Gospel Spice | Awaken Delight in God through faith in Jesus Christ

From birth to glory | an epilogue (12th lesson from Luke)

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE: I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself! So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. **If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight [http://gospelspice.com/awakendelight] and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at contact@gospelspice.com [contact@gospelspice.com%20] ** Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him! The Gospel of Luke reads like a carefully composed symphony—each movement swelling toward the unveiling of the One who enters history in vulnerability and moves inexorably toward glory. If Matthew emphasizes fulfillment and Mark pushes us into urgency, Luke invites us into wonder. His narrative carries the pulse of a journey: from manger to mountain, from obscurity to acclaim, from rejection to radiant triumph. Luke places Christ before us not as an idea or an abstraction but as the God who steps into time, wrapping divine majesty in mortal frailty so that human beings might step into the life of God. Christianity is not good advice but good news—news of a God who does for us what we could never do for ourselves. Luke gives us that news with astonishing clarity. So, in this final episode in our series "from birth to glory" rooted in the Gospel of Luke, Stephanie gives us a wider-lens perspective on the entire book. MORE ABOUT THIS GOSPEL The Gospel of Luke is the story of a God who steps into His own world and walks its roads from the vulnerability of birth to the radiance of resurrection. Luke writes with a historian’s care and a pastor’s imagination, drawing us into a journey where every scene glints with the surprising ways God works: glory wrapped in humility, authority expressed through compassion, victory accomplished through sacrifice. The story opens in obscurity—an elderly couple awaiting a child, a young girl in an unnoticed village, shepherds startled by angels. These early chapters announce the pattern that will shape the entire Gospel: God approaches the lowly to raise them, and nothing in His kingdom moves according to human rank. Jesus’ ministry unfolds as a kingdom breaking into the present. He proclaims freedom, heals the broken, and welcomes the estranged. His parables expose the heart; His miracles reveal a power that restores rather than destroys. Yet even as crowds gather, He sets His face toward Jerusalem, showing that His mission does not culminate in applause but in a cross. Luke follows Jesus into that final week—into confrontation, betrayal, agony, and an execution that paradoxically becomes the moment of enthronement. The crucified King forgives His enemies, welcomes a dying criminal, and bears judgment so His people may know peace. But death does not end His story. On the third day, Jesus rises, walks with the disillusioned, opens Scripture with burning clarity, and reveals a kingdom that cannot be contained by tombs. Luke closes with ascension, not farewell—Christ lifted in blessing, reigning in glory, sending His people into the world with news of forgiveness and hope. This Gospel invites you into that journey: to see the world remade through the One who descended for us and now reigns for us. ---- DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that: PLAY IT FORWARD [https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/] by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/] PAY IT FORWARD [http://gospelspice.com/payitforward]by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward [http://gospelspice.com/payitforward] PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with! Go to gospelspice.com [http://gospelspice.com%20]for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year.  Go to gospel-spice.com [http://gospel-spice.com%20](with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us! Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you. We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com [http://%20gospelspice.com%20]for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast [http://gospelspice.com/podcast] to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog [http://gospelspice.com/blog] Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/] Malachi: Messenger to Messiah https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/] Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/] Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebrated https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/] Support us on Gospel Spice [https://www.gospelspice.com/donate], PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=U9CFSXW2XCWCL] and Venmo [https://account.venmo.com/u/gospelspice]!

