Catching the whimsy of practical Christian living | with Bob Goff

As winter approaches, the twinkle of festive lights heralds the season of joy and reflection. In 2024, this season offers an extraordinary convergence, where Hanukkah, the Jewish festival of lights, and Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, align perfectly on the calendar. Hanukkah, meaning "dedication," commemorates the rededication of the Jewish Temple in 165 BC. The festival's origin lies in the Maccabean Revolt against Hellenistic domination under Antiochus Epiphanes. This revolt led to the miraculous victory and subsequent cleansing of the Temple, commemorated by the lighting of the menorah. Lighting the menorah is a central tradition, where each candle signifies hope, divine presence, and the miraculous sustenance of the Jewish people. The lights are not functional, but symbolic—a reflection of God's enduring presence and an inspiration to live in His light. Christmas marks the incarnation of Jesus, the true Light of the world: God took human form to bring salvation to humankind. It begins with the Advent season—an anticipation of Christ's birth and eventual second coming—and proceeds into the Christmas Day festivity and beyond. From December 25th to January 6th, the "12 Days of Christmas" celebrate significant Christian figures, such as Saint Stephen, John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents. These observances call Christians to reflect on faith's steadfast examples and draw inspiration for modern life. So, we invite you to ponder the intersection of light in both traditions. The menorah's glow during Hanukkah parallels the advent candles flickering in Christian homes, together casting away darkness and embodying hope, joy, and divine presence. This confluence also finds roots in the Gospel of John, where Jesus is described celebrating Hanukkah—affirming His identity and mission as the Light of the world. The festival's themes of dedication and light resonate with Jesus' role, drawing believers to reflect on personal dedication as a living temple of the Holy Spirit, meant to illuminate God's glory. In both Hanukkah and Christmas, the invitation to "dedication" runs deeply. Hanukkah celebrates the Temple's rededication; likewise, Christmas calls for personal dedication to faith in Christ for salvation and sanctification. This convergence is an opportunity to rededicate by living out values that reflect the love and light of God. Together, as we light the menorahs and adorn Christmas trees, let us celebrate the connections between Hanukkah and Christmas, cherishing the light that shines through both of these sacred traditions. Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas! Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! 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 Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

While the Bible remains the unshakable center of our faith, understanding the broader context of church history will enrich our spiritual life in Christ. And so, Stephanie invites you into her conversation with authors Ben Lansing and Dan Marotta. Their collaborative effort is “Our Church Speaks”, a book featuring 52 Christian saints connecting modern audiences with 2000 years of Christian tradition. In today’s culture, dominated by a staggering number of celebrities, Ben and Dan propose a focus on Christ-centered heroes of the faith, past and present, as a healthier alternative. Recounting stories of saints can help reconstruct what it means to follow Christ, providing a curative narrative amid societal disillusionment. This perspective isn't anti-celebrity, but rather an appeal to prioritize emotional and spiritual well-being by valuing Christ-centered faith over celebrity culture. Ben and Dan underscore the value of saints as role models in stark contrast to today's idolized celebrity culture. Instead of pursuing a transient notion of the "good life" defined by cultural standards of beauty, success, and fame, the authors advocate emulating the virtues demonstrated by saints. These figures, pointing to Christ, offer a remedy for the anxiety and vanity pervasive in modern society. Ben and Dan draw parallels between the decline of the Roman Empire and current Western attitudes. The past’s cultural uncertainties mirror today’s sentiments. For example, the conversion of Augustine and the transformative power of faith, urge today’s youth to find fulfillment in Christ rather than material success. Through the lens of history, Ben and Dan highlight the monastic movement's rise during turbulent times, structured around prayer and work. The lessons from these Christian communities remain pertinent today, providing a model for spiritual stability amidst chaos. The consistent theme of God's faithfulness through uncertain times emphasizes the reliability of prayer as a structural life foundation, rather than a mere emotional expression. Josephine Bakhita and Polycarp, for example, left indelible marks on Christian history. Josephine Bakhita's story of transcending slavery through faith—embracing her given name "Lucky" while finding true fortune in Christ—offers a lesson in finding freedom through spiritual dedication rather than the absence of constraints. Polycarp's unwavering faith despite persecution illustrates the early church’s resilience and engagement with Scripture. His steadfastness serves as a source of encouragement for modern believers facing challenges to their faith, reinforcing confidence and trust in divine grace. Ben Lansing's role as an artist intertwines with his spiritual journey, as he finds inspiration in portraying saints from diverse eras and professions. His insights reveal how art and history can illuminate God’s work across various cultures and time periods. Stephanie Rousselle reflects on how the book sparked her curiosity to learn about historical Christian figures, like