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Confident Christianity, with Mary Jo Sharp | Bible Connection Podcast

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Confident Christianity, with Mary Jo Sharp | Bible Connection Podcast

Mary Jo Sharp has spent years teaching people how to defend their faith and engage with people who disagree with Christianity. In this episode, she shares her personal story of doubt and belief and teaches us how important it is to always go back to Scripture.

Mary Jo Sharp

Mary Jo Sharp took some time to discuss her long career in ministry, teaching people in the church about apologetics and how to engage with people who disagree with Christianity. She talks about growing up in Portland away from the church and the journey she took into Christianity. In college, she began to question the different things she dedicated her life to. That journey of doubt brought her into the field of apologetics.

As a kid, Mary explains how her parents got her interested in the universe and the meaning behind everything. Although she did not grow up in a Christian environment, she explains how that upbringing launched her on the path to Christianity. She shares how her music teacher in high school gave her a Bible and shared his faith, something that ended up changing her life.

She explains how a pastor in college clearly explained the gospel to her and walked her through what it means to believe in Jesus. These types of conversations are so important to wayward souls. However, when she became a part of the church, she realized the patterns of hypocrisy many believers live in, and that caused her to experience great doubt.

Mary Jo Sharp then explains the importance of apologetics and how the Bible teaches us how important it is to know Scripture and use that as a reason for our hope in Jesus. She explains how apologetics is getting people back to the Bible where the eternal hope is.

Excerpts from This Podcast

3:56 – 4:27 — “After I got into the church I started to see some things in the church, the members of the church, that really caused me to question my faith and what I had trusted in. So that journey of going through a time of real doubt brought me into this field of apologetics.”

8:30 – 9:24 — “I think people are often surprised that it was the Bible that really influenced me and that really brought me to say there’s probably a God that I need to investigate more. And the Bible really made sense of good and evil and morality and justice.”

16:24 – 16:48 — “As Christians, part of what we do, is we’re supposed to know how to explain our hope in the resurrected Jesus.”

17:33 – 17:40 — “Really, when I think about apologetics, it’s about bringing people to the Scripture from a point where they’re not necessarily involved with the Scripture yet.”

19:26 – 22:04 — “It’s not just, I believe in God, I’m saying that. But now what kind of impact does a real God and a really resurrected Jesus Christ have on who you are, your identity, the way you live your life, the choices you make, how you see the world.”

21:52 – 22:26 — “I need a reminder of who I am. I need a reminder that when God created humans, He said that we were good. Because sometimes when you’re on social media a lot, you see negativity and you get upset because there’s a lot of bad and you start to wonder what you’re doing in this world. You go back to the Scripture and there it is.”

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
— Matthew 5:43-45 (NKJV)

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear
— 1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV)

And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
— 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 (NKJV)

A Lesson from Mary: God’s Humble Servant

Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel
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A Lesson from Mary: God’s Humble Servant

Rabbi Jason

God chose perhaps His most unlikely vessel to set into motion the salvation of mankind: a teenage girl named Mary. Mary thought she was waiting for a wedding to a carpenter named Joseph, but something came to her that was far different—an improbable event she never would have dreamed of.

A holy interruption.

Much about Mary and her relationship with God is revealed when we read about her response to the angel when she was told she would give birth to the promised Messiah (see Luke 1:26–38). Mary showed tremendous humility of heart—the same humble quality we find in Yeshua (see Philippians 2:6–11).

What is humility?

A characteristic of humility is receiving. Probably understanding some, though not all, of the misunderstanding and scorn that would surely come, Mary embraced God’s new vision for her life without complaining or sarcasm. 

1 Peter 5:5 tells us that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (NKJV). Do you want God’s grace? Become humble.

Mary was humble in spirit. Being willing to decrease so that others can increase is the essence of humility (see John 3:30). It’s important to note, however, that I’m not talking about self-abasing. A truly humble person is secure and confident in God’s love. They know who they are. Genuine humility is not thinking less of ourselves. It’s thinking of ourselves less.

It also takes humility for us to be completely transparent before others, allowing them to speak into our lives, encourage us, sharpen us if needed, and help us in our own journeys. Notice that when the angel ended his time with Mary, he said, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37 TLV). Mary needed to be transparent to receive that word and then live by it. She responded by humbly worshiping and magnifying the Lord (see verses 46–55).

