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During today's conversation on Back Porch Theology, we're going to explore the juxtaposition between choosing to live a relatively anonymous life so as to make Jesus the Hero of our stories and the reality of living in an age where the proliferation of social media seems to reduce individual image-bearers to their selfie angles, number of followers, or how rhythmic they are on Tic Toc. Please know we aren't going on any anti-social media rants today, but we are going to get really rowdy about the spiritual value of humility! And we're going to do so by examining the rich lives of some women who are somewhat obscure in biblical history but are surely famous in Heaven, starting with a dynamic duo in Exodus that I don't think has gotten nearly enough press through the ages, which might be a result of their oh so unfortunate names: Shiphrah and Puah! So please grab a cup of coffee and your Bible - unless you're driving or baiting a fishhook, of course! - and come hang out on the porch with us. 

Back Porch Theology sponsored in part by Dwell Bible App. Save 30% off Dwell for Life at DwellApp.io/LisaHarper.

We have all faced an endless amount of uncertainty, fear, and discouragement these last few years. And while those things can sometimes cause us to question God, we have this promise to stand on: He will use everything we encounter in life for our good and His glory. Even in times of trouble, He is more than able to release His power, peace, and revival in our lives. This episode will increase your faith for God to do wonders, even in seasons of waiting for Him to show up, both in your life and in the world around you.

Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.

Tim Schurrer knows what it takes to build a winning team. He spent almost a decade of his career launching two brands- StoryBrand and Business Made Simple-as COO alongside New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller. Before that Tim worked at TOMS as well as Apple Inc. He is the host of the Build a Winning Team podcast, where he offers listeners actionable advice as he interviews some of the top leaders in business. Tim lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Katie, and their two kids. 

To connect with Tim and purchase his new book visit SecretSocietyBook.com

During today's conversation on Backporch Theology we're going to talk about how trusting God in the dark is imperative if we want to walk in the light. In Luke chapter 12, we find the verse: "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom." That term "little flock" in verse thirty-two is so unique, this is the only place it can be found in the entire Bible. It comes from a double diminutive word coupling in Greek and can literally be translated: little, little flock. Most commentaries skip right over that tender phraseology but from where I'm standing it's what really drives the point of why we don't have to be ruled or rocked by fear home. Little, little flock. Only a Shepherd who absolutely adores His sheep would use that term. And that's the Shepherd I've finally learned to run to when I'm scared. If you've ever struggled with fear or anxiety, I really hope you'll grab a cup of coffee and your Bible - unless you're driving or parasailing of course - and come hang out on the porch with us!

Back Porch Theology sponsored in part by Dwell Bible App. Save 30% off Dwell for Life at DwellApp.io/LisaHarper.

Jeanne Stevens is the founding and co-lead pastor of Soul City Church in Chicago, one of America's fastest growing urban churches. Prior to starting Soul City Church, Stevens was on the pastoral staff at Willow Creek Community Church and North Point Community Church. A sought-after speaker, leader, and writer, Jeanne's passion is to help people wake up to their purpose as they pursue a life of wholehearted freedom. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Jarrett, and their two children. What's Here Now? will be available nationwide May 17, 2022

To learn more about Jeanne and puchase her new book, please visit jeannestevens.com

Hi Friends! We've all gone through hard seasons in life. And some of us have even been through a season wanting to fulfill a dream or get a promotion or the family that we've always wanted and then not being able to get what we want when it seems like we're almost there.

In today's episode, my guest Jordan Lee Dooley will be sharing with us some practical steps on how to navigate painful setbacks and hardships. Jordan shares how difficult experiences, waiting seasons, and our greatest disappointments can bring clarity to what we really want in life.

If you find yourself frustrated because you are not where you thought you should be in life, this episode is for you. Life is filled with unmet expectations, disrupted dreams, uncertainty, and in-between seasons. Lean in and listen to how Jordan's experiences taught her to take a long pause, audit her life, and learn how to gain greater clarity about what she truly wanted, why she wanted it, and how to begin pursuing it.

Friend, if you are in a season of in-betweens, not-quites, and unknowns you are not alone. You belong to this community and we're here for you. Let Jordan know how this episode has impacted you by tagging us @BiancaOlthoff and @JordanLeeDooley

Talk to you next week, friend!

