Dig Deep Podcast

There is hope, even in the pit. As we conclude this series, we find in Jacob’s blessing a beautiful picture of Joseph’s resilient spirit and the seeds of a much greater story being sown.

As he reunites with his brothers, Joseph is presented with the opportunity to determine the future of their relationships - will they be his brothers or his slaves? In his response, we find inspiration for how forgiveness can lead to seasons of relational peace.

Stacia Hejeebu walks us through what is possibly the most beautiful chapter in the book of Genesis and helps us see our lives, both the good and the pain, in light of God’s greater story.

After 20 long years, the dream that God gave Joseph when he was just 17 years old becomes a reality in his life. Whether we have to wait 2 months or 20 years, what should we do with the dreams God has placed in our hearts?

Is it really true that God can grow good things in the pit? In this episode, three amazing Dig Deep members share their stories of how God has grown good fruit in the soil of their suffering.

Joseph is finally lifted out of the pit and is given the opportunity to enjoy honor, wealth, a family, and fulfillment in his work. As he reflects on that last 13 years in “the pit”, he names his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, reminding us of the truth that God can grow good things in the pit.

This is it, Joseph’s big break! He has finally been brought out of the pit and he suddenly has a huge bargaining chip. He alone can interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. But instead of leveraging his gifts for his own benefit, Joseph responds with a surprising posture that will challenge us to consider how we view our own gifts, abilities, and relationships with others.

Most of us hate waiting. We jump lines at the grocery store, we avoid traffic using all the latest apps, we multitask while we’re on hold with customer service. Waiting is never fun but waiting on God to move in our lives can be downright painful. Joseph spends year after year as a slave and prisoner, longing for freedom, longing for God to move in his life and change his circumstances. But even in the midst of his waiting, Joseph discovered the secret to avoiding bitterness and even thriving.

Joseph’s life continues to be impacted by the sinful choices of others. His circumstances have now been shaped by the lies, hatred, jealousy, lust, and greed of those close to him. But even through slavery, temptation, and wrongful imprisonment, Joseph maintains his integrity.

What do we do when we fall into the pit and God seems to be silent? We cry out like King David, “Where are you, God?!” In the void of that silence we can quickly lose our footing and slip far from God but there is a simple but profound act that gives us humility on the peaks and hope in the pit.

Joseph’s story begins with his relationships. And, like most of us, we learn that Joseph has both loving and contentious relationships in his life. As we see some of Joseph’s relationships tragically unravel, we will step back and take an inventory of our relationships - both with God and with others.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in a pit then you are in good company with the men and women of the Bible. This semester we are going to search for hope and practical truth together as we study the story of Joseph, a man who know a lot about life in the pit.

As we conclude our Transformed series, we return to Paul’s challenge to respond to God’s mercy by giving our lives over to him as a living sacrifice. Is it possible that real life is on the other side of laying our lives down?

Revenge is sweet. Or is it? As counterintuitive as it may seem, what if blessing our enemies is the way to real healing?

As we approach the end of this semester and cover the final verses of Romans 12, we are going to see that some of the most distinct marks of transformation in our lives will be seen in the way we relate to those who have wronged us.

Guest speaker Marja Humphrey breaks down Romans 12:13-17 revealing the power our presence has on the lives of those around us.

How do we keep moving forward when life gets really, really hard? In this episode, Jess interviews her mentor, Stacia Hejeebu, who speaks with wisdom and authenticity about suffering, prayer, hope, and the transformation that is possible in our lives when we allow our pain to draw us closer to God.

Guest speaker, Kathy Petersen, paints a picture of genuine love and calls us to consider who how we can extend that genuine love to those around us.

In this episode, guest speaker Peggy Wolf, a self declared “Quality Time ENFJ,” helps us better understand how God has gifted each of us in unique and beautiful ways for the benefit of the whole body. Peggy lovingly challenges us to stop wasting time wishing we had someone else’s gifts and get to work using the gifts He has given us for His glory and for our good.

Blogger and guest speaker Ashley Tieperman unpacks the next section of Romans 12, reflecting on the beauty and complexity of the body of Christ.

If we want to get an accurate picture of who we really are, instead of looking in the mirror, we should look into scripture. Our truest identity is seen most clearly when viewed through the lens of faith.

Each of us wonders sometimes what God’s plan is for our lives. We might pray for guidance about a big decision on the horizon or a current need. However, in Romans 12:2, Paul reveals an important relationship between God’s will and our own transformation.

Romans 12:1-2 challenges us to respond to God’s mercy in the most appropriate way - the total surrender of our lives. This surrender is the essence of worship, demonstrating that God is worthy of trust and obedience, and the result of this unconditional surrender is transformation.

As we step into this study of Romans 12, I believe we will see that in many ways this chapter of the Bible is a beautiful “after picture” of a life changed by Christ. And the Apostle Paul tells us right up front that the transformation we long for is possible because of one thing and one thing only: God’s mercy.

Register for the fall semester of Dig Deep at http://gcconline.org/dig-deep/

Our fears are a lot like stories. Like all good stories, our fears have a characters, a plot, vivid imagery and they focus all of our attention on one question: what will happen next? These storylines make us lose sleep, leave us emotionally strained and gradually begin to shape our behavior, our decisions and even our faith. What if instead of trying to shove our fears into the corners of our minds we had the courage, in Christ, to face them head on?

Is God really there? Does God really care? Is he paying attention to what’s going on around me? And if he is good and he does care then why doesn’t he do something? Is he even able to do anything? We all live with some degree of doubt in our lives; what matters is what we do with it. Whatever your doubts are, we are going to see today that Jesus isn’t afraid of them.

