Balancing confidence and humility, the secret to authentic worship | with Darlene Zschech

Stephanie here! We are taking a temporary break from the Book of Proverbs to immerse ourselves in the two major Jewish and Christian liturgical events happening this week, roughly at the same time (which is unusual): Lent and Purim. I always find it fascinating to find fresh ways to worship Jesus Christ through the connections between different feasts and seasons. So today I invite you to delight in Christ through the unexpected juxtaposition of Purim and Lent. We invite you into a delightful exploration of the divine tapestry that intertwines the ancient traditions of Purim with the solemn reverence of Lent, ultimately pointing to the redemptive Lordship of Jesus Christ. You can purchase the Spring Feasts workbook to take notes while you listen, including the gorgeous visuals we created to accompany your experience: https://www.gospelspice.com/offers/ct6coMYd Purim, a joyous and festive Jewish celebration, commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people as detailed in the book of Esther. The intricacies of the story, from the absence of God's name in the book of Esther to the sovereignty and deliverance of His people, provide a rich tapestry to explore. In the Christian tradition, Lent serves as a period of preparation and reflection leading up to Easter, encompassing forty days marked by fasting, sacrifice, and repentance. Both Purim and Lent share a dark background of struggle and the hope of a joyous feast, creating an intriguing juxtaposition. Steeped in history and tradition, Purim and Lent leads us to worship Jesus at their intersection. It's compelling to note that while Purim is celebrated with joyful feasting and the giving of gifts to the poor, Lent involves fasting before the celebration of Easter. Both observances intertwine notions of hardship and hope, underscoring the resilience and faith exhibited by believers. Purim and Lent beckon us to seek and find Jesus in the heart of these sacred observances. So, join the conversation today! 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) Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie engages in a heartfelt conversation with renowned worship leader Darlene Zschech, who likes to remind us that learning to trust God is a superpower! Darlene invites us into a life of authentic worship. She challenges us to cultivate a heart rooted in humility, to pursue genuine connection with God, and to understand the profound impact of living a life centered around worship. Darlene emphasizes the necessity of approaching worship without pressure or performance. She underscores that God's love is unconditional and is not influenced by our achievements or failures. This invites us to worship and create from a place of freedom, where we can focus on building a sincere relationship with God rather than seeking approval or validation from others. Darlene shares her own journey, highlighting how she learned to adore God not for His gifts or as a task to check off, but simply to be in His presence. God's delight in us is not contingent upon our accomplishments, but is inherent to our relationship with Him. Engaging with God without any agenda other than presence leads to an authentic worship experience. Darlene's wisdom reminds us that trusting God is a superpower. Her personal experiences, including battling cancer, illustrate God’s faithfulness and the necessity of discerning His voice. Humility in worship is non-negotiable. Darlene speaks to the trap of self-sufficiency, particularly for those naturally inclined to leadership and capability. She insists on the importance of shedding self-reliance and embracing humility to fully trust and depend on God. In a world craving attention, Darlene values the hidden life and the importance of remaining true to worship's essence. Her journey reminds us to fight for a culture of truth and humility. Darlene's experiences illustrate the significance of nurturing deep roots in God's Word and maintaining accountability in our faith walk. She cautions against the allure of fame and the pressure to create commercialized versions of worship, advocating instead for a focus on genuine expression that aligns with God's heart. Darlene's testimony of God's faithfulness during her battle with cancer is particularly moving, as she reminds us to trust both God's whisper and shouts alike. Nurturing a close relationship with God prepares us to discern His guidance during pivotal moments. Stephanie asks Darlene about the church's role in cultivating worship leaders. Darlene stresses the importance of mentoring and discipleship within worship teams, encouraging leaders to uphold a culture of truth, confidence, and humility. This environment ensures that the focus remains on facilitating worship towards God rather than self-glorification. Darlene's experience with Christians in India teaches us about true devotion and reliance on God. When comfort isn't an option, desperation calls out to God, showcasing His incredible faithfulness. Here are some of the key insights Stephanie will remember from her conversation with Darlene. Make them your own, or add some more! 1.      Embrace Your Identity in Christ: God loves you unconditionally, regardless of your actions or achievements. 2.      Delight in God's Presence: Prioritize spending time with God, not just for what you can gain, but for simply being with Him. 3.      Practice Humility and Confidence: Strive for the combination of these qualities in your faith and life. 4.      Cultivate a Life of Worship: Lead others to focus on God’s worth, not your own abilities. 5.      Seek to Align Desires with God’s Will: Spend time in His word to align your heart with His plan. 6.      Nurture a Hidden Life: Value your private relationship with God over public recognition. 7.      Be Anchored in a Sure Foundation: Start each day with devotion and prayer, positioning yourself for what the day brings. 8.      Serve with Excellence: Honor God through high standards in your work, recognizing Him as the source of your abilities. 9.      Surrender to God’s Will: Continually submit your life to Him and trust in His faithfulness. 10.  Remember God’s Faithfulness: Regularly reflect on and remember His past faithfulness as a source of encouragement. 11.  Lead by Example in Worship: Facilitate a genuine connection between people and God, elevating them to see His worth. 12.  Guard Your Heart: Continually examine and protect your heart against pride and complacency. 13.  Embrace the Power of Influence: Use influence responsibly and to glorify God, while ensuring roots are deep in His word. 14.  Remain Teachable: Continuously seek mentorship and embrace correction and growth. 15.  Trust God Beyond Self-Reliance: Let go of self-sufficiency and put trust fully in God, who desires to guide your path. 16.  Value Discipleship and Community: Learn from and contribute to the community around you for spiritual growth. CONNECT WITH DARLENE ZSCHECH https://www.darlenezschech.com/  “First and foremost, I am a woman who simply and wholeheartedly loves Christ, and serves Him through loving my family, serving the church, and speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” – Darlene Zschech Darlene Zschech is an award-winning Australian singer-songwriter, worship leader, pastor, author, and speaker. With three GMA Dove Award nominations, the winner of GMA's International Award for influence in praise and worship, and the achievement of 16 Gold and one Platinum ARIA album, her songs have reached many nations around the world. However, Darlene’s success simply stands as a testimony to her life’s passion for serving God, her family and people with all her heart. Alongside her husband Mark, they are the Senior Pastors of Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, which now has churches in the US and India. Darlene is perhaps most famous for the worship anthem “Shout to the Lord,” a song that has been sung by millions and translated into multiple languages. In addition to “Shout to the Lord,” Darlene’s catalog includes “In Jesus Name,” “Victor’s Crown”, “Worthy is the Lamb,” and over a hundred others which have greatly contributed to the worship in the contemporary Church worldwide. Darlene is passionate about raising and training other worship pastors, leaders, teams, and writers. To this end, she has penned six books which have been translated internationally. Darlene and Mark live in the beautiful Central Coast of New South Wales with their family: Amy and her husband Andrew, Chloe and her husband Hosanna, Zoe and her husband Matthew and their six beautiful grandchildren Ava, Roman, Ruthie, Thea, Elias and Nora. MORE ABOUT “TESTAMENT”, DARLENE’S LATEST ALBUM New album "Testament" is not just about memories, it’s a statement that worship leads to encountering Christ afresh in every moment. Australian worship leader Darlene Zschech unveils her highly anticipated studio album, “Testament.” The new release marks the