Art, Hospitality, and Seeing Like Jesus: the secret to the beautiful life | with Jennifer Trafton

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE: I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself! So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. **If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight [http://gospelspice.com/awakendelight] and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at contact@gospelspice.com [contact@gospelspice.com%20] ** Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him! Lilias Trotter was a woman who did not fit the mold of her Victorian era. Born in 1853 into upper-class England, she was an exceptionally gifted artist mentored by John Ruskin, one of the most prominent art critics of her time. Yet, rather than pursuing conventional success and artistic fame, she chose a path of surrender—one that blended beauty, compassion, and deep spiritual vocation. She has much to teach us about a life of joyful surrender to God’s gentle leading. Did you know? Lilias Trotter inspired the famous hymn, Fix Your Eyes Upon Jesus – yes, so that “all things will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Stephanie welcomes Jennifer Trafton, who just released “If only we could see”, a wonderful new biography of Lilias Trotter. Jennifer explains how she became captivated with Lilias, whose “adventurous, interesting, fascinating life” radiated with childlike delight, generosity, and profound love for God. Victorian artist and missionary Lilias Trotter teaches us much about the practice of “seeing”—both literally and spiritually— and how it transforms us and the world around us. Lilias’s training as an artist under Ruskin taught her to “see well”—not just the details of nature, but the overlooked people in her society. She moved from painting to working with the most impoverished communities in London, especially young women vulnerable in the city. In partnership with movements like the YWCA and revivalist preacher D.L. Moody, Lilias dedicated herself to listening, serving, and providing safety and practical help for working-class girls and women subject to exploitation and trafficking. Her artistry was inseparable from her love for people. This “way of seeing”—attentive, joyful, and present—became her creative and spiritual calling. Lilias’s vision challenges us to integrate our gifts and passions into practical love for others. A key metaphor for Lilias’s life is the dandelion—“full face to the sun” (representing Christ), then surrendered as seeds blown by the wind of the Holy Spirit to places and purposes beyond our control. Lilias did not chase worldly success. Lilias believed in offering her life freely to God, trusting Him to use every skill, experience, or seeming detour for His glory. The measure of a “successful life” is not accomplishment or recognition, but faithfulness and openness to the Spirit. The lesson of Lilias’s life is that we are all called to both see others as Christ sees them, and to rest in the assurance that we ourselves are fully seen and loved by God. Her legacy is less about artistic fame and more about the deep creative, transformative hospitality she brought to every relationship. Lilias Trotter’s “beautiful life” continues to inspire because she shows that to be fully present, fully surrendered, and fully attentive is to live in step with God’s purposes. Whether you’re an artist or not, her story invites you to open your eyes and your life, so that God’s glory and gladness shine out through you, in Christ Jesus. Next Steps for You! ·         Practice seeing: Pay attention—to beauty, to overlooked people, to God’s presence in the present moment. ·         Surrender your gifts: Offer your unique talents, passions, and opportunities to God without demanding a particular outcome. ·         Root yourself in your belovedness through Christ: Know that, like Lilias, your worth is secure in being seen by God—which frees you to serve, love, and see others anew. ·         Let your life be scattered as seed, trusting Christ’s Holy Spirit to bear fruit, however and whenever God chooses. MORE ABOUT “IF ONLY WE COULD SEE” “God only knows the endless possibilities that lie enfolded in each of us.” – Lilias Trotter In the late 19th century, Lilias Trotter stood at the threshold of artistic fame, her extraordinary talent praised by the renowned critic John Ruskin. Yet, at the height of her promise, she made a radical choice that would define the course of her life. Turning away from worldly recognition and social convention, she forged her own path—one that led her through the roughest streets of London and, ultimately, to the deserts of North Africa. There, her artistic and spiritual journeys intertwined as she expanded the many-colored canvas of her creativity to embrace not only the sweeping vistas of the Sahara, but also the lives of the Arab people she loved. Blending biography, personal engagement, and theological reflection, Trafton takes readers on an intimate journey with Lily as her friends knew her – a visionary who saw the world with an artist’s eye and a missionary’s heart, and whose imaginative empathy and creative compassion transformed the lives of those she encountered. More than the story of one remarkable woman, this book is an invitation to experience the beauty of creation with fresh wonder, to look at our neighbors through new lenses, and to discover what “beautiful possible life” awaits each one of us as we follow the call of the Divine Artist. MORE ABOUT JENNIFER TRAFTON Jennifer Trafton is a storyteller and artist with a passion for exploring the intersections of faith, creativity, and the arts. She studied church history and theology at Wake Forest University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Duke University, focusing on the 19th-century writer George MacDonald and his influence on Christian views of the imagination. After serving as managing editor of Christian History & Biography magazine and a curriculum writer and editor for the StoneWorks Global Arts Initiative, she has been a regular conference speaker, writer, teacher, editor, and illustrator for the Nashville-based Rabbit Room creative community for over a decade. Her first two novels for children, The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic and Henry and the Chalk Dragon, received starred reviews and multiple award nominations, and she has since collaborated on or contributed to a wide array of projects including The Wingfeather Tales, The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad, Every Moment Holy, Vol. III: The Work of the People, and J. R. R. Tolkien and the Arts: A Theology of Subcreation. She recently illustrated Glad and Golden Hours: A Companion for Advent and Christmastide by Lanier Ivester (Rabbit Room Press, 2024). Support us on Gospel Spice [https://www.gospelspice.com/donate], PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=U9CFSXW2XCWCL] and Venmo [https://account.venmo.com/u/gospelspice]!

