Melina Luna Smith believes that art is a powerful tool that can open the door to the heart and allow kids to connect with stories from the Bible in a fun and engaging way. She has dedicated her creative skills to interactively recreating Bible stories for children through her company, Storymakers. Melina shares with us some of her imaginative ways to retell God’s stories and connect with our kids (or adult friends!) about faith. 

Quotes

“Art always seems to be the back door to the heart, whether that's through music or visuals, even just creating quietly alongside someone. That always opens a door to connection, and that's really important for us as story makers.” - Melina Luna Smith

“When kids understand that God is in pursuit of them in the good, the bad, and the ugly, when they can connect to those moments, and then they can see what God did for characters like Rahab, characters like Jacob when he was super jealous and not behaving properly, or David. In all of those stories, the Bible is really the key, and the crown jewel in knowing how God moves in our lives and loves us and pursues us relentlessly.” - Melina Luna Smith

“If you want to engage with your kids and you want to engage with your teens, it's best practice to create spaces and meet kids and teens where they are.” - Melina Luna Smith

“With anxiety and depression on the rise, we want to be those people who are listening and praying and knowing really where the hearts of our kids and teens are. So stay engaged. Tune in to what your kids and teens are into. Meet them where they are.” - Melina Luna Smith

Guest’s Links Melina Luna Smith on Facebook

StoryMakers on Instagram 

StoryMakers Website

Resources Mentioned in This Episode Calvary - St. George’s Church

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

Curtis Chang is a non-profit director and the author of The Anxiety Opportunity, who vulnerably shares how he’s grappled with anxiety throughout his life. Curtis found that walking through his anxiety led him to deeper levels of self-awareness, and ultimately strengthened his relationship with God when he began to view it as an opportunity, rather than a burden.

Quotes

“There just wasn't much space and room for mental health struggles with anxiety in the culture I grew up in. I spent most of my early teenager years to early adulthood in a more sophisticated version of hiding anxiety.” – Curtis Chang

“The problem with highly functioning anxiety is that at some point, it can become the underlying cause—you can get so bad that it no longer becomes functional, then it becomes quite dysfunctional and it slides into what you would call an anxiety disorder, where we can no longer hold our anxiety in healthy, functional ways.” – Curtis Chang

“Anxiety, if we hold it rightly, in the way that God designed us to hold the anxiety, does not have to lead to sleepless nights and breakdowns. It actually is an opportunity, a redemptive opportunity that Jesus can use to lead us to profound spiritual growth.” – Curtis Chang

“My most profound spiritual growth as a Christian has come not because I've gotten rid of my anxiety, but it's come through my anxiety.” – Curtis Chang

“Anxiety is not a sin. It's not a spiritual problem. It's what it means to be human. So much so that Jesus Himself, in taking on all of humanity, took on the experience of anxiety. And for Him, it was also a doorway to growing into His true, best self, which is Christ the Messiah.”  

–Curtis Chang

Guest’s Links Curtis Chang’s Facebook

Curtis Chang’s Twitter

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

The Anxiety Opportunity: How Worry is the Doorway to Your Best Self

Good Faith Podcast

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

Master pianist, composer, and world-renowned performer Eric Genuis launched Concerts for Hope in 2016 to bring beauty to the marginalized. The concerts quickly proved to be a gift to many among the broken and hurting audiences, and Eric found himself transformed by the hope reflected in their eyes. Now, after countless prison concerts, Eric has learned the true definition of charity and that giving dignity to others and recognizing their humanity—even if it doesn’t feel good—is one of the things that we're called to do in the world. 

