She is Courageous

In this episode, we’re talking about hell! If you grew up in the church, maybe you have never really questioned the existence of hell. However, it is becoming a more and more controversial topic and for some Christians, they no longer believe in hell. We’re going to take a look at some of the hardest questions relating to the existence of hell, and compare it to what we know and believe about God. I’ll also talk about how hell relates to evangelism, our history, and the message of the gospel. By the end of this episode, I hope you will not only learn something new, but also be encouraged and inspired to share this message with others, because we can believe in hell and still see God’s love and redemption!

• Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames: to view the snippet of the play that I shared, click here

• God describes himself in Exodus 34 as: “ compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7 NIV,

• A lot of times people struggle with the existence of hell because it seems contradictory to God’s nature. We know God to be loving and merciful, yet this side of him is difficult to understand and seems inconsistent.

• Why would God create a hell if he loves people?

• Why would God feel like he has to punish, or what kind of God would punish his own son?

• How can God inflict eternal punishment based on one lifetime of decisions?

• How can he send people to the same fate and judgment as Satan himself? Are people that bad? Do they deserve this?

• In preparing for this episode, I listened to an interview by Brenda Davies, from the podcast God is Grey. The interview was meant to debunk the existence of hell. To view this interview, click here (Note: this podcast is centered on progressive Christianity and is inconsistent with a lot of the traditional values relating to God and the authority of the Bible.)

• The interview was helpful in revealing that many times, people reject the notion of hell because it feels like it is a fear tactic or motivator to coerce salvation. Davies describes this as abusive in her interview. Many times, pastors use this tactic to salvation by telling people about hell - and while it is understandable, it is very often done in a way that can actually turn people off to the message of the Gospel. A fitting quote for this is found in one of my favorite and most challenging books from college, the Openness of God by Clark Pinnock Richard Rice, John Sanders, William Hasker, and David Basinger: “How can we expect Christians to delight in God or outsiders to seek God if we portray God in biblically flawed, rationally suspect and existentially repugnant ways?”

• The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals that took place in America between the 18th and 20th centuries. The First Great Awakening began in the American colonies between the 1720s and 1740s. It was birthed in response to an increased secularization of society, and fear was a primary tool for motivating people to salvation.

• Jonathan Edwards was one of the primary leaders of this revival, and his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” was famous. A short excerpt of the sermon says:

• "The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment."

• Preaching on hell was a motivational tool, and quite frankly, a scare tactic that led to conversion, but nothing more. Rather than introducing them to the love of Christ and the relationship he offers, they tried to sway them to change behavior by threatening them with hell. Even though Modern Christianity has gotten so much better at not getting trapped in the weeds of legalism, we still see this trend - and along with it, the rejection of hell (and sometimes Christianity) by those who wrestle with it.

• The Old Testament word for hell is sheol. The Old Testament picture of Sheol is that it is a Land of oblivion, land of darkness, the pit, the grave, a place of silence. One of the psalms talks about how there is No praising the Lord from the grave. It’s a solemn place, but not one of eternal torment. As we move through history within the context of the Bible, the revelation about hell becomes more clear as it gets to the New Testament. It’s through the prophetic books of the OT that we start to see the hope of resurrection, of salvation from Sheol.

• Job 10:20-22 - “Are not my few days almost over? Turn away from me so I can have a moment’s joy before I go to the place of no return, to the land of gloom and utter darkness, to the land of deepest night, of utter darkness and disorder, where even the light is like darkness.””

• For the sake of time I wasn’t able to dwell on the New Testament words used when referring to hell; however, here are some citations about “gehenna”, if you would like to continue studying on your own:

  • Leviticus 18:21 - You are not to make any of your children pass through the fire to Molech

  • Deuteronomy 18:21 - 'Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, '

  • 1 Kings 11:7 - 'On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. '

  • Gehenna is a valley outside of the city of Jerusalem. It is here, in the Old Testament, that the Israelites sacrificed their children to this Ammonite god, Molech.

• Jesus talks about hell more than any other figure in the Bible. The example used in the episode was Matthew 25 and the multiple parables he uses to talk about life in the kingdom/eternal life vs. eternal punishment/separation from God.

  • The Parable of the Ten Virgins, where the door to the wedding celebration is shut

  • The Parable of the Talents, where the wicked servant was cast into the outer darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (v.30)

  • The Final Judgment - note that this is not a parable. (v.31-46). In Matthew 25:41 it says, 'Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!”

