The Power Project Podcast

Here's to the Power of Women!!!

International Women's Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.  It’s a day dedicated to recognizing women’s achievements, coming together and supporting women-owned businesses, fundraising for women-owned non-profits, and lifting women up collaboratively.
 
The Role of Women in the Bible
Historically, the portrayal of women in the Bible has varied and has often been influenced by the social and cultural contexts in which biblical translations were made.  One depiction would be through a patriarchal lens where translations were influenced by societies in which men held positions of power and authority, and a woman’s authority (or lack therof) was entirely dependent upon a male.  This resulted in the marginalization of women in the bible.
Women were often portrayed in either a sterotypical role as wives, mothers or objects of desire, or in negative depictions such as the culprit of all sin, a seductress, or as a prostitute:
Women’s stories were downplayed.  I didn’t grow up hearing stories of female empowerment in church.  I had never heard of Lydia, a business woman that funded Jesus’s ministry or Priscilla, a church planter.
 
I knew about Esther, Ruth, and Mary.  But I didn’t realize how the cultural contructs influenced the way their stories were told.
Recent translations and theologians have made great strides to reclaim women’s stories and experiences in the Bible, amplifying the voices of biblical characters such as Hagar, Mary, the woman at the well, and Dinah.
 
I am no theologian, biblical scholar, or expert in gender roles, but I have spent the last few years voraciously devouring scripturally supported written works that do a deep dive into this issue.
Some of my favorites are:
Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey
No More Holding Back and The In Between Place by Kat Armstrong
Tell Her Story by Ninjay K. Gupta
The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr
 
Lessons of female empowerment from the Bible
There are lessons on women’s empowerment that can be found within the pages of the bible, recognizing and celebrating the diverse roles and abilities of women. 
Esther, for example, was a Jewish queen in the Persian Empire who displayed bravery and resourcefulness to use her position of influence to save her people from destruction.  Esther’s story emphasizes the power of women to create change and stand up against in justice
Mary Magdalene: One of Jesus’ followers and played a significant role in the New Testament.  She witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion, was the first to see him after his resurrection, and was entrusted with spreading the news.  Her story highlights the importance of women as witnesses and leaders in the early Christian community.
Deborah, a prophetess and judge in the Old Testament, demonstrated strong leadership and courage.  She led Israel to victory in battle and provided wise counsel.  Her story highlights the importance of women’s leadership and their ability to make significant contributions. 
These stories, among many others, showcase women’s empowerment, leadership, resilience, and wisdom.  They serve as sources of inspiration and encouragement for women today, reminding us of our inherent worth and potential for making a positive impact in our communities.


The Bible addresses issues of women's rights and social justice in various ways. While some passages reflect the patriarchal norms of the time, there are also teachings and principles that promote equality, justice, and the dignity of all individuals. Here are a few ways in which the Bible addresses these issues:
 
-Human Dignity: The Bible affirms the inherent worth and value of all individuals, regardless of gender. In Genesis 1:27, it states that both men and women are...

In Episode #113
Melissa Ice from The Net and The Worthy Co sat down with Brandi to discuss the calling of vocational stewardship and how her organization has evolved in the past two years.

Melissa was on The Power Project in 2019 in Episode #27 where she shared the mission behind The Net and The Worthy Co. Since then The Net has transitioned to solely serve trafficked survivors.

Melissa share that vocational stewardship to her means understanding your why and what you were created for.

You can visit The Worthy Co to attend one of their candle pouring workshops that helps pay for a survivor being employed in the same building.

Melissa reminds us three ways that we can help support the mission.
Pray for steadfastness and stamina
Read a survivor’s memoir (we recommend Rebecca Bender’s In Pursuit of Love)
Support Social Enterprises (like The Worthy Co and The Power Hat Co)

Check out The Worthy Co
www.worthy-co.com

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In Episode 12, Kat Armstrong joins Brandi to discuss the importance of women leveraging their gifts to lead.