How do humility and obedience work together?

Think of what obedience meant to this young girl. She needed to confront Joseph and risk a divorce. She had to face her neighbors, whose imaginations must have run wild. She had to confront her parents and Joseph’s parents. But through all this confrontation and gossip, she was able to cling to the angel’s promise to her and to Joseph’s loyalty to her after his own angelic visit (see Matthew 1:18–25).

I find it interesting that Mary obeyed without hesitation. Obedience was her delight.

Looking back at the times God has called me to do something, I have to ask, Did I react like Mary? Not all the time. There were moments of hesitation. I wonder what blessings from God I lost.

Today, we often regard obedience as a weakness. Mary’s example should correct our thinking. In Scripture, we can almost see that His will became her will. She willingly yielded to what God wanted for her instead of fighting for her self-defined life direction.

As in Mary’s experience, faith and humility together will lead us to God’s favor. To walk in our divine assignments and sing our unique songs, we will need to seek God’s presence, understanding that He is the source of favor to open the doors that only He can open doors that no man can shut. Humility is knowing that you are in God’s control and, when the situation calls for it, having the bold faith to do what God has asked you to do.

Kathie Lee

Mary was most likely a young teenage girl when the angel Gabriel visited her in Nazareth with a startling message: she had been chosen by God to give birth to the long-awaited Messiah, whom the prophets had foretold for centuries.

In Isaiah 7:14 we are told that a “virgin will conceive and give birth” to this Redeemer of the world (NIV). The fact that this young peasant girl’s response to the angel was, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be unto me as you have said” is unbelievable to me (Luke 1:38, paraphrase)!

She—like Abraham and Sarah and Moses and Joshua before her—was willing to give up everything she knew and depended on in order to obey the calling of God in her life to journey into an unknown future.

When we believe, miracles abound.

Learn more lessons from Mary, Kathie Lee, and Rabbi Jason with Bible Gateway’s free 10-day devotional on God of the Way. Sign up today!

Adapted from The God of the Way: A Journey into the Stories, People, and Faith That Changed the World Forever by Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel.

The God of the Way

Now a New York Times Bestseller! Kathie Lee Gifford and Rabbi Jason Sobel the authors of the New York Times best seller The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi bring you an exciting new life-changing message that will help you read the Bible with new eyes and take you into the heart of God’s people in Scripture – from Abraham to Ruth to Jesus and His early followers.

In The God of the Way, Rabbi Jason shares wisdom from his Jewish heritage and helps us read Scripture in the cultural context of biblical times. Kathie Lee adds personal stories and reflections from her spiritual journey and studies, serving as a companion as you go deeper in your own relationship with God.

You will experience:

  • The God of the How and When: When you don’t know the details…God does.
  • The God of His Word: When you can’t see God…trust His heart and the promises in His Word.
  • The God Who Sees: When you feel abandoned and forgotten…God knows and cares about you.
  • The God of the Other Side: When you feel overwhelmed and unworthy…God never passes by but crosses over and brings freedom.

Journey into God’s word, from the creation of the world through the desert and empty places, the Hebrew nation, and meet Jesus, the disciples, and his followers. As you do, you will see how you are part of God’s epic story of redemption – a radiant testimony to the truth that belief in God’s promises is never wasted.

The God of the Way is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.

Finding Strength in Your Church Community

Jay Hewitt
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Finding Strength in Your Church Community

Editor’s Note: After receiving a devastating brain cancer diagnosis, Jay Hewitt made the momentous decision to compete in an IRONMAN triathlon while undergoing cancer treatment. This post, adapted from his book I Am Weak, I Am Strong, talks about the courage he found from a supportive community of believers to press on as he prepared for the 140.6-mile race.

This is how IRONMAN’s historic, first-ever full-distance and virtual triathlon worked: athletes from all over the world would register with IRONMAN for the race, download the official app, and sync it with an approved sports watch that would track distance, elevation, speed, and time.

It was each athlete’s responsibility to plan their own 140.6-mile course, taking into account both traffic and elevation change; essentially, you couldn’t plan a downhill course. Also, each athlete would have to figure out how to set up aid stations along the way so they could refill their water bottles and grab some nutrition.