  • Matthew 5:30 - 'And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!'

  • There are many more verses about Jesus talking about hell. For a list of more verse, click here.

Hell was created for Satan, not for humans.

• Luke 10:18 - 'He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash. '

• Ezekiel 28:14-17 - 'You were an anointed guardian cherub, for I had appointed you. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the fiery stones. From the day you were created you were blameless in your ways until wickedness was found in you. Through the abundance of your trade, you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I expelled you in disgrace from the mountain of God, and banished you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones. Your heart became proud because of your beauty; For the sake of your splendor you corrupted your wisdom. So I threw you down to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings.'

• 2 Peter 2:4 - 'For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but threw them down into Tartarus and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment; '

• Genesis 6:6 says that sin and evil grieved the Lord. The New Living Translation tells us that “it broke his heart.” Sin doesn’t just hurt us, it hurts God too. Sin causes God pain.

• Have you ever thought about the fact that when mankind fell into sin, God’s plan of redemption eventually ended with his own death? That our perfect God died and sent himself to hell, to save his people from it.

• Christian Theology by Millard Erickson says, “The Triune God knew that the second person would come to earth and be subject to numerous evils: hunger, fatigue, betrayal, ridicule, rejection, suffering, in death. He did this to negate sin and thus its evil effects. God is a fellow suffer with us of the evil in this world, and consequently is able to deliver us from evil. What a measure of love this is!” (P.456).

• Jesus descended to hell to save us from it.

  • Matthew 27:50-53 -'Jesus shouted again with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And they came out of the tombs after His resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.'

  • Daniel 7:11-14 - “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.'

  • Ephesians 4:8-10 - 'Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)'

• Hell has so often become the focus and motivator behind salvation, when in reality, it pales in comparison to the full picture of what Jesus did, and his love for us, by becoming human.

• How can a loving God send anyone to hell? It’s been said before that “God doesn’t send people to hell; they send themselves.” When it’s said so non-chalantly, it sounds callous, and insensitive. But I love to explanation Erikson writes in Christian Theology:(p. 456) - Sin consists in the human’s choosing to go his or her own way rather than follow God. Throughout life, a person says to God, in effect, “Leave me alone.” Hell, the absence of God, is God simply giving that person at last what he or she has always asked for. It is not God, but one’s own choice that sends a person to hell.

• As Christians, we should work on becoming better at presenting the good news, the gospel, as a portrait of extravagant love, rather than using hell as a bargaining chip. This whole explanation of hell shows just how much God loves us, to take on sin for himself, to be grieved and suffer along with us, to spare us from hell.

• https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-uncomfortable-subject-jesus-addressed-more-than-anyone-else/

• https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/hell.html

• Ezekiel 16

Want to stay up to date with She is Courageous? Sign up for my mailing list and get sneak peeks and encouragement directly to your inbox.

Tune in to my first podcast episode of 2022: What are Christian Voices Saying? The Christian world is loud with many voices and opinions. At times, it can be hard to decipher where these voices are coming from, and even more importantly, what they believe. As I have searched the internet high and low for answers to tough questions, I’ve learned a lot about the voices behind Christianity. Is every voice trustworthy, and are they rooted in the Bible?

2022 is coming with a slight shift in focus, and I’m going to be exploring the challenging topics within our faith. If you listen to the episode, you’ll find out why this is such an important topic, and you’ll get a sneak peek into the questions I’ll be tackling first!

• Reposting the article that covers Barna Research Study: Why People Walk Away from the Church, by Dan Foster

• The statement referenced in this episode: Among young non-Christians, 9 out of the top ten perceptions were negative. 87% of those surveyed said Christians were judgmental, 85% said Christians were hypocritical, and 78% said Christians were out of touch.

Want to stay up to date with She is Courageous? Sign up for my mailing list and get sneak peeks and encouragement directly to your inbox.

We are at a time in church history where women are more integrated in the ministry than before, but at the same time, it feels like we are decades behind in how women are treated in the church. This episode dives into the topic of women in ministry! We will look at some of the statistics behind women in Christianity, what the Bible says about women in leadership, and some of the challenges of being a woman in the Church today. I’m excited to share this with you and hope this episode leaves you full of HOPE & encouragement!

Study by Pew Research Center. Click here to view.

Some of the content in this episode has been taken from my personal stories, originally published on Medium. To view the original articles, click here.

