Magnify Christ through reflection and liturgy
Description
Today, Stephanie invites us to appreciate the beauty of both sacred feasts and ordinary days, encouraging us to engage in the communal and reflective aspects of faith, and finding God’s purpose within the varied rhythms of the Christian calendar.
Throughout our series, we together have woven the historical and prophetic significance of Jewish and Christian feasts. We have remembered that, while Christians aren't required to observe these feasts, they offer valuable insights and experiences. The communal aspect of these celebrations serves as an inspiring contrast to modern individualism, with our faith deeply rooted in community and shared heritage.
The spring feasts, including Passover and Pentecost, herald Jesus' first coming, while the fall feasts echo the anticipated second coming, starting with Rosh Hashanah. With Advent beginning on December 3rd, 2024, this season marks a shift from Ordinary Time to a spirited anticipation of Christ's birth. Stephanie encourages us to slow down and reflect on the past year, capturing the introspective spirit of Thanksgiving.
The current era, regarded as the "ordinary time" between Jesus' first and second coming, is marked by the mission to spread his teachings. The concept of Ordinary Time within the Christian liturgical calendar serves as a reminder of the divine presence in everyday life. This period, unique to Christianity, fosters spiritual maturation and invites believers to live more deeply in Christ's teachings. Living the Christian life is akin to growing in spirals, continually deepening our faith journey. This time culminates in the final Sunday of ordinary time, liturgically called “the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe,” and transitions into the vibrant anticipation of Advent.
Next, we will ponder the connections between Advent, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Epiphany. These discussions will continue to show intricate ways in which these winter festivals echo the broader themes of anticipation and celebration. The anticipation for the second coming of Jesus, expressed through the Jewish feasts, notably the Feast of Trumpets, aligns with the Christian expectation of the eventual fulfillment of God's promises.
As the Gospel Spice podcast series wraps up its exploration of the Jewish and Christian liturgical calendars, Stephanie invites us to embrace a rich tapestry of spiritual traditions through feasts and ordinary days alike. The series shines a light on the intricate dance between the sacred and the ordinary, drawing out beauty found within the familiar rhythms of faith.
Don’t forget to check out our essential workbook to accompany this study. Stephanie personally created the content to invite you deeper into study. Don’t miss out! It’s at https://www.gospelspice.com/store
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Bonjour! Gospel Spice exists to inspire our generation to delight in God. We do this through the podcast, online Bible studies, leadership trainings, and more. We want to serve Christ-followers who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel. We want to love God, because He first loved us. We want to experience the fullness of life with Him—and not be content with stale, boring, leftover faith. Jesus tells us that the most important thing is to love the Lord our God, so we take Him seriously. He adds that we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Now, there are many ways to do that, but I have always personally felt deep compassion for victims of human trafficking – it is modern day slavery, and it revolts the heart of God. And so, they are our particular neighbors here at Gospel Spice. We want to play our part in raising awareness and then financially supporting those who fight this great evil.
Now we would love to invite you to join the team in one of three ways:
1, pray Gospel Spice forward – pray for our guests, our listeners and participants, and for us too!
2, play Gospel Spice forward by telling your friends about us, and by please leaving positive reviews and comments on your podcast listening app;
and 3rd, PAY GospelSpice forward. Less than 1% of our listeners are supporting us financially. We need your help! Please pay Gospel Spice forward today. It can be a one-time donation, or a monthly one, for the amount of your choice. Your donation is fully tax-deductible in the US. Plus, once we cover our costs, a significant portion of your donation will be given back to Christian organizations that fight human trafficking, and that we vet thoroughly. So, you can know that every dime you give is used for the Kingdom of God. Every little bit helps. So, be part of the spice of the gospel by becoming a financial partner today!
What matters to us here at Gospel Spice is to create a place where people who seek deeper intimacy with Jesus, will find Him. We want a warm, welcoming atmosphere to journey ever deeper into the heart of God. We believe it is the ultimate calling of the Christian life, and I like to summarize it with my motto, God’s glory, our delight. That is why we invite you to “taste and see” that the Lord is good. And we have been doing this every day since 2019. We need YOU to keep Gospel Spice alive and growing.
Financially speaking, we rely on people who understand this vision and who understand that we cannot function without a minimum budget. We run an extremely tight budget. For example, I work full time but don’t draw a salary. And yet, we have expenses – for example, the equipment and technology we use, and also the wonderfully gifted staff who make it possible to deliver high quality content all around the globe, and then the necessary occasional promotional budget to make it possible to be discovered by those who seek to live a life spiced with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need your help.
So we would love for you to consider if this ministry is blessing you to pay gospel spice forward. You can partner with us monthly with 10, 25, 50, 100, a month, or you can make one donation, once.
And because we are a register nonprofit organization in the United States under the status of a 501c3 charity, it means that the amount that you pay to gospel spice is fully tax deductible. Completely tax deductible. So you're even saving money as you invest in gospel spice ministries. It is an eternal investment, and we are very grateful to you for it.
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