Finally, at some point on the weekend of October 9–11, 2020, all the registered athletes would begin their races and try to go the distance without seeing the other athletes against whom they were competing.

That is a lonely 140.6 miles with a lot of logistics—any of which could go completely awry.

Building My IRONMAN Team

I talked to my wife Natalie about it. IRONMAN had put so much strain on our family. I was nervous to bring it up. She surprised me. In her wisdom, she pointed out that by planning our own course, more of our friends and church family could be there to support us.

I called IRONMAN and told them I was in. We called our good friend Brittany, who is extraordinarily proficient at mobilizing people for a cause. She is simply amazing. We asked if she would mobilize our friends and church community to help set up and staff the aid stations. She rounded up two hundred people to pitch in.

She arranged an opening ceremony where I would start the race in a wedding venue gazebo overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. She asked Jon Juroe, a contractor friend of ours, to construct a re-creation of IRONMAN’s iconic structure that would hold up the official finishing tape that IRONMAN would be sending out to us.

Brittany thought through every detail, even arranging a chase vehicle staffed with Kane Johnson, a paramedic and engineer with the Huntington Beach Fire Department; Jon Ankenman, a bike tech; and Corrie Mattson, a professional photographer.

While Brittany built a team of supporters, I kept working toward my goal. By the end of September 2020, I was finally able to swim two miles, ride a hundred miles, and run twenty miles. I was terrified to try to do it all in one day in under seventeen hours. I had never even run a marathon before.

I couldn’t imagine starting a marathon after already racing 115 miles of swimming and cycling, but I had to try. I had no doubt I was surrounded by a strong community of people who love me. Without these saints—other followers of Jesus—I’d have had no chance to set out to accomplish what I felt God had called me to do. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Community Support

Down through the years, I’ve learned that finding the strength to overcome adversity and the courage to press on is exponentially multiplied by the support of the community of saints. When people believe in us enough to rally behind us, our spirits are encouraged and our hearts are filled with boldness.

I’ve tried so often to do things on my own. The myth of independence has let me down, and it will let you down as well. Resisting help will only cause you to stumble. I now understand that we can go much farther when we let those who love us help carry our burdens.

It takes humility to accept help. Humbling yourself can feel humiliating. But in the end, achieving the impossible can only come when you submit to a strength that is greater than yours alone. God will empower you by his Spirit to accomplish the calling he has placed on your life. He will surround you with his people, for there is strength in the community of saints.

Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord instructs his people to love one another by bearing one another’s burdens. It would stand to reason that if we’re commanded to bear one another’s burdens, we should also accept one another’s help. It may feel humbling, and even pathetic, to admit that we can’t live life on our own. It takes great courage to expose our weakness and ask for help. But accepting help does not mean we are pitifully weak; it means we are wise.

The Weakness of Jesus

Consider Jesus, who on the way to the cross, about to fulfill his life’s ultimate calling—to die for the sins of mankind—was weak on all fronts: emotionally drained by anxiety and dread, spiritually weary from crying out to the Father to be spared from a criminal’s death, and physically exhausted from standing trial all night and carrying a solid wooden crossbeam.

When Roman soldiers made Simon of Cyrene carry the cross for Jesus, he allowed Simon to bear his burden. Undoubtedly, at that moment Jesus could have utilized the dynamic power of the Spirit who would soon overcome death and raise him from the grave. Instead, he humbled himself and let Simon bear his burden.

Jesus was a unfailing example of what it means to be human and to live a life that is truly full. Let him serve as your example. We can find great encouragement to make it to the end when we allow others to bear our burdens. Reach out and let others lift you up.

Isolation will kill us; community will sustain us.

I am Weak, I am Strong

This post was adapted from I Am Weak, I Am Strong: Building a Resilient Faith for a Resilient Life by Jay Hewitt.

I Am Weak, I Am Strong

Even on the days you struggle to stay strong, you can live a resilient and hopeful life.

After receiving a devastating brain cancer diagnosis, Jay Hewitt had a decision to make: Should he give up on faith or practice what he preached and trust that with God all things are possible? In I Am Weak, I Am Strong, Jay chronicles his journey of turning toward Jesus even when circumstances urged him to turn away. Faith in action for Jay included competing in an IRONMAN triathlon while undergoing cancer treatment. His race was a grand gesture of love for his young daughter—and a call to resilience for all of us.