milestone 30-year anniversary of “Shout to the Lord,” a song that became an anthem for the church worldwide. It is also a stake in the ground to the faithfulness of God, as the title track declares: “My testament is you.” Stirred by friends and family, Zschech crafted a collection of 25 reimagined legacy songs and five brand-new tracks. From iconic songs such as “Cry of the Broken” and “Victor’s Crown,” to fresh offerings like “Spirit of the Living God” and “Yes Again,” each song carries a powerful sound that is just as vibrant today. It also features many artists like Martin Smith, SVRICINA, Mitch Wong, and Michael W. Smith among others, as well as various choirs and the Australian Christian Orchestra, creating an expansive and eclectic project filled with the sound of praise, thanksgiving, and rich collaboration. This album embodies Zschech’s story and her experience of God’s unfailing love, not only in worship ministry but in each intricate details of her life too. It’s a family project, described by the artist as “songs that have deep meaning to my family, that have helped shape me and kept my focus heavenward.” “Testament” weaves together songs that have been the soundtrack to her children’s lives, her battle with cancer, and her adventures planting churches and starting non-profits alongside her husband. It also features multiple family members, including Zschech’s daughter, Zoe Cameron, on “Shout to the Lord.” Commenting on this central song, which was penned before Zoe’s birth, Zschech said: “I wrote it quickly while crying out to God about our future, saying that no matter what, we will follow him. I was young in age and young in God. ‘Shout to the Lord’ changed things around us, but the things that really matter never changed and never will: God is faithful and attentive to our prayers.” Harnessing this central theme of faithfulness, “Testament” communicates its close relationship to obedience and thankfulness. It’s the sound flowing out of a lifetime lived with the Lord, the very meaning of worship. Zschech is adamant that worship is not a genre but the whole of one’s life poured out for the glory of God: “I’ll always find it hard to wrap my head around the miracle of worship, music, and song. There’s really no other vehicle available to us on earth that has the ability to bring to attention our mind, auditory senses, resting our hearts, moving the soul and spirit to a point when your whole self is pointed in the one direction. Such is the power of worship as the Holy Spirit leads our heart heavenward, Jesus-ward, through the magnificent sound of sacred song.” “Testament” is not just about memories, but it’s a statement that worship leads to encountering Christ afresh in every moment. Zschech’s prayer is that this collection of songs would play a part in people’s story as they too are reminded of God’s incredible faithfulness. 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!

Wisdom. Most of us would say we possess some measure of it. And yet, we would probably all sign up for more, if it didn’t prove so, well… elusive? Unattainable? Reserved for the “truly spiritual”?  What if our desire for wisdom led us to look for the right answers in the wrong places? What if wisdom was accessible to anyone who asks? Most importantly, how do we get this wisdom that is not of the world? Gospel Spice Ministries invite you to ponder the wisdom of the book of Proverbs through a Christocentric perspective over the next few weeks. We promise spiritual flavor explosions steeped in the biblical concepts of hope, faith, and joy in the Lord. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom Every week, we invite you to meet a fictional character who teaches us much about God. Today, meet Lauren. Lauren is a talented interior designer, and she knows it. That’s why she hates it when an outsider tries to teach her something in her field of expertise. It happened just recently again when Mary and Bob gave her advice on how to use color to accent a room. That conversation drove her crazy. She respectfully tuned out their poor advice while mentally listing superior alternatives, before sharing that list with them. She did them a favor—their silence was proof of approval. Or take the other day, when she was asked to volunteer to help clean the church kitchen after an event. That made her angry. Don’t they know she has important things to do with her time, and better ways to use her gifts? For example, she recently met with this famous movie star and they really hit it off. She loves telling people how she, Lauren, gave sensible advice to this actress for her next role. See, she has more important things to do. She encourages her tendency to compare to others, in every area. She sees it as a competitive spirit. Comparison has been encouraged by her teachers and her parents as far as she can remember. She truly believes it’s the path to personal growth—when you measure yourself up against others, and increasingly notice progress. Since comparing is a source of growth, she does others a favor by flaunting her latest success. She just lost 15 lbs and is letting everyone know. She would not mention the actual weight loss, but her tight-fitting clothes show the progress well enough. She has noticed the appreciative looks around her at the firm. She is proud to know she is inspiring them to try too. God knows some of them could use some weight loss too—take Sharon and Kim, for example. She got aggravated with that stupid Bill at work recently, who dared hint that she was judgmental. What a complete idiot. But here is the truth: if people don’t have their act together, that’s because either they’re not trying hard enough, or they choose to rely on others rather than work hard. She makes a point of never asking anyone for help. What would they think? She prides herself on her humility. Take her house, for example. Considering her status and salary at the designing firm, she could afford a much bigger one. So, there. Plus, she is at church most Sundays. They should be grateful, because here’s the honest truth: that church really is not half as good as it could be. Hum… maybe she will give the head pastor some much-needed advice next time she sees him. Our world is full of Laurens. Do you know one? She might never have heard a key Scriptural message from proverbs: God gives grace to the humble, but justice to the proud. Jesus Himself, in Matthew 7:1-2, warned us that we will be judged by the very standard we use to judge others. God won’t even pull up the ten commandments; He will look at how we treated others, and that will be the basis of how He treats us. A sobering thought. Indeed, it is a terrifying thought, apart from the grace of God. Mark Twain famously said, “It’s not the parts of the Bible I can’t understand that bother me; it’s the parts that I do understand.” The way I see it? Anything short of begging for grace is sheer folly. In our previous article and podcast episode, we focused on fear, and we saw that fear stems from a deflated view of God. Today, we see that pride stems from an inflated view of self. French is going to come to our help by showing us that bad pride always stems from comparison. In French, we have two words for your one English word “pride.” Orgueil (pronounced [ɔʁɡœj]) is always negative, and it is always pride in relation to someone else: it’s comparing to others, and coming out on top. Conversely, fierté (pronounced [fjɛʁ.te]) is generally in relation to yourself. You are your own standard, and you measure improvement against yourself. It is much more positive. Orgueil and fierté  teach us that true pride is humble because it knows its limits and surrenders to God. The true glory of mankind is not to seek glory for ourselves—that is worldly pride. Humans are truly glorious when we seek to know God. Our purpose and identity are found, not in pridefully seeking to make ourselves equal to God, but in seeking to know God. Humble pride seeks not to be God, but to know Him. As believers, we have an awe-inspiring privilege: we are beckoned to enter the Throne Room boldly… on our knees. That is pride rooted in humility; it is God-dependence rooted in gratitude. When we approach the Throne to pray, for others and for ourselves, we nurture humility which, in turn, breeds gratitude and compassion. Pride cannot pray. Therefore, prayer is the antidote to our all-pervasive pride; prayer is both the soil and fruit of humility. You can’t enter the Throne room without being captivated by the beauty of the Sovereign. His beauty is supremely displayed in the Son, the radiance of the Father’s glory (Hebrews 1:3) cloaked in the humility of human flesh (Philippians 2:5). The Book of Proverbs highlights the wisdom that is from above: a crucified Lord, foolishness to the proud but salvation to the humble. Take a listen to the Gospel Spice Podcast, Episode 379, to further ponder the beauty of our Lord’s humility. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom 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!