the first Korean martyr, thus enhancing her appreciation for global Christian heritage. Dan Marotta shares his transformative encounter with church history through Ben, emphasizing themes of self-sacrifice present in the lives of saints. These true stories provide a humbling counterbalance to modern comfort-driven lifestyles, inspiring humility and faithful witness over martyrdom or suffering. The conversation touches on the negative implications of social media, this "giant mirror" reflecting and magnifying vanity issues. Emulating saints can redirect this focus, reducing self-promotion and increasing service to others, leading to genuine happiness and fulfillment. Ben and Dan conclude by inviting us to look beyond digital media, encouraging engagement with visual and historical narratives that convey beauty and truth. Their collaborative project aims to connect past and present, offering illustrations and biographies of Christian heroes of the faith to motivate deeper spiritual reflection. MORE ABOUT “OUR CHURCH SPEAKS” Do you ever feel like you're alone in your struggles to live out the Christian faith? Do you ever read the Bible yet still wonder what it looks like to follow Jesus in the complexity and difficulty of our time? The stories of great men and women throughout the history of the church can help us form a bridge between the teaching of Scripture and our embodied lives. This illustrated devotional vividly depicts the lives and words of great women and men of faith. Artist Ben Lansing and Anglican priest D. J. Marotta offer fifty-two profound images and reflections on Christians, from Polycarp in the first century to the martyrs of Sudan in the twenty-first century. These saints, from every continent and century of church history, demonstrate the historic church's relevance for Christians today and reveal God's faithfulness in all times and circumstances. The artwork, biographies, devotionals, and prayers in this book are meant to spark our imaginations, helping us to be faithful here and now, in our own age. More at https://www.ourchurchspeaks.com/  Order via ivpress.com here: https://www.ivpress.com/our-church-speaks  Order via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Our-Church-Speaks-Illustrated-Devotional/dp/151400903X  Order via Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/our-church-speaks-ben-lansing/1145030215  Our Church Speaks is an illustration series featuring the words of Christians from around the globe, across traditions, and throughout the centuries. Each saint in this series is commemorated in the Book of Common Prayer tradition, in the global Anglican communion’s calendar of saints. C.S. Lewis called for Christians to "keep the clean sea breeze of the centuries blowing through our minds." Our Church Speaks aspires to open the perspective of modern Christians to this clean breeze of the witness of the historic church. Our Church Speaks is an ongoing project, currently at over 250 portraits, with new work every week. You can follow the latest entries on Instagram. Prayers and liturgies in this project are from the Book of Common Prayer. This project is aligned with the historic interpretation of the Christian Bible, as summarized by the Nicene Creed and expressed in the Documentary Foundations of the 2019 edition of the Book of Common Prayer (pgs. 766-802). Discover the stunning art gallery that inspired the book at https://www.ourchurchspeaks.com/gallery  MORE ABOUT THE AUTHORS Ben Lansing is an artist and author from Richmond, Virginia. His award-winning art has appeared in hundreds of American publications over the past two decades. His work has been featured in the Newseum in Washington D.C. and received multiple Best in Show awards from the Virginia Press Association. In 2007, in response to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech, Ben created Today, We Are All Hokies, an editorial illustration that received global attention. John Seigenthaler, Sr., founding editorial director of USA Today, nominated this image for a Pulitzer Prize in 2007. Ben is currently the cartoonist for Jeff MacNelly’s classic comic strip, Shoe. Ben is an ordained Anglican deacon and a lifelong student of the history of art and religion. He loves sharing the history of the global church through art and storytelling and regularly teaches church history at Redeemer Anglican Church in Richmond, Virginia. He lives in Richmond with his wife, Bethany, in a house full of books. Dan (D.J.) Marotta is a priest in the Anglican Church in North America and the founding Rector of Redeemer Anglican Church in Richmond, VA. He was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and graduated from The College of William & Mary with a B.A. in Family Therapy Psychology and Denver Seminary with a Master of Divinity. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2016 and planted Redeemer in the urban heart of Richmond that same year. His wife is gracious and his children are clever. More at https://www.djmarotta.com/  THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! 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 What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.   Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.   So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once. And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it. Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking. So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward? Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie has deep admiration for Mary, the mother of Jesus. So, she invites you to take a seat at Mary’s table this Christmas season. Grab a cup of hot Christmas tea and join Mary at God’s feast. Mary's journey of faith showcases deep humility and trust. For example, her genuine curiosity about God's message distinguishes her from Zechariah's earlier skepticism, demonstrating that God welcomes questions borne out of innocence. Mary’s life highlights a pure faith, and a willingness to devote herself completely to God, despite societal repercussions. Mary is a beacon of suffering and endurance. Scripture emphasizes the importance of embracing our legacy for God’s glory, drawing parallels to Ruth and Boaz's story as an analogy of choosing faithfulness amidst trials. Mary's life challenges us to view suffering through a lens of divine purpose and glory. In Christ, the New Testament teaches a profound reversal from the Old Testament perspective. Traditionally, the unholy would taint the holy, but in Christ, the holy purifies the unholy. This applies to Mary as well, and is vividly exemplified in stories like the woman healed by touching Jesus’ garment, and the shadows of Peter and Paul, which miraculously conveyed healing. Understanding Jesus as fully God and fully man is vital to grasp the profound nature of the cross and resurrection. The incarnation is not merely to be seasonally celebrated at Christmastime, but it extends to us an invitation to experience the holiness of Jesus personally throughout the year. Belief in Jesus is paramount for salvation, extending beyond heritage and familial connections to Israel. Even Mary herself needed to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior, because salvation is an individual journey taken in a corporate, communal context. Mary’s faith journey is therefore marked by the joy and strength she found in fellowship and corporate worship. Community is essential in nurturing our faith, and in providing encouragement, support, and a shared sense of purpose. Mary's song, the Magnificat, reveals her deep scriptural understanding, reminiscent of patriarchal figures like Abraham and Hannah, as well as her bond with her cousin Elizabeth. This is the power of community to bolster our faith! In her humble and challenging circumstances—living in poverty, as a widow, raising several children, and dealing with societal reputations—Mary chose to view herself as blessed through a divine lens. Her life exemplifies surrendering to God’s plan as an act of commitment, rather than selecting the bits and pieces of faith that would be more comfortable. Her life teaches a timeless lesson: embracing God's plans often requires relinquishing personal ambitions and societal approval. Her journey serves as a guide for living a life of worship and devotion to Jesus, standing firm in faith through every storm. So, this Christmas, consider reimagining your Christmas celebrations through the lens of Mary’s life. Ponder the story of Mary, not just as an iconic biblical figure, but as a relatable model of faith, courage, and unwavering devotion in the face of life's trials. Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! 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 Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie Rousselle welcomes Jenn Tucker to discuss overcoming the shame of mental health struggles, and the transformative power of Christian meditation. This practice is not merely about acquiring biblical knowledge, but about deeply embodying the teachings of Scripture. This spiritual discipline invites the presence of God into daily life through Christ, towards personal transformation and the renewing of our minds in Christ. When Jenn’s youngest daughter began experiencing panic and anxiety, Jenn and her family plunged themselves deep into the world of therapy and psychiatry, witnessing firsthand the treatments, tools, and medications for panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions. As Jenn witnessed her daughter’s suffering and learned to honestly address her own mental health struggles, she became passionate about the importance of mental health, particularly within faith communities. Once a source of shame and fear, Jenn is now an advocate for making mental health a priority. Jenn and her family have opened up about their journey with mental health because they love Jesus. They believe God’s Word. They trust Him. They believe His plans are good and His purposes are for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. But they have seen firsthand what it’s like to have a serious mental health condition that requires the help of doctors and medications, and they are grateful to have these tools. The brain is a complicated and beautiful mystery in many ways. We have to care to the bodies that God has given us, and Jenn hopes to help others learn tactics to care for their minds and bodies while also growing closer to God. Anxiety — or any mental health condition — isn’t a roadblock to faith but rather a way to grow closer to Christ. So, today, Jenn opens up about her past struggles with doubt, mental health, and the pressures of religious perfectionism. Raised in a fundamentalist environment where anxiety was viewed as sinful, she experienced significant personal shame. Her daughter’s battle with anxiety and panic attacks allowed Jenn to reassess her beliefs and embrace God’s comforting presence. This shift in understanding was a catalyst for change, leading her to realize the true good news of Jesus Christ. Meditation on Scripture is fundamentally different from, and complement to traditional Bible study. While the latter focuses on collecting knowledge, meditation is an intimate practice of spiritual reflection. By meditating on God’s word through methods such as Lectio Divina, we can experience peace and resilience in the chaos of the modern world. Jenn speaks candidly about how this practice has helped her through personal struggles, allowing scriptural wisdom to become an integral part of her being. Both Jenn and Stephanie reflect on overcoming personal challenges through faith and recognizing the liberating nature of trust in God. They candidly discuss the guilt that can accompany misapplying biblical verses, and the pressure to perform