For anyone who is searching for hope in anxiety and grief, needs validation and compassion in times of doubt, is curious about faith in the face of death, or longs for a more authentic relationship with God, I Am Weak, I Am Strong will teach you that faith grows from the freedom to doubt.

I Am Weak, I Am Strong: Building a Resilient Faith for a Resilient Life is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.

Unleashing Ordinary Christians, with Mark Mittelberg | Bible Connection Podcast

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Unleashing Ordinary Christians, with Mark Mittelberg | Bible Connection Podcast

Mark Mittelberg has been following where Christ leads for over 40 years. He’s developed a passion and a calling to equip and unleash ordinary Christians to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. Mark shares his story, how the Lord has worked in his life, and, through his partnership with Lee Strobel, how he’s able to help teach practical apologetics to the next generation.

Mark Mittelberg

Mark Mittelberg and his long-time ministry partner Lee Strobel have recently partnered with Colorado Christian University to launch the Lee Strobel Center for Evangelism and Applied Apologetics. He talks about the heart behind that ministry and how he wants to train the younger generation on how to incorporate practical apologetics into their lives. These courses that are aimed to equip the next generation are all available online.

No matter who you are or where the Lord has placed you in society, Mark wants to equip you to define and defend the gospel in practical ways. He mentions his core calling to unleash ordinary Christians. Mark prioritizes reaching the spiritually wayward people who need to be introduced to Jesus.

Mark shares his story and how he was raised in the church but rebelled in high school. He shares how the Lord used influences in his life to wake him up to the truth of the gospel. That change, when he was 19 years old, awakened him to a passion and a calling for sharing the gospel with others. He talks about how paramount the Bible was when he was transformed and began to share his faith with others.

Recently, Mark released a book called Contagious Faith. He talks about what that means and what that looks like to have a faith that is truly contagious. If you know Christ and read the Bible, then Mark says you have all you need to be in ministry and share the gospel with others.

Excerpts from This Podcast

4:12 – 4:37 — “I think there’s a wake-up call for the church. We can’t just keep maintaining our programs and kind of chugging along, we need to get radical about knowing Scripture, about knowing theology, but also knowing how to communicate the gospel and how to define and defend the gospel.”

6:04 – 6:49 — “We’re here on a mission. I try to remind people that Jesus didn’t have to leave us here. Most of what we do here and do in the church we’re going to do for eternity in Heaven. We’re going to worship God for eternity. We’re going to have fellowship for eternity.”

11:50 – 12:34 — “There’s nothing as exciting, nothing as rewarding, as following Christ. God has us on a mission that is going to matter. When you get to be a catalyst of the Holy Spirit to get to bring light and become friends with them, the mission we’re here for is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

15:40 – 16:05 — “This is part of what I love about evangelism, you pray more fervently, you study the Bible more diligently and regularly, you glorify God and worship Him with more of a heart-felt passion because you sense this life and death thing that’s happening in the world. Especially when you have a friend come to Christ. There’s nothing better.”

19:29 – 20:00 — “If you know Christ, first of all you have salvation, you have the Holy Spirit inside you, you’re gradually getting the mind of Christ, and you read God’s Word, you’ve got almost everything you need to get in on ministry.”

20:44 – 21:15 — “I’ve had this experience, where all of a sudden you’re thinking the God of the universe told me what to say there. And I don’t say that very often, but there are times where I said more than I knew.”

22:41 – 23:03 — “Scripture is living and active, as it says in Hebrews, and it knows how to penetrate our souls but it also knows how to open our eyes.”

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man
— Ephesians 3:16 (NKJV)

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
— John 15:4-5 (NKJV)

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
— Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

Scripture and Imagination, with Michael Card | Bible Connection Podcast

Bible Gateway
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Scripture and Imagination, with Michael Card | Bible Connection Podcast

For the past forty years, Michael Card’s music has touched the lives of countless people. On this episode of the Bible Connection Podcast, Michael tells us about his lifelong passion for engaging the Word of God and even plays a song for us.

Michael Card

Throughout his life, singer and songwriter Michael Card has been encouraged by many different people. He explains how certain mentors impacted him and recognized his songwriting potential. Before meeting one particular mentor, William Lane, Michael was in school studying forestry, and then his life changed. Dr. Lane then impacted Michael’s life and convinced him to pursue ministry.

