Revealing Jesus in the context of His very own culture
Stephanie invites you to meet Matthew, and to dive headfirst into the gospel he wrote, exploring its rich cultural background and understanding how it uniquely unfolds the life of Jesus.
From the genealogy of Jesus all the way to the great commission, Matthew's Gospel carries a powerful message that transcends ethnic and cultural barriers. But first, let's acknowledge something crucial: the world has changed significantly since Matthew penned his gospel over 2,000 years ago. In fact, he assumed his audience, rooted in 1st century Jewish culture, would understand his own cultural references without needing further explanation.
In other words, certain cultural nuances and references may be lost on us as modern readers. Stephanie highlights that Matthew's original audience would have understood and appreciated these cultural references, which were deeply ingrained in their lives. Drawing from this, she emphasizes the need for cultural awareness in our Christian living to ensure that we fully grasp the richness and depth of Matthew’s Gospel.
This is where we often miss out on the nuanced flavors that Matthew's teachings offer. Together, we'll unpack the cultural richness behind Matthew's narrative and explore how it impacts our understanding of Jesus and our Christian living. From the shift in emphasis from a local Jewish context to a global perspective, to the significance of the term "church" and its implications across ethnic barriers, we'll embark on a journey that will broaden our horizons and ignite our faith.
Throughout the upcoming weeks and months, we invite you to join us as we experience the biography of Jesus through fresh and flavorful lenses. We invite you to join us on this exciting exploration of the Gospel of Matthew. Open your Bibles to the first book of the New Testament and let us together delve deep into the scriptures as we seek to experience the transformative power of God's Word.
We will be journeying through Matthew's biography of Jesus in a chronological order, uncovering the treasures that lay within each chapter. Matthew will highlight for us the power of Jesus' identity as God, King, and Messiah, made visible among other elements through Messianic miracles. As we journey through the pages of Matthew's Gospel, we hope to gain fresh insights, ignite our faith, and see Jesus in a whole new light.
Our desire is that you will have an explosion of faith and encounter Jesus in new and transformative ways. So, get ready to taste and savor the incredible flavors of the Gospel of Matthew.
May the words of Scripture leap off the page and into our hearts, transforming us into passionate followers of Jesus Christ!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit alongside Jesus and his initial audience? To experience the fresh spiritual flavors that the Messianic Jewish culture weaves into the four gospels? Well, that's exactly what we here aim to do through this original series, JESUS RABBI AND LORD. Stephanie invites you to dig deep into Scripture, unearthing raw diamonds that may need a little cleaning up, but will ultimately shine brightly.
So get ready to embark on this enlightening and transformative journey with Gospel Spice. Prepare to encounter Jesus in a way that resonates with our modern world and discover the richness of the gospel through the lens of Jewish culture. Let's dig deep, uncover the hidden spices, and experience the beauty of the Scriptures together. Welcome to Gospel Spice!
Grab your headphones, hit play, and let Gospel Spice be the catalyst for encountering Jesus in a way you've never experienced before!
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
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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
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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