Kat Armstrong was born in Houston, Texas, where the humidity ruins her Mexi-German curls. She is a powerful voice in our generation as a sought-after Bible teacher, preacher, coach, and innovative ministry leader. She holds a master’s degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the author of No More Holding Back, The In-Between Place, and a 6-book series called Storyline Bible Studies. In 2008, Kat cofounded the Polished Network to embolden working women in their faith and work. As the host of The Polished Podcast and The Emboldened Woman Podcast, she interviews working women at the crossroads of faith and work and offers devotionals from the Scriptures. Kat is the director of leadership processes for Integrus Leadership, is pursuing a doctorate of ministry in New Testament context at Northern Seminary, and serves as a board member of the Polished Network. She and her husband, Aaron, have been married for twenty years and live in Dallas, Texas, with their son, Caleb, and attend Dallas Bible Church, where Aaron serves as the lead pastor.

Join Brandi and Kat at the Boldly Conference Friday, Oct. 21 at Bent Tree Bible in Carrolton, TX.
Get tickets here
www.boldlyconference.org
Use code BRANDIVOTH for 10% off!

Find Kat’s books and upcoming Storyline project here:
https://www.katarmstrong.com/

You can follow Kat on Instagram @katarmstrong1

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In Episode #111, Brandi sat down with Bailee Tierce of Moss & Metal jewelry. Bailee and Brandi have recently launched The Power Project Collective which consists of multiple women-owned social enterprises creating impact in the world.

The two discuss vocational stewardship and how Bailee re-branded her business to be a socially responsible business. Bailee shares her testimony of church hurt, being called back to God, and how her business is now an outpouring of her new rebirth.

This raw and authentic conversation is such a beautiful example of God's never ending pursuit of our hearts.

Bailee shares that God called her back during a retreat that we hosted in 2020. We love this story so much because it shows us that God can reach us anywhere, even when the churches are closed. He can reach down and pull our hearts back to him in the middle of a glamping retreat surrounded by strangers, shopping, yoga, and karaoke.

Bailee encourages those that are questioning their faith to lean into it and don't be afraid to ask hard questions.

Follow Moss & Metal on Instagram @moss.and.metal
Check out her beautiful jewelry at www.mossandmetal.com

Follow The Power Project Collective on Instagram
@thepowerprojectcollective

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In Episode #110, Elisabeth Jordan, Founder and President of The Human Impact which serves the un-housed community of Dallas, joins Brandi once more to discuss how she and her team navigated the last two years.

Elisabeth shares how this population experienced confusion and despair during the pandemic, but The Human Impact was able to gain trust as they chose to be courageous and move forward to befriend, bridge gaps, and build long-term community in the midst of uncertainty.

Elisabeth’s staff grew from four members to twelve in the last two years, and she describes how she has had to learn hard limits while crafting an organization that honors time as part of
In an effort to honor those limits, she and the organization have adopted a mandatory quarterly week off policy, they have active conversations about rest and limits, and all employees receive a monthly stipend for counseling.

Elisabeth provides us with these tips when knowing how to and when to hire.
1. Prayer— let God lead you
2. Seek wise counsel from others
3. Hire different kinds of people who think differently
4. Acknowledge weaknesses and find complimentary individuals

Elisabeth leaves us with her five year plan and asks that we pray for continued wisdom and creativity in building.

You can learn more about The Human Impact and ways to get involved over at www.thehumanimpact.org
You can follow along with their weekly outreach over on IG: @thehumanimpact

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In Episode #109 Brandi sat down with the very first dude on the podcast, Toby Slough, founder of Goby Ministries and Legacy Pastor of Cross Timbers Church.

Brandi and Toby have a candid conversation surrounding mental health and the role the Church plays in changing the narrative. Having suffered from anxiety and panic disorder for 28 years, Toby shares his heart with us.

“When you connect God’s power with your mental health, Jesus becomes a lot more real in your life.”

“I want to normalize the conversation around mental wellness, and I would like the Capital C Church to be the first place, not the last place that people go when they’re struggling.”

“We have to celebrate our weaknesses as much as we celebrate our strengths”

“We have to break the stigma of mental health that it is something that we choose. Anxiety is not worry and depression is not sadness. The biggest issue with depression and anxiety is the shame that it brings.”