Stephanie welcomes Heidi VanderWal, the inspiring founder of Crowned Free, a Christian apparel, home decor, and jewelry company. This organization is not just about selling beautiful products but is deeply rooted in a mission to support and employ survivors of human trafficking. Every purchase from Crowned Free supports its mission. This is a powerful reminder of the impact we have when we vote with our wallet can have. By choosing ethically made products, we support not just a business, but a broader movement against injustice. Exclusive code! Use GOSPELSPICE for 15% off your purchase at https://crownedfree.com/ (valid through 03/31/25).  Heidi VanderWal's journey into the world of human trafficking began nearly fifteen years ago after attending a local church event. At this event, she heard a gripping testimony from a human trafficking survivor. This transformation experience led her to question how she, an entrepreneur, could contribute to such a massive and daunting issue. Despite her initial feelings of inadequacy, she became determined to make a difference—no matter how small the seemingly insurmountable problem appeared. Over time, her journey materialized into Crowned Free, a business that merges her love for style with a powerful mission. Crowned Free stands for more than just ethically made products. The company operates under a unique model that combines retail sales with a commitment to combating human trafficking. They donate a portion of their proceeds to organizations dedicated to this cause and employ human trafficking survivors to create around 40% of their products. A cornerstone of Crowned Free's mission is providing employment to survivors. Importantly, their partnership with Wedgewood Christian Services has been pivotal. Through this collaboration, Crowned Free involves teenage survivors, aged 13 to 17, in crafting various products, ranging from jewelry to candles, that embody beauty, hope, and rehabilitation. These partnerships provide invaluable therapeutic outlets for the participants, offering a sense of achievement and helping to restore dignity. Heidi's visits to Wedgewood reveal the profound emotional and psychological healing that these young artisans undergo, and underscore the potential of a supportive work environment. Heidi encourages increased awareness and intentional shopping practices as simple ways to engage with this cause. Even those unfamiliar with the intricacies of human trafficking can contribute by supporting ethical brands or engaging in conversations that spread awareness. Here are some highlights from Stephanie’s conversation with Heidi: 1.      Power of Sharing Stories | Hearing firsthand experiences raises awareness and urges action against human trafficking. 2.      Faith-led Entrepreneurship | Trusting divine guidance can lead to impactful business ventures. 3.      Combating Human Trafficking | Crowned Free is dedicated to fighting human trafficking through ethical business practices and survivor employment in the Name of Jesus. 4.      The Importance of Ethical Choices | We can influence positive change by choosing ethically sourced products. 5.      Local Partnerships are Crucial | Collaborations with local organizations amplify impact and aid in survivor rehabilitation. 6.      Balancing Business and Mission | Maintaining focus on purpose ensures business decisions align with mission goals. 7.      Ripple Effect of Intentional Actions | Small, conscious purchases can ripple into significant impacts for the kingdom of God. DISCOVER CROWNED FREE Go to https://crownedfree.com/  We are dedicated to raising awareness and empowering women who have been rescued from human trafficking. Crowned free gives back two different ways. The first way is by donating 15% of our profits to organizations in the United States and internationally that work to restore, rescue, and rehabilitate survivors. The second way Crowned Free gives back is by creating sustainable jobs for girls who have been rescued to make over half of our products. This opportunity equips survivors with vocational skills they can use to provide for themselves and their families. MEET HEIDI VANDERWAL Years ago, Heidi VanderWal (Chief Crown Officer) attended a woman’s event sponsored by a local church to create awareness for human trafficking. After realizing that girls were being sold right in her city, at her favorite malls, in local schools, and online, she became determined to help fight this injustice that was hitting so close to home. She dreamed even bigger, of a world where human trafficking didn’t exist at all. In January of 2014, the idea for Crowned Free, a clothing company that donated a portion of its profits to this cause, took shape. Launched in 2015, the response to Crowned Free’s products and mission was immediate and women from all over started asking how they could get involved. By the middle of 2016, that was exactly the direction that the company was heading, and on August 1, 2017, Crowned Free officially launched as a direct sales company so that women across the United States could join the mission as Independent Representatives. Crowned Free’s mission is to end human trafficking through ethical fashion and gifts. We offer women the opportunity to build their own cause-based business that creates safe and sustainable jobs for survivors of human trafficking and supports anti-trafficking organizations. We believe Crowned Free came to be for such a time as this. We believe the Crowned Free woman is brave, courageous, a champion and an overcomer. She is strong, beautiful, fearfully and wonderfully made. She is loved. She is free. She is you. She is me. This is our story, and it can be your story too. Together we can make a difference. “…Everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” —Isaiah 35:10 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!