religious tasks as proof of faith. Jenn encourages a shift from “doing for God” to “being with God,” emphasizing presence and relationship over actions. This change in perspective has allowed her to discern God’s constant support through life’s hardships and unexpected moments. Jenn shares three powerful methods for engaging with Scripture meditatively. First, she recommends reflecting on standout words or phrases within a passage, using them as focal points for prayer and contemplation. Secondly, praying phrase by phrase while listening for divine guidance can uncover God’s individual invitations through scripture. Finally, she encourages considering what God may be inviting each individual to do or understand through their current life circumstances. These practices are designed to develop a deeper connection to God, transforming scripture into a living conversation. Christian meditation offers not just spiritual enrichment, but tangible health benefits, such as reduced stress and improved mental clarity. By focusing directly on Christ and His teachings, meditation integrates the spiritual with the mental, fostering an awareness of God’s constant presence and love. Through this practice, Jenn has found tools for coping with life’s unpredictabilities. Through her book “Present in Prayer,” Jenn Tucker invites us into the practice of Lectio Divina, a historic form of Christian meditation comprising five steps: Silence, Prayer, Reading, Meditation, and Incarnation. She stresses the importance of silence and prayer in preparing the heart to meet God, guiding readers through various meditation practices designed to enrich their communion with God. This structured approach enables individuals to internalize Scripture more deeply, fostering spiritual growth and resilience. MORE ABOUT PRESENT IN PRAYER Jennifer “Jenn” Tucker knows what anxiety feels like. In her bestselling book, Breath as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul, Jenn shared the powerful practice of Christian breath prayer, a simple and approachable tool for battling her depression, stress, and anxiety. Now, in Present in Prayer: A Guided Invitation to Peace Through Biblical Meditation, Jenn explores the redemptive power of the centuries-old practice of Christian meditation. Present in Prayer offers a simple yet profound guide to Christian meditation, a practice with the capacity to rewire the neural pathways in the brain, creating new connections and changing the way we think and how we regulate our emotions for physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, using the ancient monastic framework of lectio divina. Present in Prayer features 30 mediations, each with a gentle call to silence, an opening prayer, and a thoughtful reflection on a Bible verse; guided meditation on Scripture; a prayer of surrender and prompts for how to live out the truths God is speaking; and inspired art. “Christian meditation has been profoundly helpful to me personally,” said Jenn. “Learning to find this quiet time to commune with God has helped grow my faith and strengthened my mental and spiritual health, drawing me nearer to God, helping me change unhelpful and negative thought patterns, and easing the physical and mental symptoms of anxiety and stress.” With Jenn Tucker’s Present in Prayer, cultivate a more purposeful and peaceful prayer life and greater intimacy with God as you focus your thoughts on His Word. Jennifer Tucker is bestselling author, artist, graphic designer, wife, mother, grandmother, devoted follower of Jesus, and advocate for mental health. She shares her heart and art online at littlehousestudio.net. Jenn is the author of Breath as Prayer: Calm Your Anxiety, Focus Your Mind, and Renew Your Soul. MORE ABOUT JENN TUCKER When Jenn’s youngest daughter began experiencing panic and anxiety, Jenn and her family plunged themselves deep into the world of therapy and psychiatry, witnessing firsthand the treatments, tools, and medications for panic attacks, anxiety disorders, depression, and other mental health conditions. As Jenn witnessed her daughter’s suffering and learned to honestly address her own mental health struggles, she became passionate about the importance of mental health, particularly within faith communities. Once a source of shame and fear, Jenn is now an advocate for making mental health a priority. Jenn and her family have opened up about their journey with mental health because they love Jesus. They believe God’s Word. They trust Him. They believe His plans are good and His purposes are for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. But they have seen firsthand what it’s like to have a serious mental health condition that requires the help of doctors and medications, and they are grateful to have these tools. The brain is a complicated and beautiful mystery in many ways. We have to care to the bodies that God has given us, and in writing Breath as Prayer and Present in Prayer, Jenn hopes to help others learn tactics to care for their minds and bodies while also growing closer to God. Anxiety — or any mental health condition — isn’t a roadblock to faith but rather a way to grow closer to Christ. Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Advent is an exquisite tapestry of remembrance and hope. It urges us to transcend the temporal allure of holiday celebrations and step into a sanctuary of reflection, rest, and renewed faith. Advent embodies a period of waiting that bridges past, present, and future expectations of Christ's advent. So today, Stephanie invites us to enter the heart of Advent—a time of reflection, prayer, and preparation centered around the comings of Jesus Christ.   