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

Episode 62 - Stephanie welcomes Merritt Onsa, who longs to see the love of Jesus set women free from the bondage of fear, comparison and imposter syndrome. We talk at length about the concept and danger of imposter syndrome, and how we can remediate by following Christ in deeper ways! In this honest and transparent conversation, we engage in our own struggles to come alongside others and, together, dream the dreams that God has ordained for us.

As host of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast, Merritt creates faith-based media and programs that help Christian women move forward with God’s truth to pursue the dreams He’s put on their hearts. Her podcast is full of real talk about the fears and challenges we face when we attempt courageous things and why we must do them anyway.

You will find Merrit here:

http://bit.ly/impostersyndromeresolved

IG: @merrittjo

Twitter: @merritto

FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/devoteddreamers/

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Episode 61 (Psalms, 6th and final session) – We are continuing our conversation about despair and darkness in the Psalms (see Episode 60 for Part 1). We are looking at what matters more than the label you can put on your darkness: the places where God calls us to go.

Psalms 88 and 39 are utterly dark, without any shred of hope. Even in their despair, they show us the way to God. Keep talking to Him when things seem hopeless. Don’t shut HIM out—even if you feel like it. Acknowledge His presence in your lonely places.

It’s not just despair. Worry can take us to dark places, too. A loss of perspective can lead us to a loss of proportion. So, we’re taking a field trip to the book of Job today. It is the perfect WHY book, because it shows us what to do with our questions: to still cling to God through our why questions. A sacrifice of praise is the key out of our dark places. That’s Job’s lesson. It’s Jesus’ experience on the Cross (for the joy set before Him…).

We get a taste of the prodigal son's whys--and how he answered them in ways that restored relationship, unlike the older brother. They too role-model how to handle our whys... and the consequences of our choices. Will we pout for a goat, when we are offered the kingdom?

Jesus role-modeled the humility of surrendering His human whys to His heavenly Father. Exploring His heart leads us to experience His peace. amidst our own whys.

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Episode 60 (Psalms, 5th session)– Stephanie invites us into two very special Psalms that answer our “why” questions with the very wisdom of God.

Psalms 42 and 43 take us into the depths of depression, where we ask the hard WHY questions until we get to the core of the answer. How can Scripture teach us to find joy in our pain? Why is a longing for God the starting point to healing from despair?

What does Scripture teach about sorrow and despair? More importantly, what does Scripture tell us about the heart of God on these matters? Stephanie calls a Hebrew word to the rescue to study God’s faithfulness and trace back the roots of truth to God’s lovingkindness. We also look at what true leading looks like, and how the right path is the way to intimacy with God.

Part 2 coming up next week, as we conclude our taste tour of the Psalms!

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Episode 59 – What do you do with your sexual thoughts and feelings? How do you reconcile the sexual and the spiritual, within the context of a healthy, Christian marriage? As a single person, what do you do with all those thoughts? What does sex look like when we age? What does prayer have to do with a healthy, God-honoring sex life? How can you make your sex life come alive within your Christian marriage?

Whether you are married or not, these questions are relevant for you today. As Christians, how do we talk about healthy, holy sex? What does sex have to do with intimacy with God?

Stephanie welcomes bestselling author, international speaker Shannon Ethridge, Sexuality Expert and devoted Christian. This interview takes us deep into the connection between the spiritual and the sexual. This is an honest, deep, vulnerable conversation between two Christian women, both deeply committed to the Lord, and to a healthy marriage!

Yes, we’re diving into what healthy sexuality looks like from a biblical perspective today. And we are diving deep!

Shannon Ethridge is an award-winning author of 22 books including the best-selling Every Woman’s Battle series, which sold over 1 million copies and was published in 30 different languages! She says, “we want to learn to be interested and motivated sex partners, but only with our husbands. That is what holy sex looks like.” And then we take it to the spiritual level. What does all this have to do with God?

The topic of this episode is not for very young ears, so please be advised not to listen to this in the presence of little ones, unless you are ready to answer questions about physical intimacy in marriage, and a healthy sex life!

This is a conversation for married couples, for singles alike. It takes us to the Throne Room in worship and wonder.

Shannon’s more recent books include The Sexually Confident Wife and The Fantasy Fallacy, which the American Association of Christian Counselors declared “a must-read for every pastor, every counselor, and every sexual being on the planet!”

In addition to writing best-selling books and speaking all over the world the past 27 years, she is a certified life coach with a master’s degree in counseling & human relationships.  She LOVES working with individuals, couples, and groups to help them make PEACE with their sexual past and cultivate RICH and REWARDING romantic relationships.

This episode is absolutely NOT recommended for young children.

Quotes:

-          “Single women seem to think they can’t live without sex, and married women, that they can’t live with it.”

-          “We are called to be horny and holy at the same time.”

You will find more at shannonethridge.com

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Episode 58 (Psalms, 4th session)– Have you ever come across a verse in the Bible and wondered, “I have no idea what this means!” Or, worse, have you ever been downright shocked by a verse that seems vengeful, or vicious, or just plain mean or mysterious?

How about... “Happy is the one who dashes your babies against the rock, Babylon.”

Yes, this is a verse in the Bible. Psalm 137:9, to be exact. Now, how does one reconcile this with God’s kindness and patience?