Michael explains his background as part of the Jesus Movement when he was in high school and how that shaped his faith and his work. After dedicating his life to engaging with Scripture, Michael has released over 30 albums and 27 books in order to share his love of the Lord with others.

One of Michael’s albums focused on the books of the minor prophets. He shares some insights and background on how he managed to write songs based around a genre of Scripture. He explains how you can never get to the bottom of Scripture and you will always find more truth no matter how often you dig into it.

Michael explains the importance of using imagination to engage with Scripture and how that often has a bad, undeserved connotation. He even spends some time breaking down his favorite Hebrew word that he considers untranslatable and the deep theological meaning behind it.

But Michael stresses the importance of engaging Scripture with your imagination. Without doing that, many of the teachings of Jesus will be lost.

In a special moment, Michael plays a song on the podcast called Gomer’s Song all about God’s unconditional forgiveness as illustrated through the story of Hosea.

Excerpts from This Podcast

6:48 – 7:02 — “My whole life has been to try and understand Scripture, engage, listen with all your heart and with all your mind. And the way you do that is you engage with your imagination. That brings both your heart and your mind into the whole process.”

9:10 — “In order to write a song, the idea has to resonate, it has to have some resonance to it. Not just be true – but it should be true, obviously – but just be different enough and have a twist so that it’s lyrical. Those ideas are hard to find.”

14:59 – 15:24 — “Of all the words in the Hebrew Bible, I think hesed is the one – it’s untranslatable. My translation takes a whole sentence. Hesed is when the person from whom I have a right to expect nothing gives me everything. I stand before the cross of Jesus and I say, ‘I have no right to expect anything from You, I nailed You there.’ What do I get? Do I get a second chance? No. I get more chances than you could possibly imagine.”

19:37 – 19:55 — “The point of Jesus’ parables is that if you don’t engage with your imagination, you’re not going to get it. Because it’s not just a spoonfed truth.”

21:15 — “It’s a bad thing to think that you know what the Bible is about to say. It’s the same way I listen to my wife. I know what she’s about to say, right? So I’m not really listening. That’s not how you really listen to people. So I say get a new translation, one that you’re not used to.”

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
— Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NKJV)

The Jesus I Know, with Kathie Lee Gifford | Bible Connection Podcast

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The Jesus I Know, with Kathie Lee Gifford | Bible Connection Podcast

During an Emmy Award-winning career that spans over 40 years, Kathie Lee Gifford has allowed the Lord to place her in unique positions to impact others for the Kingdom. She joins the podcast to talk about her walk with Jesus and how that has helped her love others as Jesus loves them.

Kathie Lee Gifford

Kathie Lee Gifford joins the podcast to talk about her own walk with Jesus and how she was inspired by Billy Graham to take back the airwaves for Jesus to potentially reach millions of people. She talks about how she encountered Jesus for the first time and she received His promise that if she trusted Him, He’d make something beautiful out of her life.

Through her unique position within the entertainment industry, Kathie has been able to reach people in a special way. She talks about how God positioned and equipped her to do this work for His kingdom. Throughout her life, the Lord has guided her in countless conversations with people who are hurting and taught her how to show love and kindness to those people.

Kathie shares how finding common ground and really listening to other people can open up spiritual conversations and opportunities to connect with them more deeply. She talks more about those kinds of conversations and stories in her book, The Jesus I Know. Seeing other people in that way helps her to love like Jesus loved.

Through her trips to Israel, her relationships, and her study of the Bible, Kathie Lee has soaked her life in the Scriptures and shares some encouragement for others looking to do the same.

Excerpts from This Podcast

2:33 – 2:50 — “There is no secular and spiritual. There is God’s cosmos and He so loved the world – all of it – that He gave His only begotten Son. And I think we do a total disservice to God and His purpose and His Kingdom when we put limits on things.”

5:06 – 5:52 — “I’m glad I did not grow up in the church. I know that’s going to be a tough statement for some people to deal with. The church is not a building; the church is the body of Christ. The Greek word means movement or gathering of believers, but there was no building in first century AD that they met in.”

7:45 — “When you walk with your Saviour God and best friend for as many years as I have, you start to long to be more like Him. And He set the standard for how we are to treat people. I think what we fail to do is we don’t listen as much as we should.”