“We can do better than fidget spinners and weighted blankets. If we can get people to the source, they can get the peace that passes understanding so that they can actually live like all is well…”

Toby reminds us that we need to be where our kids are and that the internet is not a fad that is going away. After 22 years of pastoring, he has taken his ministry to TikTok because he believes if God opens a door for you, you can slide a message in there.

While discussing our Enneagram types and how to keep our egos in check, Toby shares this lesson God has taught him.
We all have a Calling that never changes, Assignment that can change and an Identity in Christ.

Toby and Brandi discuss his recent transition from lead pastor at Crosstimbers Church to Legacy Pastor, and he reminds us that people get in trouble by hanging onto an old season and missing the new one that God has in store for them.
He leaves us with a takeaway for anyone walking through a difficult transition
Ask God to replace the love that He gave you for the assignment which is not your identity and remind you of your calling.

You can follow Toby on Instagram @toby.slough
Check out the Be a Goby movement as well @beagoby
Get your hands on Toby’s books Toby the Goby or Not Yet at
The Power Project Collective 114 W. Main Gainesville, TX or on Amazon.

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Give us a rating and a review. We’ll take Five Stars. Be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode!
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Toby’s Bio
After graduating from Abilene Christian University in 1986, Toby began his ministry career in San Antonio, Texas, working with high school students. During his youth ministry years, Toby traveled around the country speaking to teenagers and youth workers.
In 1993, he and his family moved to Southlake, Texas, where he became the Preaching Minister for the Southlake Boulevard Church. It was there that God began to birth in him a dream to plant a church in the rural area of Argyle, Texas.

In 2000, Toby and Mika, along with twelve other families began Cross Timbers Church in the back of a bar. The idea for Cross Timbers was birthed from a calling God gave Toby to plant a church for hurting and broken people. In 2022, Toby transitioned from his role as Lead at Cross Timbers and launched Goby Ministries. Goby is a community of real people who are helping one another swim upstream. Transformation comes through resistance. Upstream swimming isn’t the absence of God—many times, it’s the signal of His Presence. His grace shows up in weakness, and it’s how He builds strength. Our goal is to help...

In episode #108, Brandi sits down with Bailey Garner. Bailey is a wife, mom of 3 littles, and the Director of Key Relationships for Goby Ministries. Goby Ministries helps people who are struggling with their mental health- to know they are not alone and God is still with them in the midst of their struggle. Bailey has recently launched “Hey Dad.. Can You Talk?” a podcast with casual conversations between a dad and his daughter discussing everyday struggles.

Bailey discusses her calling as a mom as well as outside of raising her children. She shares her experience of being a pastor’s kid in a space where women have always been elevated and how that has allowed her to venture into this new journey. Bailey hopes that her podcast will allow others to realize that they are not alone but others experience the same struggles in life.

You can follow Bailey on Instagram @baileydgarner
Check out the Be a Goby movement as well @beagoby

If you haven’t written a review yet, please stop what you’re doing. Give us a rating and a review. We’ll take Five Stars. Be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode!

Check out www.the-powerproject.com and sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date with what we have going on.

In episode #107, Brandi sat down with Nike Spaulding as they discussed textual criticism.
Nika is a proud graduate of both the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s in Zoology and Dallas Theological Seminary with a Master’s of Theology. God has given her the privilege of planting a church in Oak Cliff called St Jude Oak Cliff, and she loves her role as the Resident Theologian.

When she’s not cheering on her Sooners, playing with her cat Clive, or enjoying a good meal with her friends, she’s probably sneaking off to Oklahoma to snuggle with her favorite humans: her nieces and nephew.

Nika and Brandi spent some time nerding out over the Bible as she explained how we ended up with a bible. She answers her the question “Can we trust the Bible?” We discuss how no other piece of literature is this well preserved, and despite man’s fallibility of mistranslating a few different words of the Bible, there is no discrepancy in the actual gospel.

Our favorite takeaway was learning that The bible is the #1 selling book each year.