How can Scripture be more than markings on a page? Stephanie humbly challenges us to learn to read the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit today!

After this meaty example of Babylonian babies and their link to our modern-day thoughts, we switch gears to focus on Psalms 45 and 110, the two famous Royal Messianic Psalms.

Speaking of meaty content, who was Melchizedek, and what does he have to do with the Psalms?

How can Jesus say that we can't love our family more than Him, and yet still be worthy of the Kingdom?

Well, there’s only one way to find out. Take a listen now!

Whether you are a new believer in Christ, or a seasoned Bible student, we hope and pray you will be blessed by this episode today!

This episode ends by linking Jesus' titles as High Priest, and King. It connects to the Gospel Spice Ministries Bible study "Centering on Christ: the Tabernacle." We are offering a self-paced study option to enjoy our in-depth Bible lessons for FREE! Check out gospelspice.com/tabernacle to register and enjoy these in-depth lessons completely free of charge.

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Episode 57 (Psalms, session 3) - How do you navigate the fog today? Where do you place your trust? What is unshakeable?

Where does your confidence come from? We are diving into Stephanie's native French today to explore trust and confidence. We are in Psalm 23 today! One of the most known, most quoted, most beloved psalms! 

Do you feel that, if you were "mature enough" then you would never walk in the fog, spiritually speaking?

Stephanie endeavors to bring new, spicy flavors in your experience of this beloved Psalm. We go deep into the Jewish culture of shepherds, and their sheep!

When in the fog, learn to discern the Voice of God... that is one of the key spices from Psalm 23!

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. 

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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

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Episode 56 (guest interview) - Misty embraced every challenge thrown her way, until she realized it was a disguised attempt at feeling loved. Turning to God amidst overhwelming circumstances, she learned that her identity is not wrapped up in what she does, but in who she is in the eyes of her loving Lord.

Ever the conqueror, Misty is still keen on taking on the world--but now she does it exclusively for the glory of Christ, with passion and gusto. She shares Stephanie's passion to come alongside others to discover who God is at a more intimate level, and who we are in light of who He is.

Pull up a chair, grab coffee, and join the conversation as Misty and Stephanie discuss how to cling to God, and even thrive with Him, in all the circumstances of life, from the mundane to the dramatic.

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Episode 55 (Psalms, 2nd session) - Stephanie takes us the heart of worship through the Psalms as we enter through the gates of Psalm 1. The Psalms, given to us by the Psalmists under the inspiration of the Word of God, Christ, who then learned these songs as a child through this Old Testament hymnbook. Can we fathom that?

What is the life you long for? Psalm One gives you a roadmap for it.

How does God see you today? The Psalmist gives us a glimpse into God' s heart for you.

Who are you created to be? Dive into the Psalms to find out, straight from the heart of your Creator.

What does a truly blessed life look like? The Psalmist whispers it to us with pictures that are worth a thousand words.

What is prosperity? Ask the Psalmist. 

Why is the justice of God a good thing?How do you fight your battles? Very few meaningful battles are easily won. The Psalms provide us the perspective of perseverance!

Come and dance to the worship music of the Psalms today.

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Episode 54 - Welcome to Season 2! We are entering 6 sessions on the Psalms, interspersed with guest interviews every third episode as usual!

We invite you to spend the next nine episodes in the Book of Psalms, the book that Jesus Himself quoted the most frequently.

Stephanie is recording these episodes from a live teaching she gave to a room full of people seeking to find Jesus in the book of Psalms. This is our underlying challenge: will we experience Jesus in the Psalms, as the Lord intended to? 

If you had nothing but the Book of Psalms AND a good grasp of Jewish culture and history, you could trace the entire redemption plan of God in the Psalms alone. 

Jesus is God and Man; King and Priest; rejected and suffering; and gloriously resurrecting! It is all in the Psalms!

In this introductory episode, Stephanie sets the scope of our quest -- to taste and see Jesus in the 150 Psalms that HE used as HIS hymnbook! The Psalms are steeped in cultural relevance, and we are setting out to taste the spice of the Gospel in these precious Old Testament texts. The Psalms are poetry that translates and transcends. They point to Jesus more often than we might surmise. Are you ready to find Jesus through the Psalms?

"Lord, don't You care if we drown?" is the Psalmist's question, echoed by Jesus' disciples. Is it YOUR question today?

The Psalms express unfiltered hearts coming to God with the entire range of human emotion. Have you ever wondered how to find the Psalm that best mirrors your mood du jour? praise, complaint, lament, woes... how can we find the words to express the depth of our heart? And, more importantly, how can we come to God with our heart overflowing with grief, anguish, anger-- and let Him bring peace, restore the hope of our salvation, and give us joy in the morning?

Come and dance with Jesus on the pages of the Psalms!

For more info, go to gospelspice.com.

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Episode 53 - Naomi Zacharias joined us last week to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Gospel Spice Podast. Listen to the second half of her interview today!

If you missed Episode52, make sure to catch it later! Naomi shared a lot about her heart and passion for the underdogs and destitutes. In this second half, she tells us more, and dares to dive into the current struggle the Zacharias family is facing as a result of the passing of Ravi on May 19, 2020.

Check out wellspringinternational.org and gospelspice.com for more details!

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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.

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