How do we know that the resurrection actually happened? (11th lesson from Luke)

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE: I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself! So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. **If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight [http://gospelspice.com/awakendelight] and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at contact@gospelspice.com [contact@gospelspice.com%20] ** Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him! Many of us know the fact of Jesus’ resurrection from childhood, but familiarity can dull its impact. Stephanie challenges us to see how the resurrection should continually change us—and to recognize when we might be taking it for granted. In this final episode on the Gospel of Luke, Stephanie ponders how we ground our faith in reason and in miracles both. We tackle TEN REASONS that prove the resurrection true. From the anchoring in Jerusalem, to the disciples' testimonies--our humble prayer is that you will discover an angle that you have not yet considered, and that it will draw you deeper in worship of Christ as our true, risen Lord.  We invite you to look beyond familiarity with the Easter story and rediscover why the resurrection is truly “mind-blowing” and transformative. So, here are 10 reasons the Resurrection matters: 1. Rooted in Reality, Not Myth | Unlike legends, which are set “once upon a time in a land far away,” the resurrection whispers began in Jerusalem—among people who could verify or refute them. Myths lack dates and places; the resurrection is grounded in real time and space. 2. Grounded in Historical Time | The rumors of resurrection started immediately, on Easter morning, with eyewitness accounts such as the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). Truth claims have time-stamps; myths don’t. 3. The Empty Tomb | Both opponents and followers agreed the tomb was empty. The authorities couldn’t produce the body. If Jesus hadn’t physically risen, showing His corpse would have instantly silenced the movement. 4. The Unlikely Founders | The first Christians were devout Jews—least likely to start a new religion. Their culture fiercely protected their faith, but they radically shifted their weekly day of worship from Saturday to Sunday, honoring the risen Lord. 5. Martyrdom Without Collusion | The apostles died alone—often persecuted—refusing to recant their faith. Unlike cults that die together under peer pressure, these men faced solitary deaths, pressured by enemies to live if only they denied the resurrection. Yet each chose fidelity to truth over self-preservation. 6. Peter’s Radical Change | Peter, who denied Jesus even after witnessing the transfiguration, was transformed by the resurrection. Only after seeing the risen Lord did Peter become a bold leader, willing to die for his faith. 7. Paul’s Complete 180° | Paul, once a zealous persecutor of Christians, became their champion after encountering the risen Christ. He made it clear: If Christ had not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith ( from 1Corinthians 15). 8. Embarrassing Honesty | If early disciples were inventing a story, they would not have highlighted their failures—like Peter’s denial or the men’s fear and confusion. These accounts signal authenticity, as people rarely expose their own flaws unless they’re recounting truth. 9. Diversity of Witness Accounts | Multiple Gospel authors describe resurrection events differently, as eyewitnesses would. Perfect consistency signals collusion, not reality—historical truth is always a bit “messy” in its details. 10. Women as First Witnesses | Women, whose testimony carried little societal weight, are listed first as witnesses. A fabricated story in that culture would spotlight influential men. Instead, the Gospel places women—signaling a commitment to truth and reflecting Jesus’ radical affirmation of women. Conclusion and Challenge The resurrection isn’t just a spiritual metaphor. It’s anchored in credible history, powerful testimony, and unexpected inversion of cultural norms. Let its truth deepen your faith and transform your life—grounded both in reason and the miraculous love of God. Jesus is the Christ, our risen Lord, and is worthy of all our worship and adoration! Reflection Questions: ·         Which reason resonated most with you? ·         How does anchoring faith in the resurrection challenge or encourage you today? ·         Where might you need to ask God for deeper conviction or understanding of this truth? ---- DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that: PLAY IT FORWARD [https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/] by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/] PAY IT FORWARD [http://gospelspice.com/payitforward]by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward [http://gospelspice.com/payitforward] PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with! Go to gospelspice.com [http://gospelspice.com%20]for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year.  