to identify the elements of yoga that oppose our faith, and the ones that honor Christ.

Stephanie's favorite quote from Miranda: "you can be in the world of yoga, but not of it."

She has adapted secular yoga practices to align with Scripture, the one non-negociable cornerstone that will guide her every teaching. She does not dilute Truth as a very conservative Christian steeped in the Bible. 

We talk about the dangers of crystals, gongs and chanting--a complete no-no. We talk about the blood of Christ that cleanses and purifies us. We talk today about worship and being truly grounded and rooted in Christ, and how this helps us identify lies from the world every day--on the yoga mat, and every area of life!

Miranda shares her story from agnosticism to yoga, and then to Christian faith. She explains how she reconciles yoga with faith. If Christ is truly sovereign and Lord over all, then He is Lord over yoga, and can redeem it too! There is a lot of lies in the secular world of yoga, but in Christ we can discern truth and safely experience the good of yoga to the glory of God.

NOTE - in this episode, we bring you a perspective on yoga that you may completely disagree with. That is FINE! Please know that we encourage you to research on your own and make up your own mind, based on Scripture. Do not take this episode as your conclusive statement about yoga. In this episode, we invite and encourage you to discern for yourself. Gospel Spice does not endorse nor condemn yoga practices as described in this episode.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---------

Find Miranda Jo Davis:

https://mirandajodavis.com/

https://www.facebook.com/christiangirlintheyogaworld/

www.instagram.com/mirandajodavis

Miranda's book: Christian Girl in the yoga world on Amazon.

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

BONUS episode 98 – To continue our special celebration leading up to our 100th episode next week, Stephanie welcomes Naina Mall, program manager for Pak7. Pak7 is a Christian media ministry serving Pakistanis in Pakistan, providing high-quality content targeting specifically women and children. Naina joins us to share her story: born in Pakistan, she emigrated to the United Kingdom under her parents’ guidance when she was merely five years old. She grew up British and attended university there, specializing in media, before God called her two years ago to move back to Karachi and serve as a key leader for Pak7. Naina shares her victories and struggles as she adapts back to her home culture, and serves the next generation of Pakistanis. You will hear a story from the heart and taste a glimpse of God’s unique spiritual spice mix in Pakistan today!

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

The Gospel of Matthew:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISCOVER PAK7:

Pak7 provides:

-          Programs for National TV that Change Attitudes: Like Video Star, a reality TV show that all people will watch and enjoy. Programs that build bridges between faith communities and show Christians and their faith in a positive light.

-          Programs for Christian TV that Build Faith: Like Stories Jesus Told, where children can hear about the life of Jesus. Especially programs for children and young people that are creative and faith building.

-          Social Media Videos that Lead to Online Chat: they produce a range of Social Media content designed to speak into different life situations and help people looking for answers.

-          Build Capacity in Video Production & Social Media: they run media training and internships, as well as provide a range of services to help Christians better engage in the media.

For more info about Pak7, go to pak7.org

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE ABOUT MICHELLE RAYBURN

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

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

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie welcomes Jessica Hottle today. Her story is a classic Cinderella sage, from ashes to beauty.

She grew up in a very toxic home environment, but found Christ and freedom as a young adult. This didn't mean that all her problems were solved... far from it! She learned to take every thought captive to Christ--how do you forgive those who hurt you deeply? How do you identify lies you've believed your whole life, and how do you then replace them with truth, practically? How do you reframe your entire identity on the foundation of Christ, and His words of you? How do you root yourself so deeply in God's view of you, that you can truly say that there is no condemnation for you, because you are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)?

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

The Gospel of Matthew:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MORE ABOUT JESSICA

Jessica's message is, "challenge your thoughts to change your life!" And, of course, that is only possible in Christ.

Jessica Hottle's passion for helping women getting emotionally and physically healthy while keeping God at the center. She inspires and encourages thousands by sharing her own personal struggles, victories, and journey through life. Jessica is a successful online entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster for What's The Truth, and author of three books, Know Your Worth and A Worthy Wife and Own Your Worth. Her passions are being a wife to her husband, Jon, being a momma to their three cats, and spending her free time outside whenever she can (playing golf, hiking, reading, or writing in her journal). Jessica has a heart that runs hard after Jesus and credits everything she has done to her Savior.

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

BONUS Episode 95 – This week, we celebrate our upcoming 100th episode by highlighting ministries that serve the world in the Name of Christ in various ways. We will release one episode EVERY DAY this week.

Today, Stephanie welcomes Christy and Vinita to talk about the rescue work of NaiAsha, a safe house for survivors of human trafficking and sex abuse in India. Vinita is Indian, and the director for NaiAsha. Christy is American, and Vinita’s fiercest supporter. They had nothing in common, until God united their hearts for a common passion against human trafficking in India.

