Gospel Spice | Awaken Delight in God through faith in Jesus Christ

Episode 111 – Stephanie welcomes Rebecca Bender for the second half of our Gospel Spice 2nd Anniversary Celebration. This episode highlights one of Gospel Spice’s mission: to raise awareness in the fight against human trafficking in the US and abroad. In her own words, Rebecca "educates leaders and organizations about human trafficking so they can protect their communities and change culture."This powerful episode is absolutely a must-listen, but is not for young ears: though we have kept it very clean, it might raise difficult questions from little ones. Listen accordingly! Rebecca gives us SUPER PRACTICAL TIPS to identify potential threats, based on your child's age, from elementary to high school years. If there is a child in your life, we encourage you to learn how to teach them safety today.A reformer at heart, Rebecca has become a leading voice in the fight against human trafficking in all its forms. She shares with us what God has been teaching her lately, as she sees injustice and evil growingly rampant in our world today. She shares, "success is following God's call in your life, regardless of what it looks like." God's favor is not only seen in big things, but in the little things of daily life.For nearly six years, Rebecca was sold across the underground world of sex trafficking in Las Vegas. She was branded, beaten, told when to sleep and what to wear, and traded between traffickers. Even in the midst of her exploitation, God began revealing himself to her and she found the hope she needed to survive. After a federal raid, Rebecca escaped. Her life was forever changed as she felt the embrace of her heavenly Father guiding her to healing and wholeness.Rebecca soon began to use her own experiences to change the lives of others as she went back into the darkest places she had known--assisting FBI, VICE, and law enforcement across the country in some of their most difficult cases.Today, Rebecca is an award-winning thought leader, advocate, speaker and consultant with a Master’s degree in Christian Thought and years of insight on industry best practices. She has trained and equipped well over 100,000 professionals, individuals, agencies, and organizations to identify human trafficking in their own back yards. She is also the founder of Elevate Academy, the largest online school for human trafficking, serving nearly 800 survivors in 368 locations across the country and around the world. Her memoir, “In Pursuit of Love” was published by Zondervan in January 2020. Rebecca’s incredible story of hope and redemption reminds us all that our past does not determine our destiny.Find Rebecca:@imrebeccabender (FB&IG) – make sure to follow her!www.rebeccabender.org www.elevate-academy.orgMake sure to discover the RBI FREE anti-trafficking Course: https://rebecca-bender.mykajabi.com/trafficking-truthsthe MUST-TAKE quiz to discover what YOU can do TODAY: the Find your lanes quiz: https://www.rebeccabender.org/quiza plethora of free resources: https://www.rebeccabender.org/resource-list IF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, YOU WILL LOVE OUR GOSPEL SPICE SERIES! Click to check out the first episode of each season:We are currently in the middle of our series titled "Identity in the Battle" which is such a fitting context for today's interview! Check out the first episode in this current series: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODEIf you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforwardPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 110 – In the wake of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, how are we to understand the Middle East today? How should Western Christians approach Israel and all things Jewish? What about Bible prophecy in light of the Jewish state today? Who are the enemies and the allies of the West, and of Israel, in the Middle East today?Stephanie is joined again by Joel Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author of novels and nonfiction books with nearly 5 million copies in print. This is part 2 of Joel Rosenberg's exclusive interview with Stephanie. Make sure to first listen to part 1, episode 109!An evangelical Christian, dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and global influencer living in Jerusalem, Joel Rosenberg embodies the Gospel Spice mission to inspire you to taste and see that the Lord is good, through an in-depth experience of the cultural flavors of Scripture. Joel is an unmatched storyteller with a contagious passion for Christ and his people. This makes him the ideal Gospel Spice anniversary guest as we celebrate our 2nd anniversary this month! Not to mention, Stephanie has been a fan of his books and political analyses for almost 20 years now.In his latest book, Enemies and Allies, Joel asks, “do recent changes in the Middle East signal peace?” One Arab country after another is signing historic, game-changing peace, trade, investment, and tourism deals with Israel. At the same time, Russia, Iran, and Turkey are forming a highly dangerous alliance that could threaten the Western powers. Meanwhile, the U.S. is drawing down its military forces in the Mideast and focusing on matters closer to home. Where’s it all heading? Enemies and Allies takes readers behind closed doors in the Middle East and introduce them to the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the change.Today, Joel also tells us about his Jewish family and growing up in America, before moving to Israel with his wife Lynn and his four sons in 2014. We talk spices and Jewish flavors – spiritually and literally! Joel takes us on a tour into Jerusalem—its streets, flavors, smells and most importantly, its uniquely global culture