Go to gospel-spice.com [http://gospel-spice.com%20](with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us! Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you. Do you enjoy Gospel Spice? Then let's deepen our relationship! There are 4 very simple ways to do that, and it would truly mean the world to us.  1- If you’ve enjoyed this episode, you will love receiving our newsletter. It contains value-packed free gifts and rich content each month. It’s at gospelspice.com/signup [http://gospelspice.com/signup]. There is always something new and exciting happening around here, and I don’t want you to miss out! Sign up at Gospelspice.com/signup [http://gospelspice.com/signup] 2- Did you know Gospel Spice has a YouTube Channel? There’s exclusive content there too. So, join Gospel Spice on YouTube! It's at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice [https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice%C2%A0] 3- Also please give us a star rating and a comment on your podcast listening app. Your reviews actually really do make a difference to help others discover and experience Gospel Spice. You would be surprised how helpful these are! So please leave a star rating and a review of a sentence or two. Thank you! 4- As always, we are praying for you! You can confidentially email us your prayer requests and praise items at the email address contact@gospelspice.com [contact@gospelspice.com]. It is our privilege to pray for you! So, would you please invest 3 to 5 minutes of your time, maybe even right now, to do one (or more!) of the following suggestions: 1-      signup on our website for our newsletter to receive gifts you’re going to love - at Gospelspice.com/signup [http://Gospelspice.com/signup%C2%A0] 2-      find us on YouTube, and see what content we’ve put together to help you grow closer to Jesus - at https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice [https://www.youtube.com/gospelspice%C2%A0] 3-      rate Gospel Spice on your listening app – it’s one of the easiest ways to share the gospel! 4-      and finally, tell us how we can pray for you! Go to gospelspice.com [http://gospelspice.com] for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast [http://gospelspice.com/podcast%20]to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog [http://gospelspice.com/blog] Support us on Gospel Spice [https://www.gospelspice.com/donate], PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=U9CFSXW2XCWCL] and Venmo [https://account.venmo.com/u/gospelspice]!

From the Cross to your heart | Why Jesus’ 7 statements matter today (10th lesson from Luke)

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE: I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself! So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. **If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight [http://gospelspice.com/awakendelight] and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at contact@gospelspice.com [contact@gospelspice.com%20] ** Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him! We are entering deep into the Easter season with two episodes to take us at the feet of the Cross through the gospel of Luke. The cross is more than a historical event—it’s an invitation to forgiveness, intimate relationship with God, and sacrificial love for others. Christ’s suffering secured what we could never earn, and we’re called to respond with gratitude, surrender, and trust, especially in difficult times. The work is finished; we are loved and forgiven—let’s live in the light of that truth. Today, we ponder the seven statements that Jesus made from the cross. You may be familiar with them, but we sprinkle fresh gospel spice on these seven famous sentences today--and you just might be poised for an explosion of fresh flavors that will usher you into a worship experience of our crucified Lord. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. That's the first statement from the cross.  Father, into Your hands I entrust My Spirit. That's the final statement. Between them, five more statements that will awe you anew. This is the Easter story. It is true, and it will transform your life in unalterable ways. Come and worship today as you ponder the meaning of the cross through this lesson Stephanie taught to a large online gathering. Jesus spent six agonizing hours on the cross, from 9am to 3pm. This was remarkably brief compared to the usual multi-day suffering of crucifixion victims. These hours split into two crucial phases: * 9am – 12pm: The "wrath of men"—physical pain, mocking, emotional abandonment. * 12pm – 3pm: The "wrath of God"—spiritual darkness, separation from the Father. Let’s reflect on each of Jesus' seven statements and their profound meaning. 1. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Jesus’ first words show radical forgiveness. He asks for mercy not only for the Roman soldiers and Jewish leaders but for all of us—everyone guilty of sin. True freedom and resemblance to Christ begin with a heart willing to forgive, even in pain. 2. "Today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43) Jesus speaks this to the repentant thief beside Him. It is a picture of pure grace: the criminal could not earn salvation, yet Christ welcomes him. We too, receive forgiveness and access to heaven by grace, not by our own works. 3. "Woman, behold your son… Behold your mother." (John 19:25-27) Here, Jesus cares for His mother Mary and His friend John, ensuring they are cared for after His death. This highlights our family in Christ—spiritual relationships are as deep, if not deeper, than biological ones. Jesus challenges us to look beyond ourselves, serving others even in hardship. At noon, creation reacts – darkness falls and the earth quakes. Extra-biblical sources confirm these events, proving the historical truth of Jesus’ sacrifice. 4. "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) This marks the beginning of the spiritual agony. Jesus, quoting Psalm 22:1, experiences separation from God in His human spirit—not in His divine nature. It’s a spiritual suffering we can’t comprehend; that’s the very point—Jesus endured what we could not so we’d never have to. 5. "I thirst." (John 19:28) On the surface, it’s physical need. Spiritually, it reflects Jesus’ inner anguish. He thirsts so we don’t have to—He exchanges places with us as seen in the story of the rich man and Lazarus from Luke 16. 6. "It is finished." (John 19:30) One of the most triumphant statements in history. The Greek "tetelestai" means "paid in full." Our debt is completely erased; Jesus’ mission accomplished. Nothing we do can add—or subtract—from God’s love for us. 7. "Father, into your hands I entrust my spirit." (Luke 23:46) Jesus’ relationship with the Father is restored. He dies physically only after spiritual resurrection. In trusting God with His spirit, He models our own surrender—reminding us that, through the resurrection, eternal life is our promised hope. The cross is more than a historical event—it’s an invitation to forgiveness, intimate relationship with God, and sacrificial love for others. Christ’s suffering secured what we could never earn, and we’re called to respond with gratitude, surrender, and trust, especially in difficult times. The work is finished; we are loved and forgiven—let’s live in the light of that truth.   DISCOVER THE GOSPEL SPICE MINISTRIES BEHIND THIS EPISODE If you enjoyed this episode, we invite you to discover more about how God is at work at Gospel Spice Ministries, and even to join in His work! There are 3 easy ways to do that: PLAY IT FORWARD [https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/] by SHARING the show with friends and family: https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/38/link/] PAY IT FORWARD by supporting us financially: gospelspice.com/payitforward [http://gospelspice.com/payitforward] PRAY IT FORWARD by praying for us and those you share it with! Go to gospelspice.com [http://gospelspice.com] for more info about Gospel Spice Ministries, the umbrella ministry over the podcast. You will discover our partners and the various services we offer, such as in-depth Bible studies with interactive conversation groups, a couple of times a year.  Go to gospel-spice.com [http://gospel-spice.com] (with a "dash"!) to join the Gospel Spice Podcast community and interact with us! Contact us on the website or at contact@gospelspice.com to send us your prayer requests (we pray for you as a team every week!) and let us know how we can come alongside you. THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO PARTNER WITH GOSPEL SPICE TODAY! [https://www.gospelspice.com/payitforward] First, PAY Gospel Spice Forward: Give a tax-deductible gift so others can experience our ministry for free, just like you! You can pay it forward with any debit, credit card, or via PayPal. [https://www.gospelspice.com/payitforward] See below for more details about your impact. Also, PLAY Gospel Spice Forward: SHARE the podcast and the studies with your friends and family. FOLLOW, RATE & REVIEW on your favorite podcast app (leave a comment + a star rating on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Pandora, IHeart, Google Podcast, etc…). It REALLY is the best way to help others find this content-rich podcast.  