13:49 – 14:14 — “The Lord taught me a long time ago to find common ground with people because common ground is sacred ground. And if you can find something you can talk about just human being to human being it leads to openings in the Spiritual realm.”

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
— John 3:16

Jesus curses the fig tree
— Mark 11:12-25

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.
— Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)

The Wonder of God, with Harris III | Bible Connection Podcast

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The Wonder of God, with Harris III | Bible Connection Podcast

By the time he turned 21, Harris III had made over a million dollars performing magic. By the age of 22, he lost it all. Going through that process forced him to question many things about the world and his life. Those questions led him on a faith journey where he learned how important it is to maintain a sense of wonder and a sense that there is something more and greater in the world.

Harris III

By the time he turned 21, Harris III had made over a million dollars performing magic. By the age of 22, he lost it all. Going through that process forced him to question many things about the world and his life. Those questions led him on a faith journey where he learned how important it is to maintain a sense of wonder and a sense that there is something more and greater in the world.

Harris shares with the Bible Connection Podcast how important it is to know real truth and real joy so you do not fall for fakes, counterfeits, and deceptions. He stresses the importance of reading and memorizing Scripture, to write God’s Word on your heart, so you can know and understand the real truth. He talks about the dangers of living in the information age and how that has hampered our ability to have a child-like faith in a God who is often mysterious.

In his book Wonder Switch, Harris guides readers on a journey through their own journey and narrative and allows them to re-engage with that sense of wonder that allows people to step into a new story of joy. He talks about how trauma can impact our ability to experience wonder and learn new stories.

Excerpts from This Podcast

3:31 — “By the time I was 21 I made about $1 million doing magic shows and by 22 I was bankrupt. I tell that story because it really is the launching pad for understanding why I do what I do. What I do is magic tricks, in short. But why do I do those magic tricks in the way that I do them? When you have that experience at 21 and then lose it all by 22, it forces you to take a step back and ask yourself questions.”

6:36 – 6:55 — “I understand that people are being deceived, I understand how they’re being deceived, but I don’t understand why they’re so passive about it. Why are we so desensitized to the awareness that we are being deceived? I realized it’s because we lost our sense of wonder that gives us the permission to believe in something more and better.”

10:36 – 11:05 — “I’ve been studying deception for twenty something years now and I still fall for tricks and lies every now and then. So If I’m not an expert at deception at this point – to protect myself from that and guard myself from that – then what’s your hope? It’s to study the truth, right? We must become experts in the truth.”

18:23 – 19:03 — “As long as you hold space for the times you do come into genuine mystery and you gotta learn to strengthen that muscle of being okay with that. Because otherwise it should be no surprise that we have an entire generation of young people who can’t have something like a childlike faith in a divine being as mysterious as God is. I think that sense of child-like wonder is at the heart of faith. I don’t think we can have one without the other. So keep Googling, if you want to, and find those answers. That’s the blessing of living in the information age and having access to it. As long as you don’t get so conditioned to feel uncomfortable with mystery that when your Google results can’t answer the question you don’t get frustrated.”

22:42 – 23:04 — “When our wonder is crushed we stop believing in the possibility of that new story. So we all are looking for a new story, filled with meaning and purpose and joy and magic and all the things God created us to experience and crave, but unless we believe in it, which we can’t do unless we’re in a state of wonder, we’ll never have permission to step into that new story.”

39:11 – 39:36 — “We are hurt in relationship and we are healed in relationship. Trauma is a full-body experience. It’s not something that happens when you’re sitting in a room thinking. When you experience trauma, that happens in the context of community, which means community is important because that’s how we heal.”

Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
Bind them around your neck,
Write them on the tablet of your heart,
And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
— Proverbs 3:3-4 (NKJV)

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.
— Matthew 18:2-5 (NKJV)

For we walk by faith, not by sight.
— 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
— 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Water Into Wine: The Hidden Lesson in Jesus’ First Miracle

Rabbi Jason Sobel
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Water Into Wine: The Hidden Lesson in Jesus’ First Miracle

In John 2:1-12, we see Jesus (Yeshua) performing his first miracle at a wedding in Cana. The host ran out of wine, and at his mother’s prompting, Jesus asked the servants to fill six water jars with water. When the master of the banquet tasted the water, it had been turned into the finest wine.