Love you,

B

LINKS / RESOURCES: 

Book - Embrace Your Almost

Safe Families for Children

Music by: Brad Tsushima, Instagram: @bradtsushima, email: bradtsushima94@aol.com, Spotify: "R.A.D."

What happens if at first glance your convictions don't align - at all - with the industry you've been called to? If you're this week's guest, you boldly stand firm, follow God's lead and find out it's not only possible to survive, but thrive... all while keeping the Sabbath! This week Paula is talking to award-winning film and TV producer, New York Times best-selling author and someone Oprah calls "a different kind of spiritual teacher for our times" - DeVon Franklin. 

With over two successful decades in Hollywood under his belt and plenty of "God nods" along the way, hear what DeVon calls his biggest ongoing struggle and how he combats it daily. He opens up to Paula about the early loss of his dad. Hear why it led him to find belonging in the industry and how he's learned to embrace acceptance in the absence of reconciliation. And, with the release of his dynamic new Audible book, "It Takes A Woman", DeVon tells Paula why he felt called to pay tribute to the spiritual leaders in his life - his beloved mom and aunts - and how their "village of love" shaped him into the man he is today.

Check out DeVon's new Audible book: "It Takes A Woman"

Follow DeVon on Instagram 

Learn more about DeVon's latest work at devonfranklin.com

Learn more about Paula's new company CARRY Media and sign up for CARRY ALL, an essential weekly newsletter for the working mom that drops every Sunday!    

Follow along with CARRY Media on social media: @carry_media 

Connect with Paula & share what you are feeling called to in this season of your life: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook 

Sign up for Paula's new and improved newsletter to get a message from her every two weeks. 

Order Paula's Book - "Called Out: Why I Traded Two Dream Jobs for a Life of True Calling"

Subscribe & Listen to more episodes of the Podcast: Access More | Spotify | Apple 

What are you afraid of missing out on this week? Is that fear distracting you from what's important or keeping you on track? You see, when God put you on the earth for such a time as this, He did so with great intention and purpose. But each of us has to develop the discipline and endurance to fulfill the mission God has for us. This episode will open your eyes to the everyday things that may be distracting you from the good things God has for you and redirect your focus so you can live for what matters.

Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.

During today's episode of Backporch Theology, Allison gleefully traps me into a proverbial corner and attempts to squeeze out every drop of the good stuff I can possibly remember from my doctoral program at Denver Seminary! Mind you, I'm 58 years old now, so every part of my body leaks including my brain but we're going to start with the parameters of biblical orthodoxy, delve into lots of theos - theology, theocracy, theophanies, theocentrism - and we'll spend some time exploring the difference between the Greek word gnosis - that can loosely be defined as "head knowledge" - and epignosis - a term Paul uses often in the New Testament, that can loosely be defined as heart knowledge or knowledge with understanding. This is going to be one of those really fun, really fast, drinking from a firehose kind of conversations so please grab a double espresso and your Bible - unless you're driving or hand-jiving of course - and come hang out on the porch with us!

Back Porch Theology sponsored in part by Dwell Bible App. Save 30% off Dwell for Life at DwellApp.io/LisaHarper.

How to protect myself from the world and how to protect the world from myself...boundaries seems to be one of the most difficult topics to understand and incorporate. Most people can identify what kinds of boundaries we need but have a hard time keeping them. Today I will unpack why boundaries are so complicated.

Today is our 12th and final biblical pearl for Season 1 of our Pearls Podcast. How in the world do we finish this season? What is the biblical pearl to leave you with for now? How do we end such a rich and generous season in the Word of God together? How do we get up from the biblical table and live forward into our lives today?

I spent quite a bit of time in prayer thinking through what the 12th pearl would be. What is ONE more thing in the "better than" Story of the Bible that I would want impart to you, bless you and wash you with today? 

In today's final episode, our biblical pearl is located in John 14:1-6. These are words in red - the words of Jesus given to his disciples at the Last Supper right before crucifixion and resurrection. It's about to go down and he knows it. What will some of his final words be at this final meal before the Garden of Gethsemane, arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection? 

Today we are going to learn about the beit av - the house of the father. THIS is some of the encouragement Jesus chose to give his disciples in this final meal and final hours. The imagery and metaphor, the deep meaning that these words would have held for Jesus and his disciples 2,000 years ago speaks a WORD to us in our own lives today. The promise that Jesus speaks of in these verses are a right now promise for you and me today. 