NOTE TO PARENTS: While NOT explicit, this episode shares veiled but raw details. We do not recommend it for young years.

Vinita shares her story of being abused at 16, which led to a season of homelessness in her honor and shame culture. Loneliness and utter lack of support ranked among her greatest struggles at that time. After she built a good life for herself again, she felt called by God to dedicate her life to serve other women who came from similar difficulties and to provide the support she wished she had had when she was struggling to survive.

About 10 years ago, she started a safe house for young women. They started small—with two young ladies. They have now helped 282 women, including 40 in their care today. Christy met Vinita on a discovery trip to India, and God cemented their friendship in powerful ways.

In this raw episode, they share the struggles they face to run a safe house for girls who initially exhibit extreme anger and violence upon arriving on site, and how they slowly transform into beautiful, confident, capable young women with a bright future ahead. This requires a lengthy trust-building process before they can start acquiring skills to thrive in society, including an education and a deep theological grounding. Vinita shares that one of her greatest joys is to see the “older” girls, who have learned to trust them, begin to mentor the newly arrived ones who still struggle with anger and violence, and be for this “new” generation what Vinita had been for them.

NaiAsha means “New Hope” in Hindi. Indeed, NaiAsha nurtures these precious souls until they turn 18, the legal age of independence in India. It means some girls stay with them for up to 5 years. Imagine the horror that brings a 13-year old to the door of NaiAsha… The next project is to transition these young women into society when they turn 18. They are not all ready to become independent on their 18th birthday. So NaiAsha has launched a transition home, for girls aged 18 and above who still need to stay within the safety of NaiAsha a bit longer.

This is where Christy comes in. Through funding, prayer and soul care, she and her small non-profit provide the tools for Vinita and her team not to burn out as they work against the fastest growing industry in the world, and in one of its darkest places.

TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD!

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

The Gospel of Matthew:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISCOVER 1Together & NaiAsha:

go to 1together.org to find out more.

1 Together connects and equips the global Church in healthy partnerships and shared transformation resulting in measurable progress.

Many, whether in America or internationally, long to be part of the global mission, but don't know where to start or need a freshening of what exists. Our goal is to connect and equip in:

HEALTHY PARTNERSHIPS: Determining what a healthy partnership looks like, with mutual respect, outlined expectations, and appropriate relationship.

SHARED TRANSFORMATION: Due to rubbing shoulders in relationship and learning from each other, all who interact with each other should experience heart change that flows out into their extended communities.

MEASURABLE PROGRESS: Identifying outcomes that those who partner together can see and ways they can help each other to reach them.

Also go to biblica.com for more.

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

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

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

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

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

GOSPEL SPICE GIVEAWAY!!

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

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

Some listeners' favorites:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MEET MEGAN B. BROWN.

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

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

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

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

You will find Megan here:

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

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

https://www.meganbbrown.com/

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie welcomes Tessa Afshar, bestselling author of historical and biblical fiction. Tessa grew up in Iran in a nominally Muslim family before emigrating to the UK. She became a Christian in her twenties, and it has dramatically affected her life's focus. She had a dream about Christ, and she says, "I am one of the only persons in the universe to ever say that my first reaction to Christ was... disappointment"! But then she saw His eyes and she discovered "unbroken love."

Tessa writes biblical fiction to draw us deep into the reality of life over the 2,000+ years covered in Scripture. In other words, she does through fiction what the Gospel Spice podcast does through teaching: giving us a fresh perspective to help us fall in love with God more!
Tessa and Stephanie discuss her conversion story, and the importance of seeing ourselves through God's eyes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GOSPEL SPICE GIVEAWAY!

Tessa is giving away a copy of her phenomenal Bible Study, The Way Home: God's invitation to new beginnings.

Go to Gospelspice.com/giveaway to enter for a chance to win! The winner will be announced on the same page next week.

------------

Tessa Afshar is the best-selling author of historical and biblical fiction. Her novels have won a number of awards, including the Christy and the INSPY. She recently released her first bible study and DVD called The Way Home: God’s Invitation to New Beginnings, based on the book of Ruth. Tessa was born to a nominally Muslim family in the Middle East and lived there for the first fourteen years of her life. She then moved to England, where she survived boarding school for girls, before immigrating to the United States. Her conversion to Christianity in her twenties changed the course of Tessa’s life forever. She holds a master of divinity from Yale University, where she was elected to serve as co-chair of the Evangelical Fellowship at the Divinity School for one year. After working in women’s ministry for twenty years, Tessa now works as a full-time writer. Tessa and her husband live in New England where they proudly tend their small, mediocre garden.

Visit her online at TessaAfshar.com.