At first, this miracle may not seem too important in comparison to some of Jesus’s other miracles, but Jewish weddings are something to behold. The fact that the Messiah’s first miracle occurred during a wedding points to the abundance and blessing that come from our relationship with the Messiah Yeshua. His changing the water into wine was not merely a random act of kindness; rather, it reflected and metaphorically fulfilled the many Old Testament scriptures that speak of God’s people, the proverbial bride, and the Bridegroom to come—Jesus himself.

The Wedding at Cana and the Wedding of the Lamb

Yeshua performed His first miracle at a wedding feast as a sneak preview of the ultimate wedding celebration, the messianic wedding supper of the Lamb, spoken of by the prophets and in the book of Revelation. Revelation 19:7–8 says, “‘Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.’ (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people)” (NIV). The wedding in Cana of Galilee points spiritually and prophetically to the type of relationship He wants to have with us.

The Third Day

The story of this miracle opens with the words, “On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in the Galilee.” The third day of the week is significant in Jewish wedding traditions. In fact, there are three parts to the Jewish wedding: the shiddukhin (arrangements made before the legal betrothal), erusin (the betrothal, also known as the period of kiddushin—a period of sanctification or being “set apart”), and nissuin (marriage).

Many Jewish people are married on the third day. If you are in Israel on the third day of the week, you’re going to see many weddings taking place. The reason it’s traditional is that the third day is the only day in the Creation account that God blessed twice. Doubly blessed, the third day of the week is Tuesday, and it’s considered an auspicious day for weddings because “God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:10, 12).

The Double Portion

These weddings are often held outside in the evening, under the stars. The idea is to symbolize abundance and fruitfulness of your descendants, as God promised that Abraham’s descendants would be like the stars of the sky (Genesis 22:17). The Lord brought Abram out into the crisp desert night where the stars were shimmering like billions of diamonds against the blanket of a perfectly dark sky.

Oh, what a sight that must have been—no city lights to dim the view! “‘Look up now, at the sky, and count the stars—if you are able to count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your seed be’” (Genesis 15:5). Those descendants would eventually be from the Seed of Yeshua, which includes you and me!

How does this miracle of abundance come? It comes from a relationship with the Messiah, the Bridegroom. He wants you to be doubly blessed. He wants to give you the double portion. He did his first miracle on the third day, which is a day that’s doubly good.

The Signs and Secrets of Transformation

The miracle of turning water into wine shows us that Jesus is not only able to meet our needs but also exceed them. He is able to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. The miracle at the wedding was officially the start of Yeshua’s public ministry, demonstrating that God was beginning to fulfill the messianic promises setting his redemption plan into motion.

It makes sense that this miracle of abundance occurred at a wedding because Yeshua is the Bridegroom, and he was coming for his bride. A marriage—an eternal, covenantal relationship—is the kind of relationship God hopes to have with us as well.

A Lifetime Process of Becoming

The miracle of turning water into wine was a miracle of blessing, abundance, and transformation. God transformed something ordinary into something extraordinary, just as He does with us when He touches our lives and transforms us into new creations. We are turned from water into wine. The old passes away, and the new comes (2 Corinthians 5:17).

However, this transformation is not a one-and-done thing, but rather a lifetime process of becoming. Personally, I am being transformed daily from something ordinary into something extraordinary. The old is passing away, and the new is coming into my life. I’m excited as I witness the things God is doing in me. And I’m convinced He wants to do it in your life too.

A Fresh Look at the Miracles of Jesus

Adapted from Signs and Secrets of the Messiah: A Fresh Look at the Miracles of Jesus by Rabbi Jason Sobel.

Signs and Secrets of the Messiah

In this follow-up to his book Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel dives deep into Scripture, biblical culture, and ancient texts to help you better understand the truths and the power behind God’s miracles, and to increase your faith that Jesus can perform miracles in your life.

By taking a deeper look at Yeshua’s miracles, Rabbi Jason reveals promises for all Christ followers based on miracles throughout Scripture:

  • Jesus takes the ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary, because He wants you to live out of His overflow (He turned water into wine).
  • Jesus wants to renew you so that He can do something new in you (He revealed to Nicodemus the miracle of rebirth).
  • You can stop wandering aimlessly or feeling stuck in your current situation, but instead experience abundant life and healing (He healed the man at the Pool of Bethesda).
  • God wants to bless you abundantly so you, in turn, can bless others and sow into His kingdom (Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish).