No matter what's going on in your life, now matter how high or low, how deep into sadness, ruin and loss - we are headed to the Father's House.  

As we end Season 1 of Pearls, I pray these words get worked into your soul like yeast into dough. Shalom to you and your families.

Pearls sponsored in part by Dwell Bible App. Save 30% off Dwell for Life at DwellApp.io/Pearls.

We have all faced an endless amount of uncertainty, fear, and discouragement these last few years. And while those things can sometimes cause us to question God, we have this promise to stand on: He will use everything we encounter in life for our good and His glory. Even in times of trouble, He is more than able to release His power, peace, and revival in our lives. This episode will increase your faith for God to do wonders, even in seasons of waiting for Him to show up, both in your life and in the world around you.

Get your free Episode Reflection Guide here.

Today's biblical pearl is one of those deeply beautiful truths that calms, soothes, and raises a sabbathed rest in my heart. It makes me slow down, worry less and breathe deeper. It makes me trust more, longer and wider in the person of Jesus. It stirs faith within me. It tells me that I am going to make it through this life because of who Jesus is. You are going to make it through this life because of who Jesus is. 

John 10 is one of the most well known passages in the New Testament. Jesus says that He is the good shepherd, the shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11). But Jesus doesn't just say this out of nowhere. We often study John 10 by itself, but this moment in John 10 is actually mid-story. Jesus doesn't just say these things out of nowhere but in response to something. In the same way that we do not go to a movie an hour late or start reading a book mid-way through, we have to go back and pick up this story at its beginning - which is John 9. 

In today's episode we will unpack John 9 & 10 together, seeing this story through Middle Eastern eyes with its rich imagery and meaning in Jesus' world 2,000 years ago. We are going to learn about Jesus as not only the Good Shepherd but also the Great Gate in this passage.  

I pray this teaching richly blesses your heart and deepens your affection and trust in Jesus, your Good Shepherd and Great Gate. 

In 2007 the Lord opened the door for me to go study the Bible in Egypt and Israel. I went and learned that the Living God is BETTER than I ever knew. When the Lord gave us the Bible, He gave us a Story. It's the best and truest Story ever told.

Each story is like a pearl, beautiful and of great price on its own. But what's more beautiful is stringing the biblical pearls together. Through the Bible, we know who the Living God is, what He's like and what it is to walk with Him. In this teaching podcast, we are going to string 12 of my most favorite biblical pearls together.

We do not just read the Bible - we interact with it. It is living and active and so we are we. When we sit down with the Word of God, it is life with life. The Bible is like a great feast. Great food is best experienced with great people so thanks for joining me at the biblical table for this 1st episode of Pearls, if you haven't make sure to subscribe so you don't any of them. We are getting ready to learn over and over that the Living God is BETTER than we ever knew. 

<p style="text-align:start;">In the Bible, the Living God repeats what He cares about. If I spend time with you, I will quickly learn what and who you care about by your words. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth will speak. There is a command, an instruction unto shalom that the Living God repeats over and over throughout the Story of the Bible. It is summed up in one simple yet powerful word - remember. Sometimes its given in the reverse - do not forget.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:start;">Zakhar is the Hebrew word for "to remember". When we think of remembering, we think of looking back to something behind us. But for the Hebrews they understood remembering as a forward-moving practice and rhythm of walking with the Living God. When you hit a moment in life and you don't know what to do, rather than striving and straining, stressing and scrambling to find the way forward, you "remember." You take time to look back, remember God's faithful record in your life, and in looking back and remembering you will find your way forward.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:start;">One of my favorite things to do with teams while in Israel is to hike through the Wilderness of Zin with them. To feel the wilderness. To experience part of the wilderness where the Israelites wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land. In today's episode, we will track the Israelites through some of their wilderness wanderings as they learned to zakhar, to remember in the wilderness.&nbsp;</p>

<p style="text-align:start;">If something is going on in your life today and you feel lost and overwhelmed, sit down, breathe deep and remember. Look back over your life and remember God's faithful record. He has not failed a person yet. You will not be the first. Be encouraged today!&nbsp;</p>

Many of us have grown up with some sense of daily Bible reading. Some call it a "quiet time," while others think of it as daily Bible study or Bible reading. The Scriptures are a feast. They are meant to be experienced, taken into our hearts and lives, trusting they will do their work in us.

