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He holds power and position.

He recognizes God's calling.

He still sneaks out.

Nicodemus seeks to visit with Jesus at night, likely because he wanted a private conversation away from the crowds. Was it because he was embarrassed? Or he thought it was the only time to catch Jesus alone? Scripture isn't clear.

But their conversation displays Jesus' kindness and grace.

Jesus accepts where Nick (Nicodemus modernized) is and challenges him to go further, without condemnation but with clear direction.

What does Nick's nocturnal wanderings have to do with us?

We are challenged in how we come to Jesus with our questions.

How we treat those who are investigating Jesus is beautifully modeled here.

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at Stephanie Presents.

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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If he was looking to curry favor with the rich and powerful, this wasn't the way to go about it!

It's easy to read the story of Jesus driving people out of the Temple and simultaneously think "Hooray!" and "What does this have to do with me?" Because the message isn't to take a course in making and using whips.

It is, however, a vivid reminder of our call to fight injustice, especially when people are being kept from following God with their whole heart.

The temple was a place for people to draw closer to God, and the whole business of exchanging currency and selling sacrifices had replaced this sacred responsibility. Instead, leaders were using God's commands to abuse his people. Sound familiar?

Learn why this story of Jesus -- which seldom makes it onto posters in children's Sunday School rooms -- is absolutely relevant to us today.

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at Stephanie Presents.

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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You'd think the master of ceremonies would have been delighted. Instead, it seems he was more focused on himself than the guest of honor.

If only I couldn't relate to this guy...but I can!

In our look at one of Jesus' most famous miracles -- turning water into wine -- we see how showing up in the ordinary situations of life can create extraordinary opportunities. We also see how not everyone is going to appreciate when they are on the receiving end of a gift or miracle.

Join us as we continue to unpack the 2nd chapter of the gospel of John and how this passage can help us with life's key three aims: Learn yourself, Love God, and Live connected.

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at Stephanie Presents

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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Did you know the first chapter of the Gospel of John records nine of history's most powerful words? Yep! Not only does this account begin with the same three words as the first book in the Bible -- "In the beginning" -- but John wrote nine words which changed everything.

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

God didn't need to know what it was like to be human. We needed to know God cared enough to walk among us.

The power of empathy, the power of words, and the power of being light-bearers, is packed into the opening verses of this non-synoptic Gospel.

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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What do you say when someone cuts you off in traffic? "They're an idiot" or "They didn't see me."

What's the language you use when your toddler resists putting on their "park" shoes because they want to wear their "dress-up" pair? They're "throwing a tantrum" or "they're upset"?

What do you say when your spouse disagrees with the budget you want set aside for vacation?

The stories you tell yourself dozens (hundreds? thousands?) of times in everyday situations will shape your life more than anything else.

Why? Because what you tell yourself about yourself and others shapes your character more than anything else.

When Jesus was taken to Pilate by the religious leaders, they didn't just ask for a death warrant. They didn't just want him executed. This could have happened by stoning. They wanted him to suffer in tremendous agony. How did they get to this place? The stories they had been telling themselves for 3 1/2 years about Jesus.

Today we'll connect Romans 12:2 -- "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind" with the trial and crucifixion of Christ -- not just to check off another Bible passage, but to be equipped to soberly assess the stories we're telling ourselves.

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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While sneaking off to barley threshing floors and exchanging sandals isn't likely to be a part of too many engagement stories today, there's much to be said about how to select a spouse in the story of Ruth and Boaz.

Why did they choose one another? Boaz wasn't desperate, and Ruth could certainly have wooed younger men. So what attracted them to each other?

Turns out their story showcases characteristics that are just as important today as they were then.

We wrap up this story titled "Ruth" in the Bible with the woman who opened the book -- Naomi. No embittered old soul, she has quite the group of friends cheering for her. Discover why!

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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Long before Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse, there was Naomi.

But this is no 19th century England with ladies in ball gowns and men in top hats. This is a millennium before Christ, and the couple is more akin to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester than Austen's Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennett. Yet this Biblical story is a marvelous story unveiling the heart's innate desire and capacity to give and receive love.

And we can see Naomi's got some romance savvy in her! Maybe she's a foreshadowing of Austen's Emma!

But this isn't a fairy tale. This is real love shown by three people in three unique ways.

Naomi loves by looking out for others in spite of her own suffering. She uses her understanding of men on Ruth's behalf.

Ruth loves by respecting Naomi and Boaz, even proposing in private!

Boaz loves through kindness, integrity, and generosity.

This story will cheer your heart, whether you relate most to Ruth, Naomi, or Boaz.

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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What do you think the Biblical character, Ruth, would wear today?

I think Chapter 2 Ruth would wear jeans, a denim work shirt, and cowgirl boots. Maybe even a straw hat or baseball cap. After all, you don't work in grain fields in flowing prairie dresses!

Why does this matter? It's easy to romanticize Biblical stories, and sometimes reimagining them in today's setting helps us see the life lessons for our situations. Ruth is impoverished, female, a foreigner, and a widow. Four strikes against her in those times.

Yet she demonstrates initiative, hard work, and a generous spirit in spite of her socio-economic standing. Sounds like somebody who would wear cowgirl boots to me! (The kind you'd use to muck out the stalls, not pull on to shine on the dance floor.)

We also see Naomi's choices to live open-handed, open to healing, and open-hearted. Not to mention God's impeccable timing!

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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Have you ever yelled "Why?" into the unresponsive cosmos?

It's humankind's universal response to tragedy. "Why?!"

The question erupts from fractured souls every day, only to be met with silence.

On the cross of crucifixion, one of the most excruciating forms of death ever devised by man, the God-Man, Jesus, screamed this into the air. Not because God had turned his back on his beloved son. Nothing in Scripture supports that idea. Everything in Scripture opposes that belief.

Rather, God remained silent because silence is one of the bloodiest battle fields in the war between good and evil. It is on this battle field we wield the most powerful force God gave us -- the ability to choose.

Mature courageous faith only comes after it has fought "Why?" on the field of silence.

Today's episode is a departure from the normal style. After a brief introduction, there's a story penned during one of my own agonizing times of wailing, "Why?"

May you find strength in your own times of "Why," to make the same choice modeled by Jesus.

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You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

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It's easy in the Biblical book of Ruth to be so focused on the headline character (Ruth) that Naomi's story gets lost. But she has powerful lessons for us!

Grit. Authenticity. Courage. Grief. Self-less. And entirely captivating!

When she returns home and hears, "Naomi, is that you?", her answer can be quick to dismiss. But dig deeper and she models a principle we desperately need to practice in life. I wonder if we followed her lead whether our churches would empty -- or overflow.

In today's episode lean in and take a fresh look at this familiar story!

You can turn this podcast into a complete Bible study for yourself or your family! Subscribe to Hi(Lights) and receive three days of reasonable reading assignments between episodes with insights, discussion questions, and references to children's Bibles you can read to little ones and older children can read for themselves.

Sign up at https://www.stephaniepresents.com/

Remember, my friend, you have an impact that is immeasurable, eternal, and irreplaceable.

#biblestudy

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