today. How is the Jewish Christian church doing today? Make sure to listen to find out! How can we understand what is happening in the Middle East today, from Afghanistan and Tehran to Jerusalem and Amman? Joel Rosenberg joins us to share a sobering truth about our world today: “To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it.” This applies spiritually, but also politically today more than ever, as history has shown.Then we move on to more personal things: how does Joel study Scripture in general, and prophecy in particular? How does his expertise on all things Mideast inform his thriller writing? What should we Christians know about the Middle East today to understand our world? How does our perspective on Israel inform our faith? And, how does prophecy build faith?We talk about expanding our view of God to make Him our delight and glorify Him – a topic near and dear Stephanie’s heart, as you might know!How does Joel use his thriller-writing talent to sneak in other topics? Well, you GOT to hear Joel’s analogy of the meatloaf smoothie. It’s got to do with leveraging our entertainment culture to share the gospel, and it is irresistible.And then, how should Christians view Israel? This is a heavy question with answers ranging from disdain, to ignorance, to idolatry. Joel brings a balanced, discerning view that is sure to inform your approach to all things Jewish—spiritually and yes, politically too.This leads us to a conversation about the famous Abraham accords that normalized relationships between Israel and 4 Muslim nations in 2020: how do these breakthrough accords inform our attitude as Christians today? How about Iran? How about Afghanistan and the role of the US in the Middle East today? IF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, YOU WILL LOVE OUR GOSPEL SPICE SERIES! Click to check out the first episode of each season:We are currently in the middle of our series titled "Identity in the Battle" which is such a fitting context for today's interview! Check out the first episode in this current series: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODEIf you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforwardPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.MORE ABOUT JOEL ROSENBERGJoel has been profiled by the New York Times, the Washington Times, and the Jerusalem Post and has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. As a sought-after speaker, he has addressed audiences at the White House, the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, the Israeli president’s residence, the Israeli Knesset, the European Union parliament in Brussels, and business and faith conferences in North America and around the world.Joel became famous in 2002 when writing novels that had the uncanny tendency to become reality. He says, “Before my first political thriller was released, I had never in my life been on national television. Nor had I been on but a few small radio shows. But when The Last Jihad was published in November of 2002, I suddenly found myself interviewed on more than 160 radio and TV programs. Sean Hannity. Rush Limbaugh. Michael Reagan. Fox News. MSNBC. I had the opportunity to talk to more than twenty million people in less than sixty days.The media was intrigued that anyone could have written a novel that opened with a plane hijacked by radical Islamic terrorists flying a kamikaze attack into an American city and then led to a war between the United States and Iraq over terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. They were even more intrigued that I’d begun writing nine months before 9/11 and had finished the book before any of it had ever happened for real. How was this possible? Did I work for the CIA? Did I have some sort of inside information? To each host I would explain how after more than a decade in Washington as a senior advisor to a number of U.S. and Israeli leaders including Steve Forbes, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Natan Sharansky, I had decided to write a political thriller about a War on Terror I was convinced was coming and how such a war might be triggered. I explained the research I had done, and the process I’d gone through of writing a first novel.Such questions only intensified after my second thriller, The Last Days, was published in October 2003. It opened with the death of Yasser Arafat and an American president pushing hard for peace and democracy in the Middle East. Thirteen months after it was published, Arafat died, and two months later President Bush decided to make democracy in the Middle East the centerpiece of his second term agenda.What was particularly odd was that the first few pages of Days put readers inside a U.S. diplomatic convoy heading into Gaza as part of the peace process that would involve an Israeli pullout from Gaza and the West Bank when that convoy was attacked by a massive explosion. Just two weeks before Days hit bookstores, something terrible happened. A U.S. diplomatic convoy heading into Gaza as part of the peace process was suddenly attacked by a massive explosion.Among the readers of his books are Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former President George W. Bush, former CIA Director Porter Goss, former Delta Force Commander General Jerry Boykin, former senior White House advisor Jason Greenblatt, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former Israeli Interior Minister Natan Sharansky, former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, and many other US, Israeli, Arab and other foreign leaders.Joel’s latest non-fiction book, “Enemies and Allies,” releases this week and is already poised to become a global bestseller (you can order it here: https://joelrosenberg.com/non-fiction/). Do recent changes in the Middle East signal peace? One Arab country after another is signing historic, game-changing peace, trade, investment, and tourism deals with Israel. At the same time, Russia, Iran, and Turkey are forming a highly dangerous alliance that could threaten the Western powers. Meanwhile, the U.S. is drawing down its military forces in the Mideast and focusing on matters closer to home. Where’s it all heading? Enemies and Allies will take readers behind closed doors in the Middle East and introduce them to the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the change.Make sure to go to and subscribe at Allarab.news and AllIsrael.com for regular updates. For more information, visit joelrosenberg.com and follow Joel on Twitter (@joelcrosenberg) and Facebook (facebook.com/JoelCRosenberg).Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 109 – With the 20th anniversary of 9/11 barely behind us, how are we to understand the Middle East today? How should Western Christians approach Israel and all things Jewish? What about Bible prophecy in light of the Jewish state today? Who are the enemies and the allies of the West, and of Israel, in the Middle East today?Stephanie is joined by Joel Rosenberg, New York Times bestselling author of novels and nonfiction books with nearly 5 million copies in print, to celebrate our show's 2nd anniversary this month. Their conversation was so fascinating that we will publish it in two episodes this week (episode 109, this one, and episode 110 on September 15, 2021).Watch the live recording of this fascinating conversation on our YouTube channel and make sure to subscribe: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/mZf29FgLKLI?feature=oembed An evangelical Christian, dual U.S.-Israeli citizen and global influencer living in Jerusalem, Joel Rosenberg embodies the Gospel Spice mission to inspire you to taste and see that the Lord is good, through an in-depth experience of the cultural flavors of Scripture. Joel is an unmatched storyteller with a contagious passion for Christ and his people. This makes him the ideal Gospel Spice anniversary guest! Not to mention, Stephanie has been a fan of his books and political analyses for almost 20 years now.In his latest book, Enemies and Allies, Joel asks, “do recent changes in the Middle East signal peace?” One Arab country after another is signing historic, game-changing peace, trade, investment, and tourism deals with Israel. At the same time, Russia, Iran, and Turkey are forming a highly dangerous alliance that could threaten the Western powers. Meanwhile, the U.S. is drawing down its military forces in the Mideast and focusing on matters closer to home. Where’s it all heading? Enemies and Allies takes readers behind closed doors in the Middle East and introduce them to the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the change.Today, Joel also tells us about his Jewish family and growing up in America, before moving to Israel with his wife Lynn and his four sons in 2014. We talk spices and Jewish flavors – spiritually and literally! Joel takes us on a tour into Jerusalem—its streets, flavors, smells and most importantly, its uniquely global culture today. How is the Jewish Christian church doing today? Make sure to listen to find out! How can we understand what is happening in the Middle East today, from Afghanistan and Tehran to Jerusalem and Amman? Joel Rosenberg joins us to share a sobering truth about our world today: “To misunderstand the nature and threat of evil is to risk being blindsided by it.” This applies spiritually, but also politically today more than ever, as history has shown.Then we move on to more personal things: how does Joel study Scripture in general, and prophecy in particular? How does his expertise on all things Mideast inform his thriller writing? What should we Christians know about the Middle East today to understand our world? How does our perspective on Israel inform our faith? And, how does prophecy build faith?We talk about expanding our view of God to make Him our delight and glorify Him – a topic near and dear Stephanie’s heart, as you might know!How does Joel use his thriller-writing talent to sneak in other topics? Well, you GOT to hear Joel’s analogy of the meatloaf smoothie. It’s got to do with leveraging our entertainment culture to share the gospel, and it is irresistible.And then, how should Christians view Israel? This is a heavy question with answers ranging from disdain, to ignorance, to idolatry. Joel brings a balanced, discerning view that is sure to inform your approach to all things Jewish—spiritually and yes, politically too.This leads us to a conversation about the famous Abraham accords that normalized relationships between Israel and 4 Muslim nations in 2020: how do these breakthrough accords inform our attitude as Christians today? How about Iran? How about Afghanistan and the role of the US in the Middle East today?MORE ABOUT JOEL ROSENBERGJoel has been profiled by the New York Times, the Washington Times, and the Jerusalem Post and has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV programs in the U.S., Canada, and around the world. As a sought-after speaker, he has addressed audiences at the White House, the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol, the Israeli president’s residence, the Israeli Knesset, the European Union parliament in Brussels, and business and faith conferences in North America and around the world.Joel became famous in 2002 when writing novels that had the uncanny tendency to become reality. He says, “Before my first political thriller was released, I had never in my life been on national television. Nor had I been on but a few small radio shows. But when The Last Jihad was published in