The Jewish people refer to their daily ready of Scripture as the daily parashah. Parashah carries the idea of "portion." Daily Bible reading is like eating our daily parashah or portion of biblical food.

Today we are going to look at the water stories of the Bible within their ancient cultural context. Believe it or not we are going to string pearls from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 21 &amp; 22. How did the Jewish people and ancient world view water? What were the waters in Genesis 1? What does it mean in Revelation 21 that there will be no sea in heaven?

I am so excited to string these biblical pearls together with you today. We are most definitely getting ready to see that the Living God is BETTER than we ever knew.

One of the most well known psalms in the entire Bible is Psalm 23. It is affectionately referred to as the "Shepherd's Psalm". The Scriptures often use the metaphor of shepherd/sheep to describe our relationship with the Living God. He is the Good Shepherd, faithfully tending to His flock. Interestingly, even in modern-day Israel you see shepherds with their sheep. The Living God was using imagery that they would regularly see to remind them often of His faithful presence in their lives.  

For years I have watched shepherds with their sheep in the wilderness regions of Israel. Shepherds know how to lead their flocks from grassy patch to grassy patch and through the dusty wilderness between. This is much closer to the imagery being taught to us in Psalm 23:2. It's not so much "green pastures" like we see in Ireland. It's "grassy pastures" in the wilderness. 

When we find ourselves in a wilderness season, our FIRST question is, "How do I get out of this wilderness?" The Jewish people view the wilderness very differently and they ask a much better question. We will discover their question and so much more within it today. 

The Living God does some of His best work in the wilderness. I hope today's teaching helps you reimagine the wilderness seasons in your own life as you look for your "word in the wilderness".

Today's episode is another example of the ancient and ever Story of the Bible meeting us in our current, modern, right now stories and lives. Our central pearl today is found in James 1:1-2. Some scholars believe that the book of the James was the FIRST book of the New Testament ever penned under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. If this is the case, the first author of the New Testament writings was none other than Jesus' half-brother James. 

If the first two verses of the New Testament are indeed James 1:1-2, it is interesting that both "joy" and "trial" are located in these verses. We have known both in this life. The Jewish people have a long history and rich culture of embracing celebration and lament together. The two do not need to be separated because life does not separate them. We can know moments of great celebration and joy and still feel the sting of lament and trial during it.  

While I was studying in Israel I heard the phrase, "Laughter is our protest". We protest hopelessness and gloom with laughter anchored in hopefulness. In other words, we learn to not only experience joy, but a deeper defiant joy. 

I end today's episode with a recent and very personal story in my own life about practicing defiant joy with my community. We had the chance for lament and celebration to live side by side with us and we shared one special night where laughter was our protest.

Today's episode is both deeply meaningful to me and deeply personal. I'm amazed at all the ways the ancient and ever Story of the Bible meets us in our modern, current, right now stories and lives. We are absolutely getting ready to see that Jesus is BETTER than we ever knew!

Our biblical pearl today is another well-known and often-taught passage from the New Testament but we are getting ready to look at it through the Middle Eastern lens. It's the story of Jesus healing the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem. As we look at this story anchored in its historical, cultural context, significant light will be shed on the story, as well as the intriguing question Jesus asked the lame man.

"Do you want to get well?" This question seems strange and enigmatic to us. The man had been lame for 38 years. What was Jesus was really asking here? What was behind his question? I will share the story of when this question found me in my own life and journey, and what it meant to answer Jesus' question with a "yes" in my own heart.

Today's episode is loaded with goodness and I'm so excited to string biblical pearls together with you yet again. We will learn about Jewish discipleship in Jesus' world 2,000 years ago. What did it mean to follow a rabbi? What did discipleship look like in that ancient Jewish world? Discipleship was less about simply knowing your rabbi and much more about walking so closely to your rabbi that the dust of his feet got all over you. 

We will look at the Hebraic meaning of "shalom" which is much deeper, richer and more textured than simply meaning "peace". How does one experience shalom? By walking the path of the Living God. Shalom is found on the path. Chaos is experienced when we get off the path. 

Today we will look at one of the most famous and most familiar passages in the New Testament but we will look at it through the Middle Eastern lens. It's another water story, yet different from any of the pearls in our previous episodes. Today we will cover the story of Peter walking on water, and we are getting ready to learn that he is the only disciple who got it right in that moment.