Bell Shoals Women

This episode features a conversation with Samantha Staton. Samantha knew she was born to be a professional singer. She worked tirelessly throughout her school years as well as college years training to be the very best. Yet, audition after audition heard the dreaded "No". It seemed no matter how hard she worked, howe much she gave up, nothing but disappointment came her way. Once Samantha started to allow God to control the plans He had for her life, then, and only then, did she find the satisfaction she was seeking. Samantha's story is both raw and honest. She dealt with selfishness as well as the desire to get her way. Listen and see how God pursued her along the way and became her place of peace among life's disappointments.

This episode features a conversation with Nathania Mayers. Nathania and I discuss the difference between religion and relationship. How she went from growing up attending church as well as a Christian home and knowing a lot about God, to KNOWING Him personally through a day to day relationship with the One who relentlessly pursued her. Nathania and I also discuss how her family moved here from the Cayman Islands with financial resources and the security of having full time employment, to loosing almost everything once they arrived in the States due to Covid. Listen to be encouraged how she found Jesus to be the source of all she needed and how He lovingly provided all along the way. Her journey has been amazing!

This episode features a conversation with Andrea Roberts. Andrea shares how she learned to surrender to the plan God had for her life even though it looked quite differently than the life she thought she would have. Andrea shares how God pursued her in the midst of moving away from everything she ever knew and starting fresh in a new place with a new baby in tow.

Episode Two features a conversation with Tiffany McNair. Tiffany and I talk about her journey through multiple challenges with significant and unexpected health issues with three of their four children. We tackle the topic of being angry with the Lord and how His pursuit of us calls us to a place where He can comfort even angry or indifferent hearts.

The Pursuit: The Story Behind the Story podcast series features each of our incredible speakers from The Pursuit event, held at Bell Shoals church in March 2023.Episode one features, Raquel Bonilla as she shares her story of the pain and loss experience through miscarriage and the pursuit of God, in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Today's episode will remind us that through Christ we have a brand new name.

Listen along today to be reminded that through Christ we are new creations and have a new purpose.

In today's episode we will focus on the unchanging love of God towards us and how we can truly rest in that love.

In today's episode we will see that because of Jesus we too, can be bearers of joy to the world around us.

In today's episode we will be encouraged that choosing to find joy in Christ is where complete satisfaction is found.

Listen today as we take a look at how we can have true joy despite unmet expectations or unexpected circumstances.

Listen along to day to be encouraged how through Christ, we can be peacemakers in the world around us.

Listen today to see how the peace that God gives has the potential to reign in our hearts no matter the circumstances swirling around us.

The peace we most often seek is a solution to our difficult problems. Listen today to see how the peace God offers is much bigger.

Jesus came so that He would forever extinguish the darkness once and for all. Listen today to see how the birth of Jesus brought eternal hope to all the world.

What is the longest time you've waited for an answer to prayer? Listen along today to be encouraged God is always at work.

“A thrill of hope the worry world rejoices…” even though this favorite Christmas hymn was written in 1847, we can still relate to it can't we? We're weary of the darkness around us, the pain life often brings, the doubt and fear. The world we live in is broken. We stand waiting just as our forefathers have done. We are waiting for rescue and restoration.Advent by definition means “the arrival”. Advent builds anticipation. During Advent we remember how God's people waited for the promise of the coming Messiah. Advent also shows us the opportunity to consider our own seasons of waiting. We are still awaiting Jesus‘s return and the fulfillment of his kingdom on earth we are living between the already and then not yet.READ ROMAND 8:18-25 AND PARAPHRASE EACH VERSE IN YOUR OWN WORDS.We, along with all of creation, are still groaning, looking in hope to our Savior, looking in hope towards the day when he will come and make all things new.We are all waiting for something. Sometimes it's hard to “feel” God‘s love for us when we aren't always able to see His work in our lives. The people of God have bumped up against this reality for centuries. But make no mistake, God is never idle. He has been working out His story since the beginning of time. Our circumstances don't determine if God is working, nor do our feelings. We've gotten confused along the way believing the life we live is somehow or our story rather than remembering we have the privilege of living in God story! God is faithfully working on your behalf for your good and for His ultimate glory. He is carefully forming you into his image. He is crazy about you and wants you to know Him more intimately. God uses our seasons of waiting to draw us closer to Him, to trust and see His character, to grow our faith, and to fuel our hope in the coming Savior. He is our “thrill of hope!”Other Podcasts by Bell Shoals: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1550674854 (Bell Shoals Messages)https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bell-shoals-women/id1548939096 (Bell Shoals Women)https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bell-shoals-students/id1549894197 (Bell Shoals Students)

Today we wrap up our study taking a look at one of the most wonderful passages in Revelation 22. All things new!

Today we take a look at Romans 8 with Christ and the Cosmic renewal! The Exodus story is our story!

On this weeks episode we are looking at the the Resurrection through 1 Corinthians 15 Here is a link for the listening guide https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ELHS9FGAAuwwGEN13UnsUZrp5ri7Zxw/view?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/file/d/15ELHS9FGAAuwwGEN13UnsUZrp5ri7Zxw/view?usp=sharing)

The Word became flesh. "We got to heaven when we die" isn't wrong, it's just not big enough. The Kingdom of God is ALREADY inaugurated through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, who is the perfect human imager and King. But, the kingdom of God is not yet here in its fulness as we await it's consummation at the 2nd coming of Christ when He restores all of creation. we live in the overlap of these two realities.

In today's session we are going to walk through some of Isaiah's prophecies and pull out what they reveal about the future age.