Nika leaves with us an excerpt from John 5 as Jesus is talking to religious pharisees who are experts of the scriptures:
“You search the scriptures because in them you think you find eternal life, but I’m telling you they testify about me.”
She shares that this is Jesus telling us , “that the Bible is not another task that is put on Christians to do. It is the Narnian wardrobe into Who God is, and as you search it, you will find that you encounter a God who loves you more than you can fathom, is more Good than you can understand, and has more in store for you than you can imagine.”

Resources that Nika recommends in this episode are
The Message Bible
www.messagebible.com

The Bible Project podcast and YouTube
www.bibleproject.com

God on Tap Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/god-on-tap/id1472958206

You can follow Nika Spaulding on IG @nikaadidas

If you haven’t written a review yet, please stop what you’re doing. Give us a rating and a review. We’ll take Five Stars. Be sure to subscribe so that you never miss an episode!

Check out www.the-powerproject.com and sign up for the newsletter to stay up to date with what we have going on.

This episode is part of a series where Brandi shares Biblical References of 40. Since this is her 40th year on earth, and the Bible mentions this number several times, we thought it would be fun to dive into some of these references.

Biblical Reference of 40 #1
Consistency: The Flood
Gen. 7:4 “Seven days from now, I will make the rains pour down on the earth. And it will rain for forty days and forty nights, until I have wiped from the earth all the living things I have created.

He’s consistent even when he is doing what we can’t yet comprehend.
It had never rained like this before.
He didn’t make it pour from the heavens for one day or one week, it poured in a manner that had never been seen before, and it did so for 40 days.
He made the impossible not only possible but consistent.

In the same way that he formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person in Genesis 2:7.

In the same way that he formed me in my mother’s womb and knit all of cry inner parts together in Psalm 139:14

In the same way that he has laid out a path for me and made plans of hope and a future in Jeremiah 29:11

He is a God of possibility. But he is a consistent God of possibility. He doesn’t just do the impossible once but he does it time and time again, from the very beginning of humanity to the present day that each and every one of us is standing in.

And, when we doubt with our human minds and fearful hearts, we are questioning his very infinite capabilities. When God has called us to take a step of faith and we are perched on the threshold, we have to remember that he has been a God of consistency that has never failed us. He is not concerned with what happens after we take that step because he has laid the plans out on the other side. He just needs us to be fearfully obedient and trust his consistency to do the impossible.

He sees you. He sees the mountain that you are facing. He hears your doubt and uncertainty. He recognizes your fear. He doesn’t need you to do anything other than to trust his consistency.

Read the full passage of the flood in Genesis here:

7 Next God said to Noah, “Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you’re the righteous one.
2-4 “Take on board with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and a female; one pair of every unclean animal, a male and a female; and seven pairs of every kind of bird, a male and a female, to insure their survival on Earth. In just seven days I will pour rain on Earth for forty days and forty nights. I’ll make a clean sweep of everything that I’ve made.”
5 Noah did everything God commanded him.
6-10 Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters covered the Earth. Noah and his wife and sons and their wives boarded the ship to escape the flood. Clean and unclean animals, birds, and all the crawling creatures came in pairs to Noah and to the ship, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah. In seven days the floodwaters came.
11-12 It was the six-hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month that it happened: all the underground springs erupted and all the windows of Heaven were thrown open. Rain poured for forty days and forty nights.
13-16 That’s the day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, accompanied by his wife and his sons’ wives, boarded the ship. And with them every kind of wild and domestic animal, right down to all the kinds of creatures that crawl and all kinds of birds and anything that flies. They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then God shut the door behind him.
17-23 The flood continued...

In this episode, we're throwing it back to my friend Jodie Webb. Jodie’s story is one of restoration and redemption. She has answered God’s call for her life and is fully living a life of purpose. By God’s grace, she has been able to transform childhood trauma into a lifelong mission that stretches across international borders to fully restore survivors and further prevent these atrocities.
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Not only will you be inspired and empowered by Jodie’s mission but you’ll also hear about navigating the obstacles of starting a non-profit as well as balancing family life while pursuing a life of purpose.

In Season 3, we'll be hearing from Jodie about her newest projects.
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#inittopreventit #moderndayslavery #thepowerproect