Drawing from the Anglican liturgical tradition of the weekly "collects," prayer can transform the season, linking believers to a contemplative experience and encouraging introspection. On that note, consider checking out our Gospel Spice Advent Course, a series of 12 videos that will guide you on a prayerful 24-day journey that will highlight original, unexpected, deep insights for your heart and faith. More at gospelspice.com/advent  The Advent season encapsulates both the commemoration of Christ's first coming, and the anticipation of His return. This duality highlights Jesus' role, initially as a humble Messiah, and soon as a returning Judge and King. Amidst the festive frenzy, we need to remember to emphasize rest during Advent. For many, resting in God's presence contradicts a performance-driven mentality. This, in turn, beckons us to relinquish control and engage in trust. Resting in God not only fosters spiritual quietness, but also enhances our awareness of His guidance. As the season progresses, Stephanie extends an invitation to experience Advent not merely as a time of expectation, but also as a process of spiritual readiness. Repentance, grace, and prayer point us towards preparation for Jesus’ imminent arrival. This sacred anticipation encourages us to reflect on our identity in relation to God, seeking quietness, trust, and strength through His presence. Advent sends forth a sacred invitation to step away from commercial clamor and enter into a season of faith-journey marked by expectation, repentance, and joyful anticipation. Let us heed this call to embrace Advent as a season of profound spiritual transformation and expectation in Christ! Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on Holy Day traditions in upcoming episodes of Gospel Spice! Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES The Gospel Spice Podcast is part of a larger range of tools given to you by Gospel Spice Ministries. In a nutshell, we exist to inspire Christ-followers to delight in God. In more details: 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. PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the link with friends and family. PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with! PAY IT FORWARD!! Would you consider supporting this show today to help others enjoy it for free? It comes to you completely free, but is labor-intensive to produce, and we want to keep putting it in the ears of people! Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. All donations above our minimal operating costs go to Christian organizations fighting human trafficking. 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 (*ListenNotes ranking, 2023) What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.   Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.   So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once. And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it. Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking. So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward? Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie invites us to ponder an original perspective to help us determine how to invest our time, money and talents wisely, with heaven in mind. What does Jesus mean when He urges us to "accumulate treasures in heaven"? Surely He does not mean we will need money in eternity. What are these treasures? And most importantly, HOW do we accumulate treasures in heaven? Scripture teaches we are saved by grace alone, and faith in Christ alone, and that we cannot earn salvation. So, this is not about salvation. This is about living a life of delight in the glory of God on THIS side of heaven, and a life of investing wisely in what GOD says matters eternally. Stephanie uses a fresh analogy and describes our life this side of heaven as a garden in which we live and work and move and play. But there is a great wall, so high we cannot peek over it, and it separates us from eternal life. This wall is death and, apart from Christ, it is terrifying. It casts its shadows of pain and suffering, hardship and afflictions, disease and sickness over us all. This wall has a door for each one of us--we will not cross over until our time comes, but we will not be able to avoid that door when our time comes. What awaits us on the other side of it and, more importantly since you already know what awaits you in Christ, how do we invest our lives wisely, this side of the wall?  Jesus tells us to accumulate treasures in heaven. In other words, He tells us there are ways to toss our treasure over the wall of death, and into eternity. What can we toss? And HOW do we toss it? In this episode, Stephanie invites us to ponder what it looks like to toss treasure over the wall, and then to discover how we will use it on the other side. What will this treasure look like? How will we use it in heaven? We at Gospel Spice hope and pray that this episode will encourage you to keep running the race set before you, and to fix your eyes on Him who has crossed over to bring you from death to life. NEW GOSPELSPICE CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY! Enjoy our team's selection of favorite Christ-centered Christmas hymns this season. Search Gospel Spice on Spotify, or click here  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0S4BcfaOfjg2CGH7VBa8mm?si=grkc-ZS6TBu75sByFPvwfw&nd=1 (note - there is also a Gospel Spice Worship playlist for all the other months of the year!) THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! 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 What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.   Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.   So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once. And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it. Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking. So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward? Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Today, Stephanie invites us to appreciate the beauty of both sacred feasts and ordinary days, encouraging us to engage in the communal and reflective aspects of faith, and finding God’s purpose within the varied rhythms of the Christian calendar. Throughout our series, we together have woven the historical and prophetic significance of Jewish and Christian feasts. We have remembered that, while Christians aren't required to observe these feasts, they offer valuable insights and experiences. The communal aspect of these celebrations serves as an inspiring contrast to modern individualism, with our faith deeply rooted in community and shared heritage. The spring feasts, including Passover and Pentecost, herald Jesus' first coming, while the fall feasts echo the anticipated second coming, starting with Rosh Hashanah. With Advent beginning on December 3rd, 2024, this season marks a shift from Ordinary Time to a spirited anticipation of Christ's birth. Stephanie encourages us to slow down and reflect on the past year, capturing the introspective spirit of Thanksgiving.   The current era, regarded as the "ordinary time" between Jesus' first and second coming, is marked by the mission to spread his teachings. The concept of Ordinary Time within the Christian liturgical calendar serves as a reminder of the divine presence in everyday life. This period, unique to Christianity, fosters spiritual maturation and invites believers to live more deeply in Christ's teachings. Living the Christian life is akin to growing in spirals, continually deepening our faith journey. This time culminates in the final Sunday of ordinary time, liturgically called “the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,” and transitions into the vibrant anticipation of Advent. Next, we will ponder the connections between Advent, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Epiphany. These discussions will continue to show intricate ways in which these winter festivals echo the broader themes of anticipation and celebration. The anticipation for the second coming of Jesus, expressed through the Jewish feasts, notably the Feast of Trumpets, aligns with the Christian expectation of the eventual fulfillment of God's promises. As the Gospel Spice podcast series wraps up its exploration of the Jewish and Christian liturgical calendars, Stephanie invites us to embrace a rich tapestry of spiritual traditions through feasts and ordinary days alike. The series shines a light on the intricate dance between the sacred and the ordinary, drawing out beauty found within the familiar rhythms of faith. Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! 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 Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways: 1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too! 2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app; and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today! What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.   Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.   So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once. And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it. Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking. So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward? Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie Rousselle welcomes Lanier Ivester, who embraces life's imperfections to illuminate the beauty of Advent and Christmas. Lanier’s book, "Glad and Golden Hours," invites us to cultivate joy amid sorrow and approach the holiday season with authenticity and grace. By intertwining sensory and spiritual experiences—much like savoring genuine Madagascar Bourbon vanilla—Lanier’s book encourages readers to experience God's goodness through all senses, a practice embedded in her Advent essays. Advent is a powerful reminder of three "advents": the historical arrival of Christ, His anticipated future return, and His everyday presence in believers' lives. It’s like a delicious cake baking, where the scent alone offers a taste of the joy to come. Advent thus becomes a time not just for reflection, but for anticipating the sweetness of God's promises, even amidst trials. Lanier introduces the concept of "otium sanctum," or holy leisure, contrasting sharply with the hustle of the typical American lifestyle. By starting the season from a place of acceptance and prioritizing peace, this practice encourages a restful approach to Christmas, embracing a peaceful, sufficient state of existence amidst the chaos. Through her writing and stories, Lanier has struck a chord with readers from varying backgrounds, resonating deeply with those who've had mixed experiences with Christmas traditions. She encourages readers to adopt meaningful traditions, finding joy and purpose despite previous disappointments, fostering a richer connection to the season. Grief is the 'great equalizer.' Whether rooted in sudden loss or extended heartache, grief opens a space for deeper intimacy with God. Lanier has navigated personal tragedies, from infertility to family losses, through a truth-centered approach that acknowledges both sorrow and joy, creating an authentic reflection of the Advent season. Lanier learned invaluable lessons about imperfection, and how God meets us in our grief, with the hope of reuniting with loved ones bringing comfort. Lanier’s mother, a beacon of easygoing hospitality, taught her the essence of prioritizing people over perfection—a theme woven into her approach to Christmas. In this episode, you will experience… Living Advent: Lanier dives into Advent as not just a season, but an experience—a time to embrace the historical, present, and future presence of Christ, much like the irresistible scent of a cake baking in the oven. Holy Leisure: Ever heard of "otium sanctum"? It's all about finding a peaceful, restful state during the bustling Christmas season. Lanier shares tips on how to set priorities and create a calm oasis amidst the chaos. Joy amidst Grief: Lanier opens up about how grief, from infertility to family losses, has deepened her intimacy with God. She brings light to finding beauty and sufficiency in Christ, even in the darkest times. Embracing Imperfections: Perfectionists, rejoice! Lanier recounts tales of holiday mishaps, including a high school Christmas craft disaster, and how they taught her the true spirit of hospitality. Tradition and Memory: Dive into how Lanier finds solace in memory and tradition, exemplified by her mother’s dining room table—a symbol of love and the Lord’s hospitality. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! 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 Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie invites you today to spice up your faith by exploring unexpected connections between two great feasts. She dives deep into the intertwined celebrations of Pentecost in the Christian tradition, and Shavuot in the Jewish faith. Both festivals are celebrated 50 days post-Easter and Passover respectively, and invite us to reconnect with themes of gratitude, thanksgiving, and divine revelation. Through the enduring cycles of joy, preparation, and revelation, both Shavuot and Pentecost call believers into a deeper understanding of divine grace and the cyclical journey of faith. Shavuot, or the Feast of Weeks, concludes a significant period of anticipation following Passover. Observers commemorate this festival by reading the Ten Commandments and partaking in the harvest of wheat, lauded as the superior grain. Symbolically, Shavuot represents the culmination of the spring feasts, and includes the unique preparation of two loaves of leavened wheat bread, symbolizing humanity's sinful nature. Celebrated with offerings, figs, olive oil, and more, Shavuot is a joyous occasion steeped in history and spirituality. In the Christian liturgical calendar, Pentecost, celebrated on June 8, 2025, mirrors Shavuot’s setting—50 days after the major religious observances of Easter and Passover. It marks the momentous occasion when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus's followers, empowering us to spread the gospel. God’s presence attributes joy and delight to Pentecost, making it a critical event that signifies the birth of the church and believers' empowerment. Stephanie discusses these celebrations as a "rehearsal dinner" for the future wedding banquet, the final joyous gathering in Christ's return. This celebration encapsulates both preparation and revelation, drawing a parallel to the Israelites' three days of preparation to receive the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. The festival’s ladder-shaped challah symbolizes Moses' ascent to receive the Law, while its inclusion of yeast signifies the sinful nature that, through divine grace, will be fully redeemed. Central to both Shavuot and Pentecost, is the theme of harvest. The gathering of wheat represents the process of evangelism. As believers are sanctified through trials, they are refined wheat, ready for offering and transforming into the spiritual bread of life. In the same vein, Pentecost is a reminder of the Great Commission—empowering believers to go forth and harvest souls for the kingdom of God. Christ embodies the fulfillment of Shavuot. Just as Shavuot celebrates God’s revelation to Moses, Pentecost commemorates the Holy Spirit’s descension, ushering a new covenant. This underscores a deeper spiritual truth: the festival of Shavuot rehearses the believers' ultimate communion with God, transcending into a season of salvation heralded by Jesus' coming. Stephanie highlights a fascinating contrast between Jewish and Western traditions: the Jewish cyclical view of time versus the Western linear perspective. Shavuot, celebrated from sundown on June 1 to nightfall on June 3, 2025, emphasizes the end of the spring harvest—a marker in the cyclical liturgical calendar that heralds a pause until the fall feasts. Meanwhile, the Western tradition tends to perceive time as linear, steadily moving towards a future point. This cyclical nature of the Jewish liturgical calendar offers hope and progress, especially during periods that may seem monotonous. After the spring feasts conclude, the Jewish calendar enters a four-month period without festive observances until Rosh Hashanah. Stephanie encourages believers to view these "ordinary" times as infused with the joy and anticipation of Shavuot and Pentecost, reflecting the Christian longing between Christ's first and second comings. This period is an invitation to embody thankfulness, evangelism, and charity, preparing for the ultimate harvest in the final gathering. Stay tuned for more enlightening discussions on Holy Day traditions in upcoming episodes of Gospel Spice! Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. 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 Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ God's glory, our delight  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.   Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.   So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once. And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it. Now it's very important to us that we give back as much as possible from what you give us. And so we commit to giving the majority of what we receive, once all of our administrative costs are paid, to organizations that fight human trafficking on the front line. There are many worthwhile causes in the world, so why this one? Because I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – maybe because I have never been its victim myself, so I feel a responsibility to help those less fortunate than me. Also, because Jesus tells us to love our neighbor. Human trafficking is modern day slavery, and that is something that revolts the heart of God. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.   