If your faith has ever felt strained under the weight of grief, doubt, or fear, you are in good company. Jesus’ own disciples struggled to understand his resurrection and accept the hope that it offered them. In this series we will take a closer look at the conversations Jesus had with three of his followers and see that he didn’t reject them because of their struggles but drew them closer to himself.

Jesus once told the painful story of a broken relationship between a father and son. In that story, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that God's love is not like human love. God is like a father who stands, unmoved, scanning the horizon, waiting for His lost child to come home. There is no greater love. His love is relentless. 

On the cross we see God's heart split open. And what we find there, at the very core of God's love for us, is forgiveness. Foundational Scripture: Luke 23

Courage is the power of the mind to overcome fear. While we may feel a wave of courage on occasion, most of the time courage is a decision that we make that is in direct conflict with our emotions. The same is true of love. While we're prone to view love primarily as an emotion that we feel, Jesus shows us that love is much more often a decision - and sometimes a decision that is in direct conflict with our emotions. 

Jesus' command seems pretty straight forward: to love one another as he has loved us. But in a culture where we love our families and we love our favorite tv shows, we need to take a moment to ask, what kind of love is Jesus talking about? Foundational Scripture: John 13; Luke 9

In a surprising outburst of anger, Jesus shows us what it really means that love always protects.

Jesus left his disciples with this command: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” In this series we will take a closer look at several major events from the life and ministry of Jesus and ask, “how has he loved us?” What does it say about God’s love that he would choose to send his Son to earth as a vulnerable newborn baby?

As we conclude this series we turn the issue of “enoughness” toward ourselves and consider the question, “Am I enough?” What are the questions behind that question, and how does God respond when we bring those questions to Him?

We live in bigger houses than ever. We fill our closets and basements and attics. We fill our garages and then offsite storage units to capacity. When it comes to stuff, when is enough enough?

When it comes to our finances it is so easy to buy into the mindset that if we just had a little bit more we would have enough. The type of relationship we have with money will determine whether or not we ever experience the peace of mind and satisfaction of having "enough." 

Jess begins a new series that pauses to consider why it is that we often feel we just do not have enough.

As we conclude this series, Wounded Healer, Jess interviews author and speaker Aubrey Sampson on the topic of shame. In her book, Overcomer, Aubrey helps readers dismantle the lies of shame and rebuild their identities in Christ. Through both her personal experiences and her profound insights, Aubrey offers hope both to listeners who have long suffered under the weight of shame and to those who are just discovering shame’s influence on their lives.

Jess interview Kara Watson on the painful subjects of miscarriages and infertility. Kara shares from her personal experience with both types of suffering as the two discuss the uniqueness of this type of grief, the dangers of isolation and comparison, and the insidious lies that creep in amidst the pain and the powerful truths that leads to healing. 

Jess interviews Nicole Hahn on the topic of chronic pain. As someone who suffers from chronic Lyme Disease, Nicole shares about finding joy in the midst of her pain, and how she's seen God use her suffering for His glory.Foundational Scripture: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Isaiah 6:8, Job 13:15

In this special mini episode, Jess shares a personal update about the recent loss of Grandmother, Sybil, and reflects on the beautiful legacy of faith she has left for her family, friends and all who knew her. 

Join Jess as she interviews Amy Smith on the topic of Anxiety and Depression. In this episode the two discuss the stigma around the topic, treatment, and they offer words of encouragement both to listeners who are experiencing suffering in the area of mental health as well as to listeners who do not suffer in this way but are surely connected to people who do.

Join Jess as she wraps up this series on trust by interviewing a very special guest - her grandmother, Sybil. As we strive to trust God more fully, we have so much to learn from Sybil who has faithfully placed her trust in Jesus throughout many storms in this life.

Growing trust is a process that takes time and intentionality. In this episode Jess revisits the five ingredients of trust discussed in week one and addresses how we can apply those same ingredients not only to our relationships with others but to our relationship with God as we grow our trust God in Him.

Jess kicks off this new series by defining trust and offering some practical terminology to help us take steps to increase trust in our relationships. Whether you’re in a relationship that has been marked by broken trust or simply want to deepen your trust in an already healthy relationship, the principles in today’s episode will help you better understand what trust really is and how to build.

Join Jess as she returns to the podcast after an extended break during which she and her husband welcomed a new baby girl into their family. Hear Jess explain the meaning behind their new daughter's name and how it has influenced her faith. 

Join Jess for a mini-episode to celebrate the coming of Christ, and to look ahead toward some changes in store for the podcast in early 2017.

“Dysfunctional” sounds a bit harsh. “Dysfunctional” is awkward. We’d prefer for our dysfunctional relationships to not be the topic of conversation at a party. But Jesus is not thrown off by our dysfunction. In fact, he seems to have no problem walking right into the middle of it. As we look at Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, we see that Jesus puts his finger right on the heart of this woman’s dysfunctional relationships and lovingly offers her a way forward, a living water that will never run dry. No matter how dysfunctional our relationships have become, healing is possible because he offers that same living water, that same way forward, to us.

Relationships, like cars, break down from time to time. And healthy relationships, like cars, need some good old preventive maintenance to keep them running smoothly. In this episode we'll consider Paul's words from Romans 12:10 and explore practical ways to "outdo one another in showing honor."

Join Jess as she interviews her guest, Amy Smith, who has first hand experience living out the principles discussed in week one and two of this series. Amy shares about the brokenness in relationship caused by the divorce of her parents, the empathy and grace that opened the door to relationship, and the story of the beautiful healing that she never dreamed would be possible.