Dec 31, 2021
Happy New Years Eve, y’all! I am thrilled to share my conversation with the absolutely fantastic JL Gerhardt with you because it feels like a powerful word to walk into this new year with. JL is a writer, storyteller, and teacher who really loves the Lord and helping others fall in love with the Him too. She shares with me her story of learning about God’s love through stories, and experiencing the power of His faithfulness and learning to walk with Him in the dark, the weird, and the beautiful parts of life. One thing that I really treasure about JL is that she is unabashedly authentic and honest, even about the hard things. She sums up how she shares, and why she is willing to go so deep and wide with people in this way: “If I don’t tell them the truth about the pain, then they may not believe me about the Good News.” I just love that.
Our conversation in this episode dives into practical ideas of how to really fall in love with God and encounter Him in a more powerful way in these coming days, how and why that could feel weird for people, and what it might actually look like in the life of a believer. We unpack what it means to look at scripture in various seasons of life and how it impacts our vision of God and the circumstances we are living in, and just how relatable the people of scripture are to us in broken and our mess, and in that we get to see the insane kindness and mercy of God. JL also brings a really powerful word about the love of God and the Greatest Commandment, and how much we have to get the loving God and loving others thing in the proper order, or we’re pouring out from an empty and ill equipped cup.
You guys are just going to love JL, her books, especially the new one Look to Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible, her work with her husband Justin on his podcast “Holy Ghost Stories” and I hope all of it points you to the heart of God, in His word, by His Spirit. As Paul shares in Ephesians, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17-19)
No matter where this finds you, here at the end of the year, or the beginning of a new one: you matter, and your story matters.
Connecting with JL:
Newest Book: Look to Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible
Newsletter (like seriously I REALLY love it)
Episode Sponsor: Hopefuel
SIMPLY15 for 15% off your purchase
References:
-Swallowed Up by JL Gerhardt
-Sacred
Romance: Drawing Closer to the Heart of God
by Brent Curtis and John
Eldridge
-Love
Does by Bob
Goff
-Big love for young Leo DiCaprio and “Romeo + Juliet”
-Brene Brown- empathy and listening to stories
-”Holy Ghost Stories” Season 2, episode 10: The Giver and the Taker (the one JL wrote about Eve)
Scripture References:
Matthew 17:1-13- The transfiguration with Elijah and Moses
1 Kings 19:1-18- Elijah in the cave wanting to die
Exodus 17 (vs4) Exodus 32- (to name a couple) Moses freaking out “please do something with these people”
Exodus 17:8-16- Moses can’t even hold his own arms up
Numbers 20:1-13-Moses striking a stone that cost him the promise land
Numbers 27:12-23- Moses getting only a glimpse of the promised land
He keeps His promises (tons of verses!)
Deuteronomy 31:6- He will never leave you or forsake you
Ruth 1:16-17-He will be your God
Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30- The greatest command: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength
Acts 17:28, Colossians 1:17- God holds all things together, lives and moves and has its being
1 Peter 5:7- God cares about us
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18- Pray without ceasing
1 Timothy 1:17- All glory and honor to God
John 14:15- If you love me you will obey My commands
Psalm 42:7- Deep calls to deep
Acts 7:55-56,Romans 8:34,Ephesians 1:20,Colossians 3:1,Hebrews 1:3,Hebrews 8:1,Hebrews 10:12,Hebrews 12:2,1 Peter 3:22,Revelation 3:21,Matthew 22:44,Acts 2:33- Heaven is the place where He is
Revelation 21:4- Heaven is the place where there is no pain and no tears of pain
1 Corinthians 13 - love of God
Matthew 12:34, Matthew 12:39, Matthew 23:37-39, Luke 11:29, Luke 19:41-44- You wicked generation! Jesus callin’ people out because they knew better
Matthew 6:21- Where your treasure is, your heart will be also
Romans 12:2- Being transformed by the renewal of your mind
2 Corinthians 4:18, Hebrews 12:2- Fix your eyes
Psalm 27:13- What would have become of me if I had not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
Connecting with Emily and Simply Stories
Podcast:
Instagram (Em life // Podcast Life)
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Blog
*Intro and Outro music is from audionautix.com