November of 2002, I suddenly found myself interviewed on more than 160 radio and TV programs. Sean Hannity. Rush Limbaugh. Michael Reagan. Fox News. MSNBC. I had the opportunity to talk to more than twenty million people in less than sixty days.The media was intrigued that anyone could have written a novel that opened with a plane hijacked by radical Islamic terrorists flying a kamikaze attack into an American city and then led to a war between the United States and Iraq over terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. They were even more intrigued that I’d begun writing nine months before 9/11 and had finished the book before any of it had ever happened for real. How was this possible? Did I work for the CIA? Did I have some sort of inside information? To each host I would explain how after more than a decade in Washington as a senior advisor to a number of U.S. and Israeli leaders including Steve Forbes, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Natan Sharansky, I had decided to write a political thriller about a War on Terror I was convinced was coming and how such a war might be triggered. I explained the research I had done, and the process I’d gone through of writing a first novel.Such questions only intensified after my second thriller, The Last Days, was published in October 2003. It opened with the death of Yasser Arafat and an American president pushing hard for peace and democracy in the Middle East. Thirteen months after it was published, Arafat died, and two months later President Bush decided to make democracy in the Middle East the centerpiece of his second term agenda.What was particularly odd was that the first few pages of Days put readers inside a U.S. diplomatic convoy heading into Gaza as part of the peace process that would involve an Israeli pullout from Gaza and the West Bank when that convoy was attacked by a massive explosion. Just two weeks before Days hit bookstores, something terrible happened. A U.S. diplomatic convoy heading into Gaza as part of the peace process was suddenly attacked by a massive explosion.Among the readers of his books are Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former President George W. Bush, former CIA Director Porter Goss, former Delta Force Commander General Jerry Boykin, former senior White House advisor Jason Greenblatt, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former Israeli Interior Minister Natan Sharansky, former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, and many other US, Israeli, Arab and other foreign leaders.Joel’s latest non-fiction book, “Enemies and Allies,” releases this week and is already poised to become a global bestseller (you can order it here: https://joelrosenberg.com/non-fiction/). Do recent changes in the Middle East signal peace? One Arab country after another is signing historic, game-changing peace, trade, investment, and tourism deals with Israel. At the same time, Russia, Iran, and Turkey are forming a highly dangerous alliance that could threaten the Western powers. Meanwhile, the U.S. is drawing down its military forces in the Mideast and focusing on matters closer to home. Where’s it all heading? Enemies and Allies will take readers behind closed doors in the Middle East and introduce them to the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the change.Make sure to go to and subscribe at Allarab.news and AllIsrael.com for regular updates. For more information, visit joelrosenberg.com and follow Joel on Twitter (@joelcrosenberg) and Facebook (facebook.com/JoelCRosenberg).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!

Episode 106 - Stephanie welcomes Erica Wiggenhorn, bestselling Bible Study author, national speaker, and now releasing her brand new book, Letting God be enough. So, with that kind of book title, you can certainly expect a vulnerable conversation about self-introspection, daring to look at what’s inside our hearts—the good, the bad and the ugly! What can we learn about our heavenly Father to overcome our fear of failure and inadequacy?Erica and Stephanie are close friends, and this conversation will probably feel like you’re joining two friends over for coffee. We talk about our hearts, our sinfulness, and our desperate hunger for God.Do you feel like you’re missing out on some secret other people know? Do you wonder why their faith seems so strong? Are you curious about how they find success around every corner, or their marriage seems so happy? Do you wonder how they’re such good parents, or have such successful careers?It’s easy to feel like things fall into place so easily for others while you’re striving hard to keep life from falling apart. In a world where “never enough” is the norm, what do you do with those feelings of inadequacy? Do you strive more or expect less? And how does God fit into the equation?What are you afraid of, that you are hiding deep inside yourself and not dare to talk about? Erica shares a profound and hilarious story about finding dead lizards in her son’s bedroom and compels us to ask: What are the squashed Lizzies that you have hidden in your spirit sock drawer? Only one way to find out.Have you ever felt that you were not enough? That you were a fake? That if people knew you, they would discover that you are not as amazing as they think you are? Are you afraid to reveal that you don’t have it as together as you’ve been portraying? So today, we talk about imposter syndrome, about the fear to be “found out” as insufficient.God teaches us not to seek approval of our perceptions, but of Himself. Erica dives into the meaning of God's love and acceptance, and it might just transform your relationship with your Father who delights in you so powerfully, and has provided all you need for