Wisdom. Most of us would say we possess some measure of it. And yet, we would probably all sign up for more, if it didn’t prove so, well… elusive? Unattainable? Reserved for the “truly spiritual”?  What if our desire for wisdom led us to look for the right answers in the wrong places? What if wisdom was accessible to anyone who asks? Most importantly, how do we get this wisdom that is not of the world? Gospel Spice Ministries invite you to ponder the wisdom of the book of Proverbs through a Christocentric perspective over the next few weeks. We promise spiritual flavor explosions steeped in the biblical concepts of hope, faith, and joy in the Lord. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom Today, Stephanie takes us deep into the topics of fear, insecurities and anxiety in order to ponder the Christ-centered alternative: faith and trust. Many proverbs are centered on the concept of fear--both as something to avoid when it is the fear of man, and as something to nurture when it is the fear of God. What do these proverbs mean, and what can they teach us today? As has now become our habit, we start off by meeting a fictional character who embodies the traits we will be pondering today. Her name is Jessica, and she tries hard to please everyone! Stephanie takes us to a profound quote by Thomas Chalmers about the "expulsion power of a new affection" as the underlying secret to replace fear by faith. We examine fear to conclude that it is always a secondary motivation in the transformation process, and that growing in faith makes for a much more powerful vector of transformation. Faith predates the fall in the garden, but fear follows it. Therefore, in Christ we are given the opportunity to return to our deepest roots, restoring the harmony of our intimacy with the Father in the garden, and even more. Because of the transformative power of faith in Christ, we can become salt and light--this is actually the context of Jesus' famous teaching about our identity as salt of the earth and light of the world! We ponder that genuine faith and trust in God are only possible when we rejoice and delight in God first, and foremost, and, actually, all in all. Faith is grounded in who God is; fear is grounded in who we are in our own eyes, or in the eyes of the world. We examine this powerful thought by Saint Augustine, that challenges us to give up the "fruitless joys we are afraid to lose" in order to "embrace the joy-filled fruit we cannot lose." We do this, by looking at Peter's faith when he dared to step out of the boat. Will we dare to step out of our own boats in faith, keeping our eyes on the One who holds our hand? This event in Peter's life teaches us that, if we have faith in mankind, we will have the fear of man; but if we have faith in God, then we will cultivate the only healthy fear: the fear of God, which is the "beginning of wisdom" and the "beginning of knowledge" as Proverbs teach us. So, what is the fear of God? How can it be good, since we've expounded on fear being bad, so far? It requires a look at who God is. His preeminence in presence, power, goodness, justice, love, patience and kindness set Him so very much apart, that He is a category all His own. To be "set apart" literally is the root of the word "holy." The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge because God is a category all His own, and we cannot fear Him as we fear man. It's not the same fear because it's not the same category. The fear of God is wise because it is awe and reverence and worship and adoration--not cowering in fear of getting hurt by a vengeful tyrant. God's identity makes Him trustworthy and, therefore, make His guidance much sought after. We end with yet another favorite quote of Stephanie's, "complaint supposes ill-usage." If we complain that God has not come through for us (as we all are prone to do!) we basically state that God is out to get us, or that He does not have our best interest at heart; that He behaves towards us with ill-will. When we take time to think this through, we realize it is not consistent with who we know God to be. In other words, complaining against God is always rooted in a faulty understanding of His grace and heart on our behalf. It means we can correct our faulty view, and therefore grow in joy and contentment! What a delightful prospect. Such promises are NOT for the fearless, perfect version of you, some time in the future. They are for you TODAY, as you are, imperfections and all. And that is the best news we can hear all day! If it is true that we become what we behold, then behold Christ. Anything lower is beneath you as a royal priesthood, adopted child of God. MORE ABOUT TODAY'S EPISODE | MEET JESSICA! So, today, meet Jessica. It’s been a long weekend for Jessica, and she’s glad to be back home. She’s dirty, sweaty, smelly, and exhausted. The family went camping—the kids had been begging for months, and her husband had gotten new gear, including a comfortable sleeping pad for her. He knew how much she values her comfort. What he doesn’t know is how viscerally Jessica hates camping. He wouldn’t know, of course, because she makes a point of not letting her preferences get in the way of theirs. That’s what a good wife and mom does, right? Actually, the family loved it so much, they agreed to go again next month. She agreed to go, too. She is not looking forward to it, but it’s vastly preferable to being home alone all weekend anyway. Jessica is extremely loyal to her loved ones. She asks their opinion about everything before making a decision, and then asks their feedback about everything she has done. She enjoys being with them 24/7. Actually, one of her greatest fears, causing sheer panic at the thought, is to be alone all weekend at home. She would hate that even more than camping. Her loyalty is one of her key defining traits, in her opinion. It’s not just with family. Jessica prides herself on being a good friend and follower. She may not be gifted at taking initiative, but she thrives in following loyally. This means the occasional sacrifice, but isn’t that what friends do for each other? And this applies to her church family, too. For example, she often gets called on to cook meals for her church body, when a new mom has a baby or when someone is sick. The truth is, she doesn’t enjoy cooking at all. But Jesus said we are to bear our cross, right? Plus, they really need her. Jessica values looking young and good. She is always put together, with a smile on her face. Projecting such a confident image serves two purposes, in her mind: it makes Christ look good to outsiders, and it helps her avoid the anxiety she knows she would experience if she was seen at the grocery store with less than her best makeup and outfit on. With every passing year, she becomes more and more health conscious and seeks to ward off aging. She is always the first to get her flu shot. She eats well, knows all her vitamins, buys expensive anti-wrinkle cream, and exercises several times a week. Plus, it beats being home alone when the kids are at school and hubby is at work. She stay informed about what is happening in the world, and especially the tragedies of life. She spends a lot of time imagining how she would react if those calamities happened to her. Her mind always goes to the worst-case scenarios; she calls it wisdom in being well-prepared. She is not sure how that happens, but she always lands in the same hypothetical scene: what would happen if her husband died and she was left to fend for herself? She knows it does not sound very trusting in God, but she really doesn’t know what to do about it. So, Jessica prays that the faith of her church friends will somehow rub off on her, because she does not seem to be able to muster much of it on her own. And in the meantime she seeks to forget her growing anxiety by numbing it with escapes to a world of make-believe: she spends a lot of her days watching innocuous shows on Netflix and reading copious amounts of romance fiction. And then