As you go on this journey with Rabbi Jason, a Messianic Jew, he is praying that God will lead you to new insights and breakthroughs in your life. And as God reveals Himself to you in a fresh and powerful way, you will be filled with a sense of His presence and shalom.

Signs and Secrets of the Messiah is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.

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Get a free five-day devotional on five key miracles of Jesus from Rabbi Jason Sobel! Click here to download the devotional.

Rhythms of Renewal, with Rebekah Lyons | Bible Connection Podcast

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Rhythms of Renewal, with Rebekah Lyons | Bible Connection Podcast

Author, blogger, and speaker Rebekah Lyons joins the Bible Connection Podcast to talk about her ministry, Q, that encourages faithful Christians at the forefront of culture to ask and answer big questions in the modern age. She talks about her experience with anxiety and panic attacks that ushered her into a faith journey of trusting God for rescue and freedom and shares what she has learned that helps her reset her mind and armor herself against temptation.

Rebekah Lyons

Author, blogger, and speaker Rebekah Lyons joins the Bible Connection Podcast to talk about her ministry, Q Ideas, that applies Christian faith to big cultural questions in the modern age. She talks about how the birth of her son with Down Syndrome changed the way she thought about her life and fortified her faith. That led her and her husband to create the Q Ideas Cultural Summit, where faithful Christians at the forefront of culture and society convene to build community and be equipped to answer big questions, build community, and impact the modern culture.

Rebekah talks about the importance of engaging with culture and the big issues that our culture faces in order to be the salt and the light. But she stresses that cannot be done in isolation and needs a community.

She talks about her experience with a panic disorder and how, through that, she felt God’s presence in a season of God rescuing her which led to the incredible gift of a new child. Through the process of adopting a child with Down Syndrome, she learned to trust God with her life’s work and effort. For her, this reinforced the idea that if you lose your life, you find it.

Rebekah talks about her struggles with panic attacks and anxiety and how that led her into a deeper faith in God’s Word and a better understanding of fear and freedom. She learned to trust God in the moment for the peace He promised. She shares some of the ways she has learned to fight through her panic attacks and anxiety. In her new book, Rebekah shares ways to stand in the freedom of God for the rest of your life using four simple rhythms that God has invited us to dwell in.

Excerpts from This Podcast

3:57 — “We thought life was going to look like this but it’s obvious that God’s hand is moving in our family and He’s doing something new. We don’t want to miss it with our goals and our 3-year projections. We just want to be available to God.”

6:29 — “We have to be able to sit in our moment, in our generation, and does our faith make sense in this context? And will it make sense for our kids in their context? Can they make that faith their own?”

10:09 — “It is a very hard tension to navigate and stay in and be salt and light, but absolutely needed. If there’s not comrades in that – if there’s not somebody coming together and saying, “we need more than just one believer in a magazine or a publication, we need several.””

12:36 — “I started to have panic attacks for the next year and a half. That panic disorder really sent me on a faith journey of God rescuing me and giving me supernatural peace and walking me into a healing journey.”

16:20 — “The point was hold everything loosely. If God brings something in your path and makes a way, then that’s an invitation. You can say no out of fear or out of control, but, in the end, God brought this to you for a reason.”

20:26 — “God has actually armored us. He established a sound mind in us and then He’s also armored us with the Word of God to restore what has been stolen or fractured.”

26:23 — “God, just flood me with the truth of Your Word, of who You are. If I can dwell there, I’m sheltered in the Almighty. I can dwell and be kept and held by You.”

33:55 — “If God is the author of life, the enemy is the author of death, then God is a regenerative God and He is always doing something new.”

35:44 — “What rest does is it reminds us that we are finite. We are needy. We are not invincible. I think it’s a very good thing to be reminded of on a daily basis when we lay down at night.”

40:27 — “Mental health is not a joke. It’s not something you take casually. It’s not like a magic pill that fixes things. It’s work. It’s faith. It’s endurance. And I really believe God has so much for us as a result of all that.”

Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
— Psalm 126:5-6 (NKJV)

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
— 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
— Genesis 15:6 (NKJV)

Psalm 18

You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
— Psalm 139:5 (NKJV)

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