approval and acceptance.IF YOU’VE ENJOYED THIS INTERVIEW, YOU WILL LOVE OUR GOSPEL SPICE SERIES! Click to check out the first episode of each season:We are currently in the middle of our series titled "Identity in the Battle" which is such a fitting context for today's interview! Check out the first episode in this current series (next week, Episode 107 will be the next in the series, but it's best to start at the beginning with Episode 101): https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODEIf you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforwardPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.ABOUT ERICA WIGGENHORNErica Wiggenhorn writes Bible studies and teaches biblical principles for life change. She’s passionate about God’s Word and its ability to transform us personally, along with our relationships. Her latest release by Moody Publishers: Unexplainable Jesus: Rediscovering the God You Thought You Knew, will release in 2019, with an optional DVD teaching series to accompany the study! This study delves into Luke’s Gospel, painting a vivid picture of the culture and customs of Jesus’ day — following Him into a life unimaginable.Moody Publishers also released The Unexplainable Church and An Unexplainable Life. These expository studies take the reader verse by verse through the entire story of Acts, exploring the incredible life transformation that occurred in the earliest believers. With a personable and practical style, Erica teaches these studies and other biblical, life-related topics to groups in the United States and overseas.Erica has volunteered as a teacher for Alongside Ministries, a group working with the incarcerated community learning to walk with Christ after release from prison. She has also worked as a children’s ministry director, and as an elementary teacher. Before this, she graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a double major in Political Science and Business Administration. She also earned an M.A. in Language Acquisition and Development.Erica lives in Phoenix with her husband, Jonathan, and children, Eliana and Nathan. They attend Desert Springs Community Church, where Erica volunteers with the Charis Women’s Ministry, teaching and serving on its leadership team. Of all the ways Erica spends her time, her most important work is that of wife and mom! Contact a member of the Every Life Ministries team about connecting with Erica at ContactEveryLifeMinistries@gmail.com.You will find Erica at https://ericawiggenhorn.com/PRE-ORDER “LETTING GOD BE ENOUGH” TODAY FOR SPECIAL PRE-ORDER GIFTS!Letting God Be Enough is a modern book for tackling an age-old problem, resting in God when life doesn’t make sense. You no longer have to strive, compare, or appease others to secure your worth. Instead, you can let a loving God be enough.As a Christian woman who has battled self-doubt for decades, Erica is able to speak to these topics with empathy, grace, and truth. Take advantage of special pre-order bonuses that will end on September 7, 2021.Pre-order BonusesPRE-ORDER 1 COPY & RECEIVE:A FREE digital Bible Study Book and Leader’s Guide on the Life of Moses entitled “My God Fights For Me” and a coupon for 20% off your entire order from EllyandGrace.PRE-ORDER 3 COPIES & RECEIVE:All of the above PLUS access to exclusive teaching content:Letting God Be Enough in a Lonely Marriage by Dr. Juli Slattery, founder of Authentic Intimacy, author of numerous books and resources, and nationally known expert on identity and relationships. Juli is also the host of the Java with Juli podcast.Letting God Be Enough in Our Friendships by Kelly Needham, author of Friendish: Reclaiming True Friendship in a Culture of ConfusionLetting God Be Enough in Disappointment and Devastation by Kim Erickson, Bible teacher and author of Surviving SorrowLetting God Be Enough in our Dreams for our Future by Shannon Popkin, national speaker and author of Control Girl and Comparison Girl.Praying Prayers of Surrender by Asheritah Ciuciu, Prayers of REST podcaster and author of He Is Enough bible study, and Unwrapping the Names of JesusThe first 50 people to pre-order 3 copies will also receive a free BRAVE necklace!PRE-ORDER 10 COPIES & RECEIVE:All of the above, PLUS A private Q&A Session with Erica Wiggenhorn, on her study and writing process behind the book along with her spiritual journey that led me to write itEntry into a raffle to receive a $200 NoonDay shopping spreeThe first 50 people to pre-order 10 copies will also receive a free “Jesus is Enough” EllyandGrace t-shirt!Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 103 - Stephanie welcomes Bill & Pam Farrel today to discuss marriage. Bill and Pam both grew up in highly dysfunctional homes with backgrounds that statistically guaranteed failure in their relationship; yet here they are, many decades later, with a thriving marriage and a full-scale ministry, LOVE-WISE, dedicated to coming alongside couples in every stage of married life.They say, “If you want a great love life, you must grab a hold of God’s wisdom.” This applies to all meaningful relationships! So, whether you are married or not, you will discover valuable lessons for key relationships in your life in this episode. For example, Bill shares how his family comes from a regrettable tradition of breaking ties with parents, dating back 4 generations, and how he now has created an atmosphere where his father, his son and grandson all get together with him—4 new generations of Farrel men getting together, something that has not happened in the previous 4 generations. This is one of many Farrel traditions and rituals that are now sparking positive relationships into the new generations.If you are married, we warmly invite you to listen to this episode (again?) with your spouse, take notes, and then implement one of the many suggestions in this interview!Bill and Pam share how, as newlyweds, they would “stalk” happily married, older couples at church and dare to ask them the hard questions of married life—and the unexpected blessings they would receive in these initial formative relationships with everyday heroes of married life.They explain that everyone can have a good marriage; depending on the role models you had growing up, you might need to be more intentional about the decisions you make and the instincts that have been drilled into you from potentially negative examples.They explain that individuals often marry what they don’t have—namely, someone with a very different skillset. This is a tremendous opportunity, but it will also often lead to a different approach to marriage, resulting in tension. How can we learn to work as a team in marriage, listening to and understanding one another in practical ways? Bill & Pam share with us the three AHA categories that they have created for every couple: Attitudes, Habits, and Affections. They say, “marriage doesn’t just take work. It takes smart work.”Bill and Pam remind us that marriage is about adding value to each other’s life—and keeping in the forefront of our mind how our spouse enriches our life.Pam & Bill had a fun time picking spices to describe one another—the conversation itself is a window into their relationship. Pam is jalapeno and chipotle, while Bill just might have curry overtones! You’re going to have to take a listen to find out. We challenge you to have this conversation with your spouse and decide on a spice that best represents each of you!GOSPEL SPICE GIVEAWAYBill & Pam Farrel are giving away a set of “Marriage Meet-Ups” books—one for the wife, one for the husband. Go to gospelspice.com/giveaway to enter for a chance to win. Winner will be announced two weeks after episode airs. If you are listening to this episode after this particular giveaway closes, please stay tuned for upcoming giveaways with new exciting books!FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BILL & PAM FARREL at www.Love-Wise.comBill and Pam Farrel are relationship experts, international speakers, and Directors of Love-Wise. They have been married and in ministry for 42 years.  Bill has experience as Youth Pastor, followed by 15 years as a Lead Pastor; then was Pastor of Small Groups for Dr David Jeremiah at Shadow Mountain church.  Pam served alongside Bill in youth work then served as Director of Women’s Ministry during Bill’s years as a Pastor.They have written 50+books including best-selling Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti , 10 Best Decisions a Single Can Make, 7 Simple Skills for Every Man, 7 Simple Skills for Every Woman and their 10 Best Decisions series (for couples, singles, parents, grads, leaders, men and women).  Their books have been translated into 15+ languages.Pam is the co-author of the Discovering the Bible: an amazon bestseller, creative Bible study series.  The Farrels have spoken for a wide variety of groups: overseas for missions, the military and government sponsored events (including keynoting at National Marriage convention sponsored by government of Singapore); In the USA and Canada for churches, conference centers, community groups as well as the military and businesses.  Their wit and wisdom make them popular speakers and podcast, radio and TV guests (Moody network, Family Life Today, Focus on the Family, Dr. Dobson’s Family Talk radio, A Better Us TV and most TV networks).The Farrels also enjoy helping people with their most vital relationships online in the Living Love-Wise Community. Recently, the Farrels moved near Bill’s 91 year-old parents to help with their care. The Farrels enjoy time with their grown children, their spouses and young grandchildren, and when they are not working in ministry, or with family, you may find them walking the beach, biking, or kayaking from their down-sized home on a live aboard boat docked in Southern California.www.Love-Wise.comSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Episode 100!!! Whoa! What a celebration today here at Gospel Spice!! We are rejoicing over God's relentless faithfulness as we reach this symbolic milestone. ONE HUNDRED episodes! That's over 65 hours of content, and countless hours of teamwork. What better way to celebrate with YOU, our beloved listener, than to invite you to join us behind the scenes and discover how the Gospel Spice Ministries work to serve YOU each week??Stephanie is joined by the entire Gospel Spice team: Chera, Linda, Angel, Lindsay, Angie and Beth, not to mention her husband Jonah who makes a quick appearance despite his dislike of the spotlight! In this double-length episode, you will hear each one's heart to delight in God's glory. And you will understand anew how Stephanie counts herself the most blessed of ministry leaders, being supported by such an amazing team!You will hear from Chera and her passion to deepen your intimacy with God through worship and glimpses at His beauty. You will hear from Jonah and his wisdom on how to navigate our culture today, and how to keep our eyes on what truly matters. You will experience the beauty of discipleship through the eyes and heart of Linda, and the passion to share the gospel to the ends of the earth that Angel will communicate to you. You will be drawn deeper into delight for God's glory through Lindsay's perspective. And finally, you will hear about the nuts and bolts of the ministry through Angie and Beth! What a journey this has been--and what a testimony to God's unfailing love.Through it all, we invite you to celebrate God's goodness and to tell us YOUR story. So, email us at contact@gospelspice.com and tell us what God is doing in your life!Starting next week, you're invited to enter our latest series, "Identity in the battle." The podcast episodes will take you deep into some of the chapters of the Epistle to the Ephesians. If you wish to go deeper, we have all sorts of free resources, such as optional quiet time sessions, prayers, journaling, and also an option including everything you need to come alongside someone else through this series. Register for free at gospelspice.com/identity today! This is a unique add-on to your Gospel Spice experience. Taste and See that the Lord is GOOD!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/blogSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