there’s always the escape of the ever-comforting deep house cleaning. She has more and more often found herself deep-cleaning at three in the morning when sleep would not come, despite the sleeping pills she’s gotten accustomed to. House cleaning is soothing. As she is scrubbing the kitchen tile again, she wonders: is she living the best version of her life? What would you tell Jessica? Would you pick up a brush and join her on her kitchen floor? Would you make her a cup of tea and tell her to take a deep breath and chillax a little? Proverbs challenges us with two options when fear paralyses us: to numb it, or to expulse it. Proverbs 31:6-7 describes the numbing through wine and forgetfulness. Jessica would recognize herself there. The alternative to numbing is expulsing the fear. Thomas Chalmers writes in the 1750’s about the “expulsion power of a new affection.” He means that removing fear is not enough; it needs to be replaced by something else: a deeper, more powerful affection. Jesus shared the story of the demon-possessed man who found himself in a worse situation when seven more demons came to invade the house that had been cleaned, but not filled (see Luke 11:24-26). In other words, fear is always a secondary motivation in the transformation process. It needs to be kicked out, but then the void left must be filled by something superior: faith and joy in God are the alternative proposed in Scripture. Joy is always a more powerful motivator than fear, because joy in God existed before the fall of man which ushered in fear. Joy in God predates fear in the garden of Eden. Joy in God will exist through all of eternity future when fear is but a dim memory. We will experience lasting change today when we choose to rejoice in God more than we choose to fear hypothetical scenarios, or even the consequences of our very real actions. Fear comes from a disordered life, which is the result of disordered loves. Jessica loves, but she loves disorderly. Her loyalty is sincere but misguiding. Fear and love cannot truly, deeply cohabitate in the same soul: perfect love drives out fear (1John 4:18, NIV). We see this most evidently in the relationship that God calls us to have with Him: we are called into the love of the Father, even more than we are called away from sin. Fear is self-centered, while faith is Christ-centered. Faith is grounded in who God is; fear is grounded in who I am on my own. The cure against anxiety and unbelief is not more information; it is joy in God. Faith and trust become more real when we choose to delight and rejoice in God, rather than fear our own inadequacies. This is what Jessica needs to discover. If you have faith in man, you will live in the fear of man; if you have faith in God, you will delight in the fear of God. Fearing God, in the Proverbial sense, is true wisdom (Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 110:10). Don’t think of the “fear of God” as cowering before a powerful tyrant. The fear of God is a well-placed, reverent awe of His greatness and beauty and power. His great love does not preclude His majesty, but only enhances it. We must expulse fear, but we can only do so when we replace it with something more powerful and lasting: joyful faith in God. We are salt and light as result of experiencing the transformative glory of God through Christ. We invite you to discover Jessica’s full story from fear to faith on the Gospel Spice Podcast this week, and to hear more about joyful faith in God as YOUR daily reality, starting today. Don’t wait. God awaits you there. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom   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!

Stephanie here! Do, you, like me, feel more like an outsider in the American culture today than you did ten years ago, as a Christian? If that's the case, you're not alone. The question is, what kind of outsider will we become? Will we become a combative outsider and rage against your enemies? Will we become a conformist outsider and mirror the world around us? Will we become a conflict-averse outsider and avoid confrontation at all costs? GIWEAWAY COMING UP! In our February newsletter, we will give away THREE copies of "Joyful Outsiders" in partnership with Patrick and his publisher, Zondervan. We will also give 3 copies of our previous January book interview ("Happy Lies" by Melissa Dougherty, episode 374). So make sure to be signed up to our newsletter for a chance to win. Sign up here: https://www.gospelspice.com/signup How can I convey to you the timely importance of this book? This has to do with the questions that we encounter every day and that make us feel like outsiders. Like, how do I react when my child's teacher claims that there are hundreds of genders? Or, what do I say when my best friend calls me a Marxist because I'm troubled by systemic racism? Or, how do I talk with my mom when she posts conspiracy theories on Facebook? Or, how do I talk to my coworker who says that all Christians are bigots? For these important questions that we have to face today, there isn't one size fits all solutions. We need to first remember that as Christians, we are outsiders to the culture we live in. As Patrick Miller, says, we live in Babylon, and yet we are called by scripture to both make our home in Babylon and resist Babylon. How do we do that? Jesus calls us to live seamless lives, and yet the fear that we encounter daily when we experience being an outsider, that fear has a habit of making scenes in our lives. How can we together resist Babylon's efforts to tear the fabric of reality, even as we work to repair this fabric, and influence the world for Christ? It's really understandable that we want to relieve the tension. We could change our beliefs to fit in, we could rage against our enemies and force them to agree with us, or we could just retreat from it all. But do these options really help, or do they just help us feel more helpless and angry and confused? Do they make us more, or less Christlike? Jesus has so much for us. He's called us to be a joyful outsider like him. He was crucified as an outcast outside the city. Now he welcomes us to join him; to die to ourselves and discover that sacrificial love has the power to change the world. In Joyful Outsiders, pastors Patrick Miller and Keith Simon show us how to be a joyful outsider by laying out six ways to navigate a confusing culture at home, at work, and beyond. They draw on the examples of biblical characters to introduce six types of joyful outsiders: the artist, the protestor, the builder, the advisor, the ambassador, and the trainer. We might be an outsider in today's world, but that doesn't mean Jesus can't use us to change it. TAKE THE TEST go to joyfuloutsiders.com to discover how to address culture in the way God wired you.  MORE ABOUT “JOYFUL OUTSIDERS” This practical guide helps you find peace and clarity in a confusing culture. Through it, you will learn healthy, biblical ways to both cultivate and resist the world around you. You will learn how to change the culture without becoming like it. In Joyful Outsiders, you will: Discover joy by embracing your identity as an outsider Find which of the six ways God is calling you to follow Experience freedom from fear of the world and anger toward it Learn how to both resist and cultivate the world around you MEET PATRICK MILLER Patrick Miller is a pastor and cultural commentator who writes about politics, culture, and technology, contributing articles to Christianity Today, Newsweek, The Gospel Coalition, and other publications. His podcast, Truth Over Tribe is one of Apple's top news commentary podcasts, featuring interviews with leading Christian thinkers, writers, and scholars. He's the co-author of Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant. Patrick received a Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary, and pastors a politically diverse church, The Crossing. He and his wife, Emily, have two children. 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!