And, last but not least, PRAY Gospel Spice Forward: We pray for you weekly. We covet your prayers for our ministry, the thousands we reach, and our team! Contact us to let us know you are praying for us! NEW! Another way to partner with us is to purchase our workbooks and online Bible studies [http://gospelspice.com]. We keep them at the lowest possible cost, but they require a lot of work from us! For example, - a complete Bible Study requires an average of 500 man-hours. - a workbook for a series requires almost 100 man-hours. MORE ABOUT PARTNERING WITH US FINANCIALLY: [https://www.gospelspice.com/payitforward] Gospel Spice Ministries is a non-profit organization registered under the tax-exempt 501c3 status. Our goal is to provide in-depth, high-quality, free Bible resources for all. They are free, but expensive to create! We need your financial support to keep producing and distributing them. Please pay Gospel Spice forward today! For example, a podcast episode takes close to 10 hours of work (and we release 2 each week). They come to you completely free, but we would truly love your support. We want the money to go to those who really need it. Once our operating costs are paid, 100% of your donation is redistributed to our partners who fight human trafficking. Each year, we aim to give as much as we can. For example, Stephanie works more than full time for Gospel Spice, entirely for free. All board members and volunteers are donating time. We limit our operational expenses to the bare minimum. Your pay-it-forward donations are tax-deductible under IRS Section 170. We want to be the best possible stewards of your financial support. Thank you! Go to gospelspice.com [http://gospelspice.com%20]for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast [http://gospelspice.com/podcast] to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog [http://gospelspice.com/blog] Support us on Gospel Spice [https://www.gospelspice.com/donate], PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=U9CFSXW2XCWCL] and Venmo [https://account.venmo.com/u/gospelspice]!

Did Jesus really claim to be God? An answer from history for skeptics | with Mikel Del Rosario

A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE: I want to share a special invitation with you. You may have heard that I will be releasing my first book with IVP on July 28, 2026. It’s a big deal and I am so overwhelmed with God’ goodness in allowing me to share such an essential message about delighting in Him as the true essential foundation for all our spiritual growth and maturing. Truly, when we delight in the Lord, He promises to give us the desires of our hearts – namely, more of Himself! So, here's the invitation. If you feel this message is indeed important, and you know people – including yourself perhaps – who need to be encouraged to awaken and cultivate their delight in God, would you consider joining my book launch team? It’s a great and super easy way to share the good news of God's love for us in Christ, Jesus, our Lord. **If you’re interested, please go to gospelspice.com/awakendelight [http://gospelspice.com/awakendelight] and find the section about joining the launch team, or email me at contact@gospelspice.com [contact@gospelspice.com%20] ** Together, let’s encourage everyone we know with the wonderful news that, in Christ, God delights in us and invites us to delight in Him! Stephanie Rousselle hosts Dr. Mikel Del Rosario, professor at moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and expert in Christian apologetics. The conversation centers on how we can answer the question of whether Jesus clearly claimed to be God, especially when it is asked by skeptics or by Christians seeking a deeper, confident faith. Correctly understanding Jesus as fully God and fully man is foundational to Christian faith—if he’s not divine, he can’t forgive sins or save. The resurrection, backed by historical evidence, cements the truth of his claims. One common question is, “Why didn’t Jesus plainly say, ‘I am God’?” Mikel Del Rosario explains that Jesus’ audience was steeped in Jewish theology, where claiming to be God could easily be misunderstood as claiming to be God the Father or as a rival deity. Instead, Jesus reveals his identity incrementally—and profoundly—using language and concepts (like “Son of Man” and allusions to Daniel 7 and Psalm 110) his contemporaries would eventually understand. A major stumbling block for many is the problem of evil—if God exists, why is there suffering? Mikel Del Rosario encourages compassionate, courageous responses, recognizing that both emotional and intellectual issues are at play. Importantly, he frames Christian hope as a guarantee rooted in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection—something unique to Christianity. Some people genuinely don’t understand how God could allow evil, while others flatly reject God’s existence because of evil. Mikel Del Rosario explains the importance of discerning which type of questioner you are engaging. For seekers, gently showing how Christianity makes sense of evil is key; for rejectors, it’s valuable to ask how they reached their conclusions and what evidence supports their claim. Anyone making a truth claim—atheist or Christian—shares the burden of proof. For example, if someone claims “Jesus never said he was God,” it’s appropriate (and helpful!) to clarify what they mean and what specific evidence or misunderstandings might be at play. In Mark 2, Jesus forgives a paralyzed man’s sins. This act isn’t just compassion—it’s a claim to divine authority. No Jewish priest, prophet, or miracle worker ever forgave