BONUS Episode - Stephanie welcomes Miranda Jo Davis, author, speaker, Seminary-trained and Christian yoga instructor. Do the words "Christian" and "yoga" belong in the same sentence? Can one be a full-on, on-fire worshipper of the one true God in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and practice yoga?What happens if a Christian tells you that yoga is wrong, but your doctor tells you it is good for your body and your health? How do you reconcile these contradicting views? Can yoga be good for a Christian?We realize this can be a hot-button topic. So, we encourage you to make your own discerned conclusion, based on this episode AND other sources. In this episode, we seek to bring you some interesting elements but do not seek to convince you. This being said...How do you identify toxic practices in yoga? What are the red flags that indicate a worldview that dishonors Christ? What needs to be removed from the traditional yoga practices, and what do we replace it with, to align yoga practices with our faith?Miranda brings her perspective, steeped in Scripture and worship. She has faced persecution from secular Yoga masters because of her "narrow-minded" faith. She chooses Christ every day as she serves through yoga with a Biblical perspective. She has learned to identify the elements of yoga that oppose our faith, and the ones that honor Christ.Stephanie's favorite quote from Miranda: "you can be in the world of yoga, but not of it."She has adapted secular yoga practices to align with Scripture, the one non-negociable cornerstone that will guide her every teaching. She does not dilute Truth as a very conservative Christian steeped in the Bible. We talk about the dangers of crystals, gongs and chanting--a complete no-no. We talk about the blood of Christ that cleanses and purifies us. We talk today about worship and being truly grounded and rooted in Christ, and how this helps us identify lies from the world every day--on the yoga mat, and every area of life!Miranda shares her story from agnosticism to yoga, and then to Christian faith. She explains how she reconciles yoga with faith. If Christ is truly sovereign and Lord over all, then He is Lord over yoga, and can redeem it too! There is a lot of lies in the secular world of yoga, but in Christ we can discern truth and safely experience the good of yoga to the glory of God. NOTE - in this episode, we bring you a perspective on yoga that you may completely disagree with. That is FINE! Please know that we encourage you to research on your own and make up your own mind, based on Scripture. Do not take this episode as your conclusive statement about yoga. In this episode, we invite and encourage you to discern for yourself. Gospel Spice does not endorse nor condemn yoga practices as described in this episode.   If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season:The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODEIf you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforwardPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.---------Find Miranda Jo Davis:https://mirandajodavis.com/https://www.facebook.com/christiangirlintheyogaworld/www.instagram.com/mirandajodavisMiranda's book: Christian Girl in the yoga world on Amazon. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

BONUS episode 98 – To continue our special celebration leading up to our 100th episode next week, Stephanie welcomes Naina Mall, program manager for Pak7. Pak7 is a Christian media ministry serving Pakistanis in Pakistan, providing high-quality content targeting specifically women and children. Naina joins us to share her story: born in Pakistan, she emigrated to the United Kingdom under her parents’ guidance when she was merely five years old. She grew up British and attended university there, specializing in media, before God called her two years ago to move back to Karachi and serve as a key leader for Pak7. Naina shares her victories and struggles as she adapts back to her home culture, and serves the next generation of Pakistanis. You will hear a story from the heart and taste a glimpse of God’s unique spiritual spice mix in Pakistan today! If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season:The Gospel of Matthew:https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ DISCOVER PAK7:Pak7 provides:-          Programs for National TV that Change Attitudes: Like Video Star, a reality TV show that all people will watch and enjoy. Programs that build bridges between faith communities and show Christians and their faith in a positive light.-          Programs for Christian TV that Build Faith: Like Stories Jesus Told, where children can hear about the life of Jesus. Especially programs for children and young people that are creative and faith building.-          Social Media Videos that Lead to Online Chat: they produce a range of Social Media content designed to speak into different life situations and help people looking for answers.-          Build Capacity in Video Production & Social Media: they run media training and internships, as well as provide a range of services to help Christians better engage in the media.For more info about Pak7, go to pak7.orgSupport us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