Wisdom. Most of us would say we possess some measure of it. And yet, we would probably all sign up for more, if it didn’t prove so, well… elusive? Unattainable? Reserved for the “truly spiritual”?  What if our desire for wisdom led us to look for the right answers in the wrong places? What if wisdom was accessible to anyone who asks? Most importantly, how do we get this wisdom that is not of the world? Gospel Spice Ministries invite you to ponder the wisdom of the book of Proverbs through a Christocentric perspective over the next few weeks. We promise spiritual flavor explosions steeped in the biblical concepts of hope, faith, and joy in the Lord. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom  How should we prioritize wisdom and holiness? Why should our lives aim to reflect our Lord’s? Our intention is to create and nurture a lifelong quest to cultivate holy wisdom in practical ways by acquiring new perspectives on daily living and “being transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Biblical wisdom is irresistibly attractive because it centers on Jesus Christ. In this episode, we will learn to see our heart as the driver behind our will (yes, the pun is absolutely intended!) and how we can surrender our will to God's perfect wisdom from above the sun. Our will both shapes and is shaped by our identity, so we will wonder: how can we center our identity on Christ? We follow Lady Wisdom and Folly in the pages of Proverbs today. We look at seven things the Lord hates, and how they all speak of behavior-based identity. We see that the road of flattery and deceit leads to death, but the road of integrity and truth leads to life. Then, we dare to dive into what it means to consider Christ as our Bridegroom. How is He our spiritual Husband? What does it mean? What does Scripture teach on that? And how is a human marriage as God intends, between a man and a woman, a picture of His heavenly intention of a spiritual marriage between Christ and His bride, the Church universal composed of all the true believers across time and space? Proverbs provides us with two mirrors to understand life: the self-centered-love mirror, with a distorted reflection; or the Christ-centered-love mirror, which points to God. We end with a powerful word picture helping us see that we live inside the picture book of God's universe, where marriage and wisdom are but stick-figure picture of the true Reality, with a capital R, that awaits us beyond the book. We live inside this universe-book today, but the Holy Spirit beckons us already, in Christ and through wisdom, to peek over the edge of the page into the glorious bottomless infinity of God's weighty presence. Through the Book of Proverbs, God invites you to taste the intoxicating love of His Son through the Holy Spirit. Come and be filled. Taste and see that the Lord is good today! Each week, we will meet a fictitious character embodying a specific trait we hope to learn from. Comfort and forgetfulness, foolishness and lack of perspective, lust and envy, pride and arrogance, selfishness and self-centeredness, fear and anxiety, greed and vanity, deceit and manipulation. We have a rocky road ahead—where a glorious Savior awaits. And so today, meet Brian. Brian has a charming, magnetic personality. He is extremely pleasant in public company, and able to make fascinating conversation. This is due partly to his vast intelligence, and partly to his self-reliance and ability to perform well. He has cultivated his many talents in eclectic ways and has become accustomed to being admired for them. He plays the violin with quite some skill. His academic knowledge often makes him the most learned person in the room. He is well-traveled and loves to experience new foods at the latest fashionable restaurants in his little town. It started as a genuine quest for joy and happiness, and who could blame him? Over the years, he developed a craving for this feeling of superiority. He performed to cultivate the tinge of admiration in the voices of others. Adulation became the leitmotiv of his joy. He placed his hope in his super-sized abilities. He decided that his faith is best placed in himself. Brian’s superior intelligence allowed him to outsmart most people with impunity: he realized he could get away with a great deal… and increase his status in people’s eyes—and in his own eye. The deceit and will-full manipulation started innocently enough; it was lying for a good cause—at first. He loved feeling in control of his environment through flattery. Over time, his insatiable hunger to be admired and in control, because it was met with success, enticed him to come to a powerful conclusion: he was truly superior to others. He started having adulterous affairs to soothe his ever-growing right to be loved, admired, and in control. He craved that feeling of being the giver and the receiver of all things—to be a god, really. He was growing closer to divinity—ultimate in control and power and influence. For a while more, his self-deception worked well enough to mask the looming chasm of hopelessness. When it didn’t, light drugs bridged the gap and helped Brian maintain his own self-image and deep-seated sense of superiority. Not to mention, drugs gave him reprieve from the stress of having to remember the many threads of deceit in his business and his personal life. He increased the dosage when he needed drugs to drown his own accusing conscience until he forgot its voice altogether. What a relief! Most recently, Brian has turned to more powerful drugs for yet one more reason: to dim the pain of wondering, deep down inside, if he is not as significant as he thinks he is. He is wondering if that is why he never really left his small hometown to try the “big leagues.” Better to be a large fish in a tiny pond, where he can use others as a self-reflecting mirror to boost his own self-proclaimed divinity. Brian’s mom, his last advocate, keeps warning him to stay away from the lure of addiction to women and drugs. He ignores her. What does she know, the old hag? Unfortunately, he recently had to move in with her—he lost his business due to his drug addiction, and his latest wife just kicked him out after she found out he had slept with her best friend. He doesn’t even remember why he had married her in the first place. Her loss. What would you tell Brian today? Like most of us, Brian desires hope and joy. He turned to deceit and manipulation because he thought he could control them into a fastpass to happiness. They appealed to him because his heart was rooted in the wrong quest—the quest for happiness within himself. Our quest is rooted in our identity, and Brian’s identity is misplaced: he places his worth in himself. He has recently come to the unsettling realization that he might not be the equivalent of a modern-day god. He is created in the image of God, but he is not God. There is a world of difference. As believers in Christ, we all intend to build our life with hope, joy, and faith. Brian shows us that there are two paths we can take in this life: the first is the road of deceit and self-deception that ends in death. It has pitstops and long residencies in manipulation, lying and adultery. The second path is the road of integrity and truth that ends in life. It lingers in and develops self-sacrifice, love, and self-awareness. This second path teaches us that we discover who we are when we are loved for who we are. Brian never allowed anyone to love him for who he truly was, and he never even allowed himself to love himself as he was—warts and all. Brian doesn’t see that our physical world with its longings and passions is but a picture book of the greater spiritual realities that tug at his heart. Our gifts and abilities and talents are shadows pointing to greater spiritual realities. Brian mistook his many talents for divinity. He mistook the shadow for the real thing. He is imago Dei, but he is not God. The Bible teaches that the universe is a stick-figure picture book to show us the great Reality of God. We humans live inside the picture book of the universe as the crowing act of creation. Our many abilities are shadows of a greater, spiritual reality—we are created in the image of God; we ourselves are not God. Imagine a children’s book illustrating each alphabet letter with a corresponding word. Imagine you have never actually seen a duck, which is the photo for the letter D. Seeing the photo of the duck is not the same thing as actually experiencing the duck. Knowing it’s not a donkey, a donut or a dandelion is not enough to know what a duck is. If you have never seen a duck in real life, you cannot say that the picture book is a satisfactory substitute. The picture book