sins as Jesus did. The religious leaders recognize this as a claim only God can rightly make. In Mark 14, before the high priest, Jesus refers to himself as the “Son of Man” seated at the right hand of God and coming on the clouds—directly combining messianic and divine imagery from Jewish scriptures. This is why the blasphemy charge is leveled, leading to his crucifixion. Whether engaging skeptics, seekers, or fellow believers, Mikel Del Rosario urges us to listen first—distinguishing between theological, historical, or literary misunderstandings. Rather than just insisting, “The Bible says so,” we should explain how Jesus’ words and deeds in context are unique and credible claims to divinity. Honest questioning, careful listening, and deep understanding of historical and cultural context equip us to both strengthen our faith and share it wisely with others. Jesus’ claims are profound and unique—and the hope he offers is certain, not wishful thinking. Jesus is fully God and fully man. He died for our sins, and rose again. This is the central truth of our faith, and it is solidly established through historical research. MORE ABOUT DR. MIKEL DEL ROSARIO Dr. Mikel Del Rosario helps Christians find clear answers to tough questions about Christianity and explain their faith with courage and compassion. He is a Professor of Bible and Theology at Moody Bible Institute and the author of Did Jesus Really Say He Was God? Making Sense of His Historical Claims. (IVP Academic). Previously, he taught Apologetics and Religion at Jessup University and Digital Media at Dallas Seminary. He has published 31 journal articles on apologetics and cultural engagement in Bibliotheca Sacra. He holds an M.A. in Apologetics from Biola University, a Master of Theology (Th.M) and a Ph.D in New Testament from Dallas Theological Seminary where he served as Cultural Engagement Manager, producing and hosting The Table podcast. He has also ministered in the Philippines as a missionary professor with Converge Worldwide and a youth pastor in California. Follow him at ApologeticsGuy.com, the Apologetics Guy YouTube channel, and his podcast, The Apologetics Guy Show. More at https://apologeticsguy.com/ [https://apologeticsguy.com/]  MORE ABOUT THE BOOK, “DID JESUS REALLY CLAIM HE WAS GOD?” How to Make Sense of Jesus' Divine Claims Do you ever wonder if Jesus really claimed to be God? Maybe you've heard people say, "Jesus never said he was God," or you've been asked, "Why believe Jesus is divine if he never claimed it?" These challenges aren't just from non-Christians―they show up in church, too. Even if you're not coming from a place of skepticism, you might still question how well church teachings about Jesus match up with what he actually said. So, did the historical Jesus really claim to be divine? This book is here to give you confidence in the historicity of Jesus' claim to divinity. It's designed to help you explain your faith in a world that increasingly doubts the Bible's portrayal of Jesus. Instead of focusing on what Jesus' followers believed, this book takes a different approach―it looks at what Jesus' enemies thought. How did they interpret his words and actions? Their perspective can help you understand the historical validity of Jesus' divine claim. In this book, biblical scholar Mikel Del Rosario uses historiography to examine claims about Jesus' divinity, analyzes ancient Greco-Roman, Jewish, and biblical sources to understand how Jesus' words and actions were interpreted by his adversaries and followers, and argues that Jesus claimed divine authority, a claim supported by strong historical evidence. If you're a Christian, this book will equip you to defend your faith against theories that suggest Jesus only claimed human authority, not divine. If you're someone who sees Christianity differently, this book offers a serious investigation into the claims of the historical Jesus, providing evidence that any theory of his identity must address. Whether you're searching for answers to your own questions or trying to share about Jesus with others, this book will help you communicate Jesus' divine claim with clarity and confidence. We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com [http://%20gospelspice.com%20]for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast [http://gospelspice.com/podcast] to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog [http://gospelspice.com/blog] Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/] Malachi: Messenger to Messiah https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/] Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/] Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebrated https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/ [https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/] Support us on Gospel Spice [https://www.gospelspice.com/donate], PayPal [https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=U9CFSXW2XCWCL] and Venmo [https://account.venmo.com/u/gospelspice]!