BONUS Episode 97 - Stephanie welcomes Michelle Rayburn today. Michelle is a self-described former legalist Pharisaic believer, and she is well on her way to recovery through sheer grace. The very fact that she can talk about it shows the depth of the transformation that the Holy Spirit has woven within her.Michelle grew up in the church, and discovered that her legalistic spirit was keeping her from the very One she was pursuing. With admirable vulnerability, she describes the years of daring to step out of the comfort zone of her little church world bubble.  She says she became “too Christian for her pagan friends, and too pagan for her Christian friends” and that is a good thing! The challenge of replacing the bitter spice of legalism with the sweet spice of freedom is a process that she shares with us today.God has called Michelle to love those who are radically different from her—even the ones who are now the very way she used to be! How does God mentor her to love the unlovable – the very ones who remind her so much of who she once was? The secret? To aim to be the same person in the secret place of our thoughts, as we are in the public sphere of our behaviors and words.As we go to practical ways to identify the seeds of a legalistic heart. Michelle gives us many red flags that are easy to spot… but harder to let go! We go to pride as the underlying issue beneath all sin, and how we are all guilty! How can we make room for the Lord to change our heart?Go to https://michellerayburn.com/ for more!If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season:The Gospel of Matthew: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE  If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforwardPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you.MORE ABOUT MICHELLE RAYBURNMichelle Rayburn is a freelance writer and podcaster who appreciates how life’s difficulties can turn out to be opportunities learn and grow. She loves dark chocolate, iced coffee, and a breezy afternoon in the hammock with a good book. She’s the author of several Christian living books, including The Repurposed and Upcycled Life: When God Turns Trash to Treasure and Classic Marriage: Staying in Love as Your Odometer Climbs. She has also published articles and Bible studies in places such as Focus on the Family, Christian Communicator, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Today’s Christian Living, and ChristianBibleStudies.com.Michelle has her MA in ministry leadership with a counseling emphasis. She has been married to her husband, Phil, for 30 years and they have successfully launched two sons into adulthood. With all that testosterone around, she has mastered the art of lighthearted sarcasm and dad jokes as a second language. But she’s delighted to have reinforcements on team estrogen with two daughters-in-love and a sweet little granddaughter!Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

Stephanie welcomes Jessica Hottle today. Her story is a classic Cinderella sage, from ashes to beauty.She grew up in a very toxic home environment, but found Christ and freedom as a young adult. This didn't mean that all her problems were solved... far from it! She learned to take every thought captive to Christ--how do you forgive those who hurt you deeply? How do you identify lies you've believed your whole life, and how do you then replace them with truth, practically? How do you reframe your entire identity on the foundation of Christ, and His words of you? How do you root yourself so deeply in God's view of you, that you can truly say that there is no condemnation for you, because you are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)?If you've enjoyed this episode, you will LOVE our Gospel Spice series! Check out the first episode of each season:The Gospel of Matthew:https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/3281/link/The Psalms: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/33755/link/The Gospel of Luke: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/40838/link/The Book of Proverbs: https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/https://www.podcastics.com/episode/68112/link/ DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODEIf you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that:PLAY IT FORWARD by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforwardPRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with!Go to gospelspice.com for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year. Go to gospel-spice.com (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us!Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you. MORE ABOUT JESSICAJessica's message is, "challenge your thoughts to change your life!" And, of course, that is only possible in Christ.Jessica Hottle's passion for helping women getting emotionally and physically healthy while keeping God at the center. She inspires and encourages thousands by sharing her own personal struggles, victories, and journey through life. Jessica is a successful online entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster for What's The Truth, and author of three books, Know Your Worth and A Worthy Wife and Own Your Worth. Her passions are being a wife to her husband, Jon, being a momma to their three cats, and spending her free time outside whenever she can (playing golf, hiking, reading, or writing in her journal). Jessica has a heart that runs hard after Jesus and credits everything she has done to her Savior.Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!