• In a study by Pew Research Center, statistics show that women in the U.S. are more consistent in their faith than men, pray more, and have stronger faith in God than men.

• “More than seven-in-ten U.S. Christian women (72%) say religion is “very important” in their lives, compared with 62% of the country’s Christian men, according to Pew Research Center’s 2014 U.S. Religious Landscape Study. Roughly eight-in-ten Christian women also say they are absolutely certain God exists and that the Bible is the word of God, compared with about seven-in-ten men who say this.”

• Food for thought: if Church demographics lean more heavily toward women in congregations, why is staff still vastly more male than female? Is this helpful for women needing pastoral care?

• This verse is one that has caused significant damage to women’s ability to be involved in church ministry: 1 Timothy 2:12: “I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to be silent.”

• The reality is, this is one verse is a small, circumstantial piece of advice from Paul that has been taken literally, at the expense of the context of the writing and the theme of the Bible and Jesus’ ministry. The Old Testament and New Testament both show women in leadership, but that is often overlooked because of this verse. Deborah was an Old Testament judge, and there are several examples of female leadership in the New Testament.

• 'After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. ' Joel 2:28-29

• 'For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ. There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus. ' Galatians 3:27-28

• How many male Christian leaders have fallen, been called out for inappropriate behavior, insensitive political comments, or bad leadership?

• In contrast, how many female Christian leaders have represented anything less than godly character, integrity, and humility? Are there any fallen women leaders in the Church?

• Our prominent Christian women leaders continue to set the standard in their devotion to Christ, integrity, and character.

  A great example of a woman leader in the New Testament, talked about by Paul in Romans 16:1-2:

• 'I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae. So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many — and of me also. ' Romans 16:1-2

• The word servant in this translation is the Greek word, diakonos, which also translates to Deacon. Here, Paul is telling us that she is a leader and minister!

• Want to learn more? Check out this great devotional study on Pheobe.

Another great resource for further study on 1 Timothy 2: Junia Project

Want to stay up to date with She is Courageous? Sign up for my mailing list and get sneak peeks and encouragement directly to your inbox.

This episode of She is Courageous is raw, real, and relatable about how we all struggle with judgment and judging others. I’m sharing real life stories and examples of my own struggle with finding peace over judgment as it relates to personal relationships, and how we relate to the church. Judgement often comes as a result of feeling hurt or offended by someone. You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “Hurt people hurt people.” But how does this fit in our faith? How do we embody the nature and character of Christ as it relates to how we perceive (and often judge) others? Give this episode a listen to find out. And, don’t forget to subscribe so you get notified the next time an episode drops.

• Article that covers Barna Research Study: Why People Walk Away from the Church, by Dan Foster

• 'Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye. “Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. ' Matthew 7:1-5

• Psst… don’t forget to check out my latest video: The One Thing You Can’t Overlook in your Faith

Want to stay up to date with She is Courageous? Sign up for my mailing list and get sneak peeks and encouragement directly to your inbox.

The Church has gone through significant challenges in the last year or two, and it feels more divided than ever. But, if you know the Bible, you know that the Church is instrumental to our faith. What’s causing tension in the church today, and how can we use these things to help bring about positive change where it’s needed? In this episode, we’ll break down some points of tension in the church, where God is, and how we all have an opportunity to be a part of creating a more authentic community of believers that models the character of Christ.

• According to Lifeway Research , which has drawn many conclusions from a study done by Gordon Conwell, Christianity is surging in many parts of the world.

• Beth Moore ‘s tweet in Dec 2020: I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63 1/2 years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it.

1. Generational conflict.

2. Emphasis on political affiliation.

3. Differing investment levels in faith: the apathetic vs. the deeply hungry

• Study by Pew Forum, that reveals nearly 70% of the U.S. population identifies as Christian.

• With this percentage so high, it is clear there is a lack of understanding on what it means to truly be a Christian, and how that is expressed in our day-to-day lives.

• Matthew 28:19-20 - "Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you  always, to the end of the age."

• Discipleship and sanctification are crucial components of our Christian faith.

• How does the church do at equipping us to grow as believers? Are we being given the tools to grow?

• Churches track their attendance, number of salvations, new guests, and baptisms as a gauge for their success and involvement in the church. These things are indicators of growth, but not of depth. The problem is that these things alone ignore the discipleship process, and if they aren't careful, it can be a great place to start a relationship with God, but quickly become a place to grow stagnant.