Quotes

“I believe in the impact of beauty and what beauty means to the person, what beauty means to the soul, and what beauty means to civilization.” - Eric Genuis

“If you give a kid a steady diet of pessimistic music and music that is cynical, they will look at life through the lens of cynicism and pessimism and of no hope. And if you give a child beauty, then they will look at life through the lens of art and wonder that we were all meant to view life.” - Eric Genuis 

“As soon as we start giving up on people and looking at one life as more valuable or worthwhile than another, then we really have dismissed the whole concept of the mystery of life and who we are and the purpose and meaning and dignity. It's not glamorous, but it is glorious.” - Eric Genuis

“Through charitable works and inviting others—whether it's directly or indirectly—to a higher sense of humanity, ultimately that higher sense of humanity, God willing, leads them to a realization of their own spiritual reality and that God is calling them.” - Eric Genuis

Guest’s Links Eric Genuis’ Website

Eric Genuis’ Instagram

Eric Genuis’ Facebook

Eric Genuis’ Twitter

Eric Genuis’ YouTube Channel

Resources Mentioned in This Episode Plato

Confucius

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

You might’ve seen SuperChef Darnell Ferguson on Food Network, hosting, guest starring, and even cooking in the Beijing Olympics, dazzling people with his culinary abilities. But Darnell didn’t always know he wanted to be a chef, in fact it wasn’t until a teacher spoke life into him and he found an unexpected home in the church, that he realized God had given him this “superpower” to be a force for good in the lives of other kids who might have the same love for cooking, too.

Quotes

“I was living my whole life just to be the best chef in the world. That's all I ever knew. No one ever asked me who I was going to be, what I believed. No one ever cared to ask me any question about myself.” - Darnell Ferguson 

“I actually tried to disassociate my career from myself because alI ever knew was what I wanted to be, never who I was going to be. So it led me to a deeper place of understanding. And it changed my whole life.” - Darnell Ferguson

“My whole life I had been waiting for somebody to tell me I was special… It changed everything for me.” - Darnell Ferguson

“People are looking for that confirmation that they are who they are.” - Darnell Ferguson

Guest’s Links

Darnell Ferguson’s Website

Darnell Ferguson’s Instagram

Darnell Ferguson’s Facebook 

Darnell Ferguson’s Twitter

Resources Mentioned in This Episode Food Network

SuperChef Family Cookbook

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

In Jeremiah 29:11, God reminds us that He has extraordinary plans for each and every one of us. Often, it can be easy to get anxious when we think about the future and the unknown, but it’s important for us to trust God—His timing and plans are greater than we can imagine. Singer and songwriter Melanie Penn opens up about insecurities she has faced throughout her career and how staying rooted in her faith has always gotten her through the unknown. 

Quotes

“I believe that God is on my side and that this abundant God who knows all the songs that have ever or will ever be written, that same God is just delighted to give a song to one of His children.” - Melanie Penn

“My faith is the work and the work is my faith. I think that—especially for writers or creators—it's very incarnational to make something. So you are kind of peering into the unseen and then bringing something into the world that hopefully gives life to people. And that in and of itself is like the incarnational work of Christ.” - Melanie Penn

“Wherever I am, God is going to be there. And I will be given what I need from Him to meet the challenges of a place. And all I need to do is stay in the day and do what God has given me to do on that particular day and have joy in that.” - Melanie Penn

Guest’s Links Melanie Penn’s Website

Melanie Penn’s Instagram

Melanie Penn’s Facebook

Melanie Penn’s Twitter

Resources Mentioned in This Episode Curt Thompson, MD

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

Rich Villodas is a pastor in a Queens, NYC neighborhood that National Geographic calls “the most diverse zip code in the world.” As he leads others who have a variety of experiences, Rich has seen that if we lead with love and go out of our way to see every single person as beautiful, no matter their differences, we will begin to see wholeness and beauty like never before.