is only a sample of the true Reality, a stick-figure shadow of it. The universe points to the Reality of God, but it is not the same thing as experiencing God in His fullness. How tragic it would be to be content with the picture book when Reality awaits! Brian has mistaken the 2D-flat rendition of the duck for the real thing; he has confused his many-talents imago dei identity with being dei–being God. We have not yet experienced complete Reality. God is much more real, tangible and weighty than anything we have ever experienced on this side of the picture book. Unlike Brian, let us keep the eyes of our faith on the true foundation of our hope and joy. None of us has ever experienced the fullness of the presence of God. And yet, in Christ, the Holy Spirit beckons us through wisdom to peek over the edge of the page into the glorious, bottomless infinity of God’s weighty glory and presence. Heaven and the material universe meet in Christ Jesus: God “has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:2b-3a, NIV). Christ is pure and glorious and enthralling and intoxicating with otherworldly beauty. He makes Himself ours, and He calls us His beloved, His cherished, His bride. That is the foundation of our identity. It is the only solid ground for life-giving, long-lasting, true-Reality hope, and faith, and joy. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom  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) Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

We live in an era dominated by subjective morality and individualized spirituality. How do we provide biblical, God-honoring responses? Stephanie sits down with Christian apologist and popular YouTuber Melissa Dougherty, who utilizes theological insights alongside her deeply personal experiences to dismantle the seductive façade of the New Thought movement. She describes this philosophy as “a stealthy message of encouragement to live your truth, seek happiness, find your identity through sexual freedom, and think your desires into existence. Often with the name of Jesus attached as an endorsement.” GIWEAWAY COMING UP! In our February newsletter, we will give away THREE copies of "Happy Lies" in partnership with Melissa and her publisher, Zondervan. We will also give 3 copies of our next January book interview (airing January 28, episode 376). So make sure to be signed up to our newsletter for a chance to win. Sign up here: https://www.gospelspice.com/signup In her groundbreaking debut, Happy Lies: How a Movement You (Probably) Never Heard Of Shaped Our Self-Obsessed World, Melissa Dougherty, an ex-New Thought follower herself, deconstructs the myths propagated by secular self-empowerment and affirmation movements. She explains how New Thought concepts like toxic affirmation and the “Law of Attraction” intersect with the prosperity gospel. She highlights how New Thought influences are subtly embedded in progressive Christianity and the gender identity crisis, and even how this movement is foundational to the weakened theology used in “Seeker-friendly” churches. Dougherty urges her audience to reflect deeply on these beliefs, encouraging them to discern contemporary culture’s pervasive lies and to seek a more authentic understanding of the gospel. With clarity and a touch of compassionate snark, Melissa examines New Thought’s appealing yet distorted spirituality. She warns of its pervasive impact on modern theology, emphasizing how the movement’s focus on self-authority and personal experience often overshadows the biblical narrative. New Thought ideology subtly infiltrates contemporary Christian thought, presenting a false gospel that masquerades as a more open-minded, tolerant, and loving interpretation of Jesus and the Bible. Melissa recounts her epiphany during a hiatus from seminary, where her extensive readings unveiled a distinction between "New Thought" and "New Age." Despite their overlaps, these movements stand alone in intent and belief structures. Her desire to educate and spark dialogue about New Thought arose from the absence of evangelical discourse on the topic, with only a handful of scholars like Craig Hazen touching on it. Determined to spotlight this under-discussed issue, she writes a book laden with historical contexts, practical definitions, and a respectful yet critical analysis of New Thought within a Christian framework. Melissa describes New Thought as a metaphysical reinterpretation of Christianity, where the Scriptures are sometimes twisted into allegorical tales akin to self-help doctrines. Melissa coined the term "metamistagorical," combining metaphysical, mystical, and allegorical elements, to describe New Thought. She reflects on how figures like Oprah Winfrey and Joel Osteen intermingle Christian identification with mystical attributes to create a semblance of spiritual alignment. Melissa stresses that while New Thought is frequently confused with New Age philosophies, it poses a unique threat to believers: “New Thought ideas will deceive Christians before New Age ideas ever will. […] You’ve probably adopted some of its teachings, and you don’t even realize it.” Unlike New Age’s openly mystical practices, New Thought often acts as a metaphysical Christianity, making its influence sneakier and more deceptive. Dougherty concludes with a heartfelt prayer for her readers: “I hope you can’t unsee [New Thought]. I hope it stirs something within you, something refusing to be ignored. Now, go tell others. Tell them the Joyful Truth so they don’t fall for Happy Lies. ” In Happy Lies, highly regarded Christian apologist and ex-New Ager Melissa Dougherty . . . Tackles the frustrations surrounding the rise of pop spirituality and “self-actualization,” even within Christianity Exposes the deceptions of New Thought—a movement centered on positive thinking, mental healing, self-worship, and spiritual empowerment Counters subjective, “me”-focused platitudes with objective truths that dispel spiritual confusion and bring peace to anxious minds Provides practical methods to uproot the subtle, mystical, and insidious spiritual beliefs that dilute the core message of Christianity Clarifies how to recognize the misleading spiritual practices infiltrating modern Christianity and reject them to embrace the beauty of an authentic Christian life MORE ABOUT “HAPPY LIES” In this groundbreaking book, popular apologist Melissa Dougherty helps us understand how our society got to be so toxically subjective, why endless positivity is inherently destructive, and how we can live with faithful truth and genuine love in these self-obsessed times. Have you ever wondered how we ended up in a world where personal feelings could become the authority for reality? Or why so many of us are on a relentless pursuit for happiness yet somehow feel more exhausted and sadder than ever? You're not alone. Melissa deftly traces the roots of today's social chaos back to a little-known (but very influential) 1800s philosophy known as New Thought. A former follower of its teachings, Melissa provides clarity and compassion mixed with a dash of loving snark as she exposes New Thought's deceptions and its many concerning tendrils within the church and our "self-help" culture. You'll be shocked, grieved, and encouraged as you learn: How you can experience true freedom, hope, and peace instead of the world's counterfeits How an anti-God ideology so easily hijacked Christian-sounding ideas Why thinking positively is entirely different from the unbiblical and burdensome "positive thought" movement Why fake "authenticity" short-circuits real redemption How understanding the New Thought mindset can help us share our faith more effectively Uncover a dangerous ideology that nearly everyone has met, yet few of us can name, in order to better understand our culture and joyfully live faithful to the gospel that is so much better than our world's Happy Lies. MEET MELISSA DOUGHERTY Melissa Dougherty is a Christian apologist best known for her YouTube channel with over 285,000 subscribers and counting. Her videos, which primarily cover New Age and New Thought, have been viewed over 18 million times. Melissa is highly regarded and connected in the apologetics community. She has had numerous influential guests on her YouTube channel and is a frequent guest on the YouTube videos and podcasts of popular thinkers as well. Melissa has a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary, where she’s also pursuing her master’s degree in religious studies. Melissa is married with two daughters and lives in New Mexico. You will find her on her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MelissaDougherty  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!