Make sure to order her latest AMAZING novel, Jewel of the Nile, by clicking here. (released June 1, 2021)

Her Bible Study, wich we discussed on the show, is also available by clicking here.

You will find Tessa on Facebook and on Instagram.

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 92 - What is wisdom? What is righteousness? Who are the primary role-models in wisdom and righteousness in the Old Testament, and how do they point us to Christ?

As we conclude our last episode in our Gospel Spice Proverbs series, Stephanie invites us to take a final look at what righteousness and wisdom truly are, and then we will gaze at the Face of Him who is our righteousness. We ponder perseverance and endurance in the faith in oiur struggle against lust--in whatever form.

On righteousness:

Proverbs talks a lot about the righteous and the wicked, the lazy, the fool. It teaches by example—what is righteous by showing what is wicked. 

The moment you accept Christ, life does not become a stroll in the park. Perseverance in your faith is the hallmark of your faithfulness. Your authenticity is proven by your walk. The walk of faith is a slow transformation with lots of roadblocks and deadends and detours, many coming from the past – past idols trying to trip you up in guilt and shame. But you are a new creation in Christ. You are the Bride of Christ, pure and blameless and spotless and righteous—not on your own strength but HIDDEN IN HIM.

If you think that conversion is a fast-pass to transformation, you are in for a deception. Faith is slow-cooked more often than it is pressure-cooked, though both happen.

Righteousness is valuing God above all else. It means that ethics and morality find their source in respecting God as the ultimate worth. Righteousness is more than doing the “right” thing: righteousness is valuing God as ultimate in all things. Valuing God as ultimate in all things is the ultimate right thing, and that is what makes you righteous in His eyes.

Our righteousness is exhibited when we too value and respect the worth of God without wavering and upholding it in all that we do, to the nest of our strength in Christ. In other words, We as humans are to practice righteousness towards the goal of obtaining it, knowing it is already ours in Christ.

On wisdom:

Solomon was the wisest king who ever lived, yet we have seen that he didn’t end so well. The consequences cannot be overstated.

Proverbs extols wisdom associated with a man who, by everyone’s judgment, was considered wise and is so to the present day. Yet he failed to live by wisdom. The result is further affirmation of the testimony of the Law, that our hope is in One. Even so great a force as wisdom, when it is nurtured and embraced, cannot rescue us from the evil that resides in our hearts. Solomon’s details and bad ending, moral of the story: even the wisest man, apart from Christ, is not wise enough.

“The universal Voice of God was by the ancient Hebrews often called wisdom.” (AW Tozer, The Pursuit of God)

“This habit of explaining the Voice by appeals to natural law is at the very root of modern science. In the living, breathing cosmos there is a mysterious Something, too wonderful for any mind to understand. The believing man does not claim to understand. He falls to his knees and whispers, “God.” The man of the earth kneels, too, but not to worship. He kneels to examine, to search, to find the cause and the how of things.” AWTozer

Folly is looking for an explanation in the dirt of the earth, under the sun. Wisdom is knowing that God will be found above the sun. And so, wisdom, the voice of God, calls and searches the one who wants to cultivate their spiritual heart.

If you have ever experienced inexplicable loneliness, or otherworldly longing, or a feeling of awe and wonder, a moment of light and lightness – that is the Voice of God guiding your spiritual heart to find your rest in Him.

On wisdom from above, in the Face of Christ Jesus:

Jesus describes the wisdom that is from above in His Sermon on the Mount.

Take the Beatitudes and write them in reverse – you will get the wisdom from the world: accumulate riches. Be selfish. Be on the lookout for Number One. Live for this world alone.

Jesus is not offering an opinion here. Jesus never gives opinions. He gives truth. HE KNOWS. His wisdom is not from under the sun like Solomon’s. His wisdom is not the result of his study of human nature or nature itself. Jesus gives truth because He is fully God. He is speaking from within the intimacy of the Trinity.  His words are not opinions. They are truth. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ definition of wisdom that is from above.

So, worship God, who is from above the sun. Worship Christ, the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. This is taken from Hebrews 1:1-5, which tells us that God spoke wisdom through the Old Testament, in Proverbs for example, but that He went all out in Christ: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

---------------Note to PARENTS---------------

We CARE about your family!! As usual, Stephanie brings in a fictitious character to illustrate our theme. This week's trait is lust. Therefore, the initial illustration, while not explicit, might not be for the youngest ears--unless you are ready to answer spicy questions about intimate relations. Stephanie's mention is brief, but an inquisitive little heart may pick up on questions worth asking! Decide for yourself when to best listen to the first 5 minutes of this episode!

DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us!

NEW!

Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example,

- a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours.

- a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours.

MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY:

Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status.

Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support.

We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum.

Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170.

We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you!

Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog

Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!