How can you make sure you have a well-spent summer? For today's episode, Stephanie has curated three of her most important not-so-secret secrets for a successful summer in particular, and a successful life in general:

- Read your Bible to grow closer to the Lord and develop intimacy with Him;

- Don't compare to others, but seek to serve them in humility;

- Take time to rest, worship, and laugh.

For each of these, Stephanie welcomes a dear friend to highlight each element today. So you're getting THREE conversations in this one episode! It is our special Summer gift to you, our beloved audience.

First Stephanie welcomes Shadia Hrichi who shares with us her own journey towards deep intimacy with God. They discuss Hagar, a very special woman in the Bible who gets to give God one of His names - "the God who sees me." They also mostly focus on Tamar, whose powerful story of brokenness is redeemed by the only One who is able to deliver us from our bondage, fear, and trials. Do you need to be reminded that God is FOR you? You are not alone, and He is in every detail of your life. He is especially attentive when things are not going as you want them to - which is probably the case for most of us right now, in this season of the world when everything seems upside down and when it might feel that God is distant! He is closer than ever to the brokenhearted.

Then Stephanie welcomes Shannon Popkin who reminds us that we are all attacked by the very real enemy of our soul who seeks to distract us from the Lord. Using the same old tricks that have worked for thousands of years, the devil seeks to entice us to compare to one another because that is exactly what he did with God - he wanted to be better than God Himself. We live in a culture that tells us that, unless we are number one, we are worthless. This is deeply damaging to the very fabric of our soul. With her book "Comparison Girl", Shannon reminds us that the cure towards wholesome healing is simple - yet not easy: we are never happier than when we take our eyes off of ourselves, and focus on another. Humility and other-centered service is the simple yet overlooked secret to a fulfilling life. Jesus role-modeled it for us, and invites us to step closer to His heart through selfless humility. How simple, yet how profound!

Finally, Stephanie is thrilled to welcome Marci Seither who invites you to join her for a summer of pondering the goodness of God through rest, laughter and meditation. In her new devotional, Lakeside Retreat, Marci beckons us to experience God in the daily, to embrace Him in the simple, and to delight in Him in every moment. Her book is the perfect summer getaway to come back refreshed, renewed, and more in love with God than ever.

MEET MARCI SEITHER

Marci Seither’s writing career began after her humor article was published in a small-town newspaper. Since then she has authored two books and hundreds of articles for local papers, as well as for Guideposts, Light & Life, and Focus on the Family. She is a creative storyteller who has shared her love of stories with hundreds of schoolchildren as well as those attending one of her workshops. Besides writing, she enjoys trying new recipes, food photography, and capturing drone footage. Her biggest joy, besides being married to John for more than three and a half decades and raising six kids, is being grandma to six of the cutest kiddos in this hemisphere. Marci makes her home in the Nashville, Tennessee, area with John and their very spoiled miniature schnauzer—Pepper.

website: http://marciseither.com/

Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/marci.seither 

Instagram @marci_seither

MEET SHANNON POPKIN

Shannon Popkin is a writer, speaker, and Bible teacher who loves to blend her gifts for storytelling and humor with her passion for Jesus. Shannon regularly speaks at Christian women's events and retreats, inviting women to live like God's Word is true. Shannon is the author of Comparison Girl: Lessons from Jesus on MeFree Living in a Measure-Up World, Control Girl: Lessons on Surrendering Your Burden of Control from Seven Women in the Bible, and co-author of Influence (Building a Platform That Elevates Jesus (Not Me). She's been featured on FamilyLife Today, Revive Our Hearts, and Proverbs 31. Popkin and her husband Ken have been married for twenty-five years and live in West Michigan. They have three young adult children, and two shih tzus, who (unlike the kids) have no plans of moving out.

Website: https://www.shannonpopkin.com/

Podcast https://www.shannonpopkin.com/bible-podcast/

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanpopkin/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonpopkin/

Twitter: @shannonpopkin

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ShannonPopkin/boards 

 

MEET SHADIA HRICHI

Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, author and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is author of several books and Bible studies. After seminary, Shadia began writing the Bible study series, BEHIND THE SEEN: Exploring the Bible’s Unsung Heroes. Gritty stories of real people with impossible challenges whose encounters with God open our eyes to His awesome power and love working behind the seen. Explore these stories through Shadia’s Bible Studies.

website: https://www.shadiahrichi.com/

Social media:

https://www.facebook.com/Shadia.Hrichi.Author.Speaker

https://twitter.com/ShadiaHrichi

https://www.pinterest.com/shadiahrichi/_created

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4633012

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadiahrichi

https://www.instagram.com/shadiahrichi

https://www.amazon.com/Shadia-Hrichi/e/B00DZ0LUWE

https://www.youtube.com/c/shadiahrichi

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/shadia-hrichi 

We invite you to enjoy a Christ-centered summer by experiencing Jesus through the lens of the body of Christ. We bring you a diversity of viewpoints on several issues, and invite you to discover Jesus through their own journey with Him.

Our Summer series invite you to ponder important topics for daily living. Stephanie and her occasional guests tell us about the importance of our definition of success, the key elements of leadership roles, the traps of comparison, the importance of theology, and much more! These stand-along episodes are meant to encourage you and challenge you to experience deeper fruitfulness in your various roles and ministries, in all the relationships and areas of your life. The topics we discuss are eternal and apply to both genders, across time and space and culture and age. So, join us for deep conversations with inspiring Christ-followers, conversations that will flavor your summer with the Gospel.

Conversations about culture, leadership, success, dating, gender, and struggles with comparison, pride, and more: that is your Gospel Spice summer!

You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer 

There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God’s eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement.

But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I’ll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn’t prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision?

As an unassuming student, I’m going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray.

If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don’t miss out!

A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER

To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God’s Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts.

We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation.

So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is.

There’s only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this.

Let’s begin.

THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE

Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don’t really know how to pray. I’m a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn’t really about what I’ve learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I’ve sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings.

So, I’ll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ.

Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it’s up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let’s make it delightful together!

So, let’s get started.

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