Wisdom. Most of us would say we possess some measure of it. And yet, we would probably all sign up for more, if it didn’t prove so, well… elusive? Unattainable? Reserved for the “truly spiritual”?  What if our desire for wisdom led us to look for the right answers in the wrong places? What if wisdom was accessible to anyone who asks? Most importantly, how do we get this wisdom that is not of the world? Gospel Spice Ministries invite you to ponder the wisdom of the book of Proverbs through a Christocentric perspective over the next few weeks. We promise spiritual flavor explosions steeped in the biblical concepts of hope, faith, and joy in the Lord. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom How should we prioritize wisdom and holiness? Why should our lives aim to reflect our Lord’s? Our intention is to create and nurture a lifelong quest to cultivate holy wisdom in practical ways by acquiring new perspectives on daily living and “being transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Biblical wisdom is irresistibly attractive because it centers on Jesus Christ. Each week, we will meet a fictitious character embodying a specific trait we hope to learn from. Comfort and forgetfulness, foolishness and lack of perspective, lust and envy, pride and arrogance, selfishness and self-centeredness, fear and anxiety, greed and vanity, deceit and manipulation. We have a rocky road ahead—where a glorious Savior awaits. And so today, meet Samantha. Samantha goes to church every Sunday and tithes faithfully. She remembers the time when she accepted Christ with fondness and nostalgia—life was so simple then! She wonders sometimes: “Was is really the same me? When did my life become so busy?” She is married, raising two teenagers, and working full time. At work and at home, she is risk-averse and values intelligence. Having a backup plan seems common sense, and she prizes her own wisdom in making sure all the angles are always covered. Samantha has an active social life, between her husbands’ business partners and her own friends and clubs, including her gym. She loves social media—such a great avenue to share her amazing life with the world, and to hear from her many friends! Samantha places a high premium on people’s opinion of her. Actually, she might go as far as calling herself a people pleaser. She gives to a selection of charities when she gets their ask letters in the mail. She also spends quite a lot on herself, but she feels she deserves it. At church, she is always inspired by those who seem to have deep intimacy with God. She notices them everywhere—on the worship team, or sitting next to her during the message, or praying with one another between services. She wonders how they do it, but she would never actually ask them: what would they think? She knows she would probably benefit from spending more time with God than just at church on Sundays; but that will have to wait. All her friends seem to be running the same race; she figures it is the way life is. After all, she’s already giving God a portion of her time and money. Recently, something quite undefinable has shifted. She feels it most when the busyness subsides for a moment. She finds herself increasingly critical of her husband and kids, and short of patience when they don’t satisfy her expectations—which seems to be a more common occurrence. She finds herself looking forward to that glass of wine every night, just to unwind. She has slowly developed anxiety and seeks relief on her fridge’s shelves. She has gained 18 pounds and lost countless hours to sleeplessness. And she is not feeling better. Her phone informs her weekly that her screen time increases in double digits. Apparently, she is seeking solace with her social media friends. It’s hard to believe, because Facebook does not bring her the soothing forgetfulness it once did. She regularly leaves her social media scroll feeling restless and anxious at how she does not measure up anymore. What must her friends think? Hum. What do you think, dear reader? The world would tell us that Samantha is wise. She is hedging her bets. She is doing it all—the family, the career, the social life, the church attendance, the regular physical exercise. She has one foot firmly planted in the world, and the other tentatively resting on her Christian faith. What would the Book of Proverbs say to Samantha? Proverbs differentiate the wise from the simple, the fool and the wicked. It teaches us that the first step of wisdom is to unlearn the ways of the world—the very ones that are still so pervasive and influential in Samantha’s life. Wisdom begins by unlearning the world’s values to acquire humility. Proverbs highlights the path of the wise, rooted in humility and grounded in Christ. Humility is to see everyone the way God does. Proverbs is the Old Testament roadmap to Christlikeness, not primarily because it tells us how to live, but because it shows us the God who maps our road. Wisdom is available to all who seek it. It is rooted in a Biblical, Christocentric approach to God. Wisdom is a God-breathed process that will take us ever deeper into intimacy and wonder. The Book of Proverbs challenges us to pursue God as our highest goal. This is the wisest thing we could choose to do with our life. We invite you to discover the rest of Samantha’s story, and the wisdom of God Himself in the pages of the Book of Proverbs on the Gospel Spice Podcast this week. Stephanie challenges us to ponder these nuggets of wisdom in Christ: Wisdom is genius.  Humility is heroic. Faith is daring. Love is extravagant. And, surrender to God is true boldness. Make sure to check out the optional-but-oh-so-helpful mini e-book to go along with the series at gospelspice.com/wisdom  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) Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

As we conclude our “Come to the Table” series today, we also poise ourselves to enter a new year. So, Stephanie invites you to consider the feast of Epiphany. The Greek word "epiphany" originates from the idea of a sudden realization or manifestation. Epiphanies are an invitation to delight in the manifestation of God's glory through Christ. Scripture draws our attention to the ultimate epiphany - the transfiguration event, consistent with the concept of light and darkness in the gospel of John. But Christ's glory is not confined to moments of transfiguration. His glory is ever-present, permeating through light and darkness both. John 1:1-14 recognizes Christ's manifestation not only in moments of splendor, but also during challenging times, even amidst the crucifixion. The passage vividly describes the incarnation of the Word and the manifestation of God's glory through Christ, emblematic of the purpose that Epiphany serves in illuminating the magnificence of Christ. This prompts us to seek and cherish the epiphanies that illuminate Christ's glory in our everyday lives. The concept of waiting between epiphanies is one of the foundations of our journey of faith. Waiting teaches us to trust God more deeply, which will cultivate spiritual growth and fortitude. Patience and perseverance are nurtured, even as we anticipate epiphanies that reveal the glory of Christ. Together we will explore the celebration of Epiphany in the Eastern and Western churches, considering the manifold ways in which Jesus reveals His glory to the world. This celebration commemorates pivotal events such as the arrival of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the miraculous wedding at Cana, offering profound insights into the multifaceted manifestation of Jesus's glory. There is much value in embracing the wisdom and traditions of our Christian ancestors! We end our “Come to the Table” series on this episode. We pray the series has served you well! Please consider emailing us to let us know. It would mean so much to us! Also please continue emailing us your prayer requests. We always delight in praying alongside you. 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 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!