Quotes

“My identity is not rooted in having the right opinion about a particular issue. My identity is rooted in the love of Jesus. And if I can begin from that point, then I can live not without conviction, but I can live more open handedly with greater curiosity, with a greater capacity to ask questions.” - Rich Villodas 

“Whenever disagreements, conflicts and tensions surface, which are inevitable and have happened since the very beginning of human existence, my hope is that people would see, number one, their identity is in God. But number two, because of that, one of the great acts of love is to actually step into the world as someone else. And this is the way of Jesus.” - Rich Villodas

“I think at the core of sin is a failure to love. Jesus said that the first and greatest commandment was to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors ourselves. And so if the greatest commandment is rooted in love, then sin must be failure to love, failure to love God, and failure to love our neighbor as ourselves.”  - Rich Villodas

“Naming the reality and normalizing conflict is the first step to actually addressing it. A lot of people believe that to experience conflict means it's a sign of the unhealthy. I actually think that to never experience conflict is actually a sign of the unhealthy.” - Rich Villodas

“To live into goodness and beauty and kindness in our world, we need to remember that every single person is made in the image of God. Every single person is beautiful, beautifully made in the image of God. And imagine if we began to see each other in this way as people who were creations of a God who calls us lovely and lived into our lovableness in that way.” - Rich Villodas

Guest’s Links Rich Villodas’ Website

Rich Villodas Twitter

Rich Villodas Instagram

Rich Villodas Facebook

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Langston Hughes

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

If we’re not careful, our busy, modern lives can blind us from the opportunities around us to connect and serve our neighbors. Elizabeth Passarella, a writer based in New York City, writes and edits for women's magazines such as InStyle and Vogue—along with writing her own two books. With her gift for storytelling, Elizabeth weaves a tapestry of everyday experiences, unveiling the parts of life that often go unnoticed. Through shared spaces and unexpected bonds that come with living in New York City, Elizabeth learns the profound truth that we are not meant to walk alone.

Quotes

“I love that throughout history, throughout the Bible, God has told His people to go to inhospitable places or stay in hard circumstances and persevere, and that He will never leave them alone. He is in the fire with them, He is in the fire with us.” - Elizabeth Passarella

“We know the verses of Jeremiah 29:11: ‘I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.’ Those are beautiful words, but before those verses, God told the people who were entering a strange city—a hostile place, where they were going to be exiled and face so much uncertainty. And He said to them, ‘Settle down, plant gardens, have babies, love your neighbors, seek the peace and prosperity of the city.’ Those words are my marching orders in life.” - Elizabeth Passarella

“Our circumstances are always shifting, and we can feel like we are wandering in the wilderness. But God is constant, and He is in the wilderness with us. He wants us to put down roots wherever He leads us, and He wants us to invest in our neighbors, even if that environment feels very foreign.”  - Elizabeth Passarella

“God says we are not meant to do life alone. I have seen Him just slowly softening my self-sufficient little heart and showing me what can be gained by serving and letting people serve me, which I think is so much harder for so many of us. We can serve, but we don't want anyone to serve us or we don't want to have to be vulnerable and be needy. And it goes both ways. And that is what the beauty of the body of Christ is.”  - Elizabeth Passarella

Guest’s Links Elizabeth Passarella’s Facebook

Elizabeth Passarella’s Instagram

Elizabeth Passarella’s Website

Resources Mentioned in This Episode Elizabeth Passarella’s Books

InStyle Magazine

Vogue Magazine

RealSimple Magazine

New York City

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

In the Bible, the story of Jacob is a good reminder that God can and will use you despite your flaws and struggles, whatever they may be. Max Lucado, a prolific author and pastor from Texas, shares his story of redemption and how, like Jacob, he has what he calls a "tilted halo." Max sees in Jacob a kindred spirit, a reminder that God's grace is for all of us and that God always has our backs, no matter our shortcomings.

Quotes

“Jacob is really written for all of us who struggle with faith. If you are part saint, part scoundrel, if you mean well but don't always do well, if you have breakthroughs, but more breakdowns, if you don't need a reminder of your failures, then you could probably use a refresher course on God's grace. I think Jacob provides that.” - Max Lucado

“Jacob and I have a lot in common. I tried to manage things by my own strength instead of His. I tend to do things secretly instead of honestly. And yet we have those moments in which God just allows us to see who we are and forces us to look in the mirror and be reminded of what we've become. We come face to face with ourselves and what we see we don't like. We use all our strength only to find out our strength isn't enough. And that's what happened to me.” - Max Lucado