• In the podcast, I reference Christianity Today's podcast, "the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill." This podcast is interesting for a number of reasons, but one of the things I find the most fascinating is how church culture seems to revolve around celebrity pastors - and the danger that comes with this. The podcast put it so perfectly when it said how dangerous it is when leaders are put on a platform whose charisma outpaces their character.

• Matthew 22:37-40 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and prophets depend on these two commands.”

• A Bible Study, The Sermon on the Mount by the Daily Grace Co.: "The first thing salt does is to preserve. Salt preserves things from decay, and in the same way, our lives as believers are meant to shine into the world around us. This does not mean that our lives have the power to bring lasting change into the world. Only Jesus can do that. But this world gets a glimpse of who Jesus is through our lives. "

Our greatest mission as believers isn't what we do, it's who we are, and who we represent. Our focus should mirror that of what Paul says in Romans 12: "Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed..." If you love Jesus, focus on being more like him. Live your life as a mirror of his heart and character. Love people, even when it's hard and they don't deserve it. These things speak more about who we are- and more importantly, who Jesus is,  than anything else.

Want to stay up to date with She is Courageous? Sign up for my mailing list and get sneak peeks and encouragement directly to your inbox.

She is Courageous is a podcast designed to help you step out in boldness, pursue your calling and grow in faith so that you can be an authentic follower of Jesus. In this episode, I'll be sharing what to expect and how this podcast has changed since it first launched.

Want to stay up to date with She is Courageous? Sign up for my mailing list and get sneak peeks and encouragement directly to your inbox.

I recently read an article from CBN that shared a study about how forgiveness is one of the best methods to help improve sleep - even more than all of the previous “best methods!” In this episode I’ll discuss how this article impacted me, what the Bible says about forgiveness, and how to exercise more forgiveness in the day-to-day.

Check out the CBN Article here!

The original post from which CBN pulled was the Washington Post.

The more you love somebody, the more it hurts when you feel that they let you down.

Our responsibility is continue to believe the best from people and forgive easily.

Remember that we are undeserving of forgiveness, but God sent Jesus to die for us and ultimately forgive our sins. God tells us that since we have been forgiven, it is our job to forgive others.

• Matthew 6:14-15 - For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.

• Matthew 18:21-22 - Then Peter came to Him (Jesus) and said, “Lord, how many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus said to him, “but 70 times seven.”

• Matthew 5:23-24 - So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the alter. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come offer your gift.

• Romans 12:14-18 - “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as much as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

If you’re anything like me, maybe sometimes when life gets busy you feel like you’re failing at time spent with God. But in this episode, I’m going to share some truths about what really defines a good relationship with God. It’s not as difficult as you may think!

Hi sweet friends! I just wanted to hop on this podcast page as I am posting this new episode and say THANK YOU to everyone who has shared how the She is Courageous Podcast has encouraged them. I have to be completely transparent and say that having a podcast has been so much more challenging than I ever could have imagined. Sometimes I wonder if I’m even making the smallest impact in a world overflowing with information - both relevant and not-so-relevant. My ongoing desire with this podcast is just to be transparent. I’m a human with challenges and as such, I like to process through things that I deal with…. because surely there are other people out there who deal with the same stuff. Right?! Even so, having the courage to speak up about things I struggle with can be a little intimidating and hard to do. I’ve thought about just letting it go sometimes, but then the Lord sends me sweet reminders that it’s not for nothing. Thank you for those who have sent me a message or encouraged me. It really does make a difference and helps me be more intentional, remembering that even if it’s only one person who hears and feels like they relate, it’s WORTH THE STRUGGLE!

Going forward I am striving to make these more regular again! With that goal, I have learned that the only way to do that is to be a little more flexible in my preparation and less focused on perfect presentation. You may begin to hear a little more stumbling in my words or I may say the wrong thing every so often because I am moving away from scripted podcasts. Yay for new challenges!

Hope you enjoy the upcoming podcasts that I will be sharing, and thank you for allowing me to share my heart with you!

Much love,

Have you ever had that “one person” in your life that you love to hate and hate to love? Yeah, I think we’ve all been there. This episode is all about embracing the every day hard situations you may face as you meet and get to know different types of people. God uses difficult people and situations to shape and mold us into His image and propel us towards our calling. I’ll talk about my own experiences as well as give you some simple and practical tips for allowing God to be part of the process and help you overcome those challenges.