In today's episode we will see how God, Himself, comes down to us by looking at various temple passages from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible's full circle moment!

In today's episode we will take a look at God's "Plan A" for mankind find in the pages of Genesis 1 & 2. We will take a look at some basic, foundational assumptions about the Bible and God's plan through Christ and his bride, Eden realities would spread to the ends of the earth!

Introduction and the Perspectives on Heaven: the traditional view vs the Biblical view.

Are we believing the lie the enemy would have us believe that we are incapable or are paralyzed from living out our God-given potential? Do the challenges you face convince you that it is impossible to reflect the fruit of the Spirit effectively? Join us as Christina Abney shows us that God through us can help us live like a victor rather than a victim.

Today we close this series with a character study, each representing the redemption story

Today will see the reality of suffering and persecution as followers of Jesus coupled with the hope and promises secured by His death and resurrection. We as believers are on mission to display God's mission in the world, what a privilege!

Today's episode takes a look at a favorite Chapter in the Book of John for many. We will see that abiding with Christ is living with Is life, loving with His love, enjoying with His joy, praying and proclaiming with His words and going with His mission in mind.

The REAL life we endure, with unexpected trials and difficult seasons, require a REAL hope. We find that hope in Jesus.

In today's episode we will see that Jesus is better. Better than anything. We cannot experience abundant life apart from Him.

In today's episode we will see how Jesus is indeed God. He is made clear in Chapters 7 & 8 of John's text. We either walk in darkness or in light and that Jesus, Himself, is the source of light and living water.

There is a long history, Biblically, of people trying to make themselves equal with God. In today's lesson we will see how Jesus is the only one to share unity with God and the examples of how He does.

Jesus is on a mission to show the Salvation He brings is for the whole world, not just for a special few. In John 4 we are introduced to racial and gender barriers in place at that time. The big twist of the Book of John is that Jesus seems to "pick the wrong girl". She doesn't fit. Yet, this is the whole purpose Jesus chose her. Jesus came to save everyone!

Welcome to a 10 week study in the Book of John. Author and teacher Aprile Sweers will share with us that we can only find real life through real faith in a real Savior who deeply loves us. Today's podcast will feature what makes John's Gospel unique and the threads we will see throughout this Book.

One day God in all His glory will come to earth and make all things new. Today as we wrap up our study we will see that the prophecy of Isaiah is a call to faith, to worship, to repentance, to prayer, and to hope!

Ever experienced a dry spell spiritually? Sometimes we find ourselves in this place from no fault of our own. In todays lesson we will look at Isaiah 49-55 to see how placing our trust in God's ability to move in work in our place of suffering helps us find light in the darkness.

In this session we continue to see the weave of God's lavish grace towards those who do not deserve it; the continued patience of a good God. In our increasingly polarized culture, we can see through this text how we as Christ-followers can reflect His quiet, unaggressive, tender ministry to the world in which we live.

God always shows up. God always comes through. God responds to the prayers of His people, in fact, prayer is how the plans of God happen. Today's podcast will show us God's plans don't fail.

When we experience fear we are tempted to run to places of refuge and may times we choose things other than the place of refuge God provides. This week we see how God is the better refuge.

We can frame what we see going on in the world around us through the lens of who God is and throne on which He rules and reigns. We often loose sight that God is sovereign over the rise and fall of nations.

The "enoughness" of God... When we find ourselves in a crisis of faith will we trust Him? Will we believe Him? Today's passages hold the answer.

What if my thoughts about God are too small? Join us this week as we see how mighty our God is in the pages of Isaiah Chapter 6. We will be encouraged that His plans NEVER fail!

This session we take a look at Isaiah chapters 1-5. We will look at the nature of sin and the consequence of judgement that follows yet immediately see the redemption of God to follow. We will consider the spacial imagery in the passage to see that God alone should be high and exalted but the leaders instead exalted themselves, demoting God. This kind of pride is a temptation for us all. How do we cultivate hearts of humility that keep God in His rightful place? Listen and be encouraged.

This week we look at why Isaiah matters. We will overview the Old Testament storyline and look closely at the "big picture" of Jesus and the story of redemption beginning in Genesis.

When we choose to put God first in our lives and pursue living a life that honors Him, a lost world around us see's Jesus in us.  We become a walking, breathing testimony of the goodness and faithfulness of God. This last week we will be challenged to let nothing else come before our relationship with Jesus and to pursue im with our full attention. Journaling Pages 125-145

We were made for community. This week we will look at how God has called each one of us to use the talents He has uniquely gifted us with to encourage one another and to love others well. Journaling Pages 105-123

We live in a broken world where hurt, temptations, and trials are inevitable.  This week we will be encouraged to press into Jesus during times where we feel weak and allow Him to strengthen us to walk forward victoriously in our faith. Journaling Pages 85-103

Standing firm on truth in the culture in which we live is challenging and many times leads to negative consequences we were not expecting.  This week we are focusing our attention on finding the courage to speak truth in a world with blurred lines.  We will see how we can choose to trust God despite our circumstances which leave us feeling discouraged. Journaling Pages 65-83

This week of study we are going to gain insight on the holiness of God and power of God and how we, as His children, have that same power dwelling within us.  We will look at how we can find our rest in Jesus when we choose to obey Him. Journaling Pages 45-63

There is a battle raging all around us tying to cause confusion and fear.  How can we choose to be brave to choose love instead of hate, choose to live in faith rather than fear when facing the unexpected, and to live counter-culturally living bravely through the light of God's Word and what He says about us?  Join us this first week of study as we see how we can victoriously fight the good fight by putting on the armor He graciously provides. Journaling pages 17-43