So, we do some due diligence. We pick organizations who have proven themselves trustworthy of our support. And then we give money to these Christians organizations that fight human trafficking. So would you consider paying us forward at gospelspice.com/payitforward? Your hard-earned money is always well used at Gospel Spice. Ultimately, you are giving back to the Kingdom, a portion of what Jesus has given you. We are well aware of the privilege to steward your partnership. And my prayer is always that you will find your own life spiced with the gospel as you partner with us to flavor the lives of those around us, near and far, with the spice of the gospel.   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie converses with the ever-engaging Bob Goff today. Known for his ability to intertwine whimsy with profound spiritual truths, Bob challenges us to take active, heartfelt actions instead of merely understanding faith on an intellectual level. Bob’s message is simple: live an actionable, authentic faith filled with whimsy and boundless love. His new book "Catching Whimsy" encapsulates this dynamic approach, prompting us to explore faith with fresh eyes and a vibrant spirit. Quiet, modest acts of service hold immense power, says Bob. In a world often driven by recognition, he reminds us that God appreciates small beginnings and gradual growth. This applies to everything - our faith, relationships, and professional commitments. His emphasis on gentleness and patience serves as a reminder that impactful change often starts with unassuming, everyday actions. "Catching Whimsy," the title of Goff’s new book, suggests that whimsy surpasses mere superficial happiness. It is a strategic, intentional approach towards life and faith that echoes childlike simplicity and wonder. Bob illustrates whimsy using metaphors like catching bubbles, tying it back to a pure form of faith that urges us to perceive the world uniquely. Bob Goff advocates for the practice of transitioning from "Bible study" to "Bible doing," urging us to embody our faith through deliberate actions. Central to his message are calls for service to others, such as feeding the hungry and welcoming strangers. Sharing experiences from teaching at San Quentin penitentiary, Bob also reflects on the deep humility demonstrated by the inmates—a quality that influences his own faith journey. His stories underscore the value of surrounding oneself with individuals who truly embody empathy and authentic faith. This principle extends to difficult situations where empathetic communication is key. Bob emphasizes the importance of steering clear from clichéd responses, replacing them with deeper, meaningful connections. Bob reframes suffering by mentioning the teachings of Paul and James, highlighting that through adversity, endurance and character are built, eventually leading to hope. This perspective encourages a focus on personal growth rather than dwelling in arguments or seeking validation. Authenticity is paramount in our relationship with God. He encourages believers to present their true selves, inclusive of doubts and questions. This authenticity is also about running our own race and allowing others to do the same, all while fostering genuine conversations with God - simple, everyday conversations flavored with the "salt" of prayer. For those inspired by his words, the challenge is set—embrace whimsy, embark on a journey of authentic living, and become the "convincing proof" of a lively, active faith. MORE ABOUT BOB GOFF BOB GOFF is the New York Times bestselling author of Love Does; Everybody, Always; Dream Big; Undistracted; Live in Grace, Walk in Love; and Love Does for Kids. He’s a lover of balloons, cake pops, and helping people pursue their big dreams. Bob’s greatest ambitions in life are to love others, do stuff, and most importantly, to hold hands with his wife, Sweet Maria, and spend time with their amazing family. For more, check out BobGoff.com and LoveDoes.org. MORE ABOUT “CATCHING WHIMSY” DISCOVER JOY AND INSPIRATION FROM NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR BOB GOFF EMBRACE THE ADVENTURE OF LIFE AND FAITH IN CATCHING WHIMSY—A 365-DAY JOURNEY TO CURIOSITY AND DELIGHT Dive into the enchanting world of Catching Whimsy: 365 Days of Possibility, where beloved bestselling author Bob Goff invites readers on a 365-day adventure that reawakens curiosity and joy in everyday life. With his signature charm and captivating anecdotes, Goff artfully combines faith with whimsy, offering daily reflections that inspire and uplift readers. Each entry is designed to be a gentle tap on the shoulder, inviting you not only to recognize God’s immense love for you but also to embrace the thrilling possibilities life has to offer. In Catching Whimsy, Goff leads you away from the mundane cycles of planning and uncertainty into a space brimming with delight and spontaneity. Whether you’re grappling with life’s uncertainties or simply seeking a spark of joy, this devotional serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path to a more engaged and meaningful existence. Goff’s delightful storytelling is interwoven with profound insights, making spiritual growth accessible and relatable, a true gift for anyone seeking a deeper connection with God. This is more than just a devotional; it’s a joyful celebration of life, spirituality, and the endless journeys of the heart. Each day presents a new opportunity to revel in the adventure of faith and to foster an expectant heart, ready to embrace the beautiful complexities of life. Let the world know about Catching Whimsy; it’s a not-to-be-missed read for anyone craving connection, inspiration, and a little sprinkle of whimsy in their lives! We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. 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 Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ God's glory, our delight  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!