“[Jacob] wrestled with God and he thought he had won. And then God, just with a touch on the hip, left him crippled for life, a constant reminder that God can bring us to our knees whenever He wants to.” - Max Lucado

“I'm thankful for those days, those tough days, that tough period. I'm not proud, but I'm thankful. I have long since given up on trying to leave the impression that I've got it all together. That's a load that I can't carry. I don't have it all together, but I'm grateful beyond words for my God who does.” - Max Lucado

Guest’s Links

Max Lucado’s Facebook

Max Lucado’s Instagram

Max Lucado’s Twitter

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

Often when we talk about worship, it is common to focus on the emotional side of it, but we tend to forget there’s a physical element of worship, too. Theologian and professor David Taylor’s perspective is that our bodies are a wonderful gift from God, and it’s up to us to honor Him with them in the way we worship and move in the world.

Quotes

“Our bodies are a gift. They're a gift and a grace and we should take our bodies as seriously as God takes our bodies.” - David Taylor

“All throughout Scripture, you have this constant drumbeat of affirmation underscoring the goodness of our bodies. So I think part of what I'm trying to do is to help Christians read the Bible with fresh eyes, but also to read it more consistently.” - David Taylor

“There are certain things that we can't know about the world unless we are silent, like going through the Redwood forest or walking through the mountains or being at a funeral in silence… there are unique ways that we can be before God in our bodies, in worship, and make the most of it.” - David Taylor

“My hope is that what I do with my body and in corporate worship with others is training me to be the kind of body that is the body of Jesus everywhere I go. The hope is that when we gather corporately, we're training our bodies in all these kinds of ways to be like the body of Jesus Himself.” - David Taylor

“And at the end of the day, how can I offer to God in worship all of my body, all my hands, my feet, my eyes, my ears, my nose, my mouth, every cell, every sense yielded over to God in humble and joyful adoration?” - David Taylor

Guest’s Links

David Taylor’s Instagram

David’s Taylor’s Twitter

David Taylor’s Facebook

David Taylor’s Website

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Redwood Forest

John F. Kennedy

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*

Anxiety is one of the leading mental health struggles for children and adolescents, but working through it as a family can help immensely. Author, counselor, and speaker Sissy Goff has been working with children and their parents at her practice for thirty years on these very topics and has helped countless families cope and navigate anxiety together—even in the wake of The Covenant School shooting, when Sissy read The Jesus Storybook Bible to grieving families and shared that even when our world feels scary and uncertain, God is there for us all. 

Quotes

“We're now looking at one in four kids dealing with anxiety. Girls are twice as likely, one in three adolescents, and one in three parents, and women are twice as likely… and anxiety has an amazing ability to spread. The more we can stop it when we are contributing to the source, I think the better it is for the kids that we love.” - Sissy Goff 

“When we can calm ourselves down, we have more of an ability to help the kids we love calm down, too. And sometimes that includes doing our own work, taking our own deep breaths, separating from the kids for the moment, just to help ourselves settle so we can help them settle too.” - Sissy Goff

“It helps [kids] see we're not perfect so they don't have to be overwhelmed by this burden of perfectionism, that we're all working towards health together. And I think our best tool in doing this work against worry is the peace of God that transcends our hearts and minds.”  - Sissy Goff

“That profound, simple reminder of who He is and the fact that we have this place in His kingdom I think can take away our anxiety of having to think that we're in charge, because we're simply not. And Someone much wiser and kinder and gentler and stronger than we are is in charge. And His kingdom is coming to fruition.” - Sissy Goff

Guest’s Links Sissy Goff’s Facebook

Sissy Goff’s Instagram

Raising Boys and Girls website

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Daystar Counseling Ministries, Inc.

Raising Boys and Girls Podcast

Connect with Sally Lloyd-Jones Jesus Storybook Bible Facebook

Jesus Storybook Bible Instagram 

Sally’s website

Sally’s Facebook

Sally’s Instagram

*Episode produced by Four Eyes Media*