Talk for 12

We all have limitations. These often shape how we serve Jesus and his people. Listen in as Suellen and Caz talk about how MS has impacted Caz's daily life and her interactions with Jesus.

Moving to another country and being immersed in a language that is different to your native tongue has blessings and challenges. Suellen chats with Deb about her transition from Indonesia to living in Australia as a woman who loves Jesus.

Two women: one physically present at Jesus feet with a need for forgiveness, one at Jesus feet in our lifetime with a need for reassurance and comfort. Suellen speaks with Ali, a visiting SMBC student about what we read in Luke 7 and the journey Ali is on.

We all serve God in the place he has put us. Sometimes that is close to home and sometimes that is in a country on the other side of the world. In this episode, Stef shares about her life as a missionary in Chile, what God has been teaching her during her time there, and what she is looking forward to when she goes back.

Using 4 simple questions to help guide their time in the Bible together, Grace and Natasha model 1 to 1 Bible reading for us by dipping into Psalm 32. They discuss they joy that is found when we confess our sins to God and live in relationship with him.

Listen in as Melody and Abbey read Psalm 23 together. They discuss what is means and how it has been an encouragement to them when they have faced hard times, using 4 simple questions to help guide their time in the Bible together.

Have you ever been nervous to strike up a conversation with another parent at the school gate or the back of assembly? Gill asks Heather what she's learned from intentional interaction with a diverse range of school mums and dads.

Join Gill and Tash to consider how the season of life caring for small children at home can bring opportunities for connection and deep conversation and how Bible stories might play a part.

How good it is to start a new year secure in the knowledge of salvation in Jesus, our living hope, an inheritance 'unfading, kept in heaven for you' (1 Peter 1:3). So many people we live and work with do not know this hope. Be encouraged and inspired by God's story and Lauren's story of seeking opportunities at work to live a gospel-shaped life and speak gospel truths in whatever context God has placed you.

Matthew tells us how the birth of Jesus took place. Christine invites us to consider Mary and Joseph and who the central character, Jesus, is and what he came to do. Have a listen and keep in mind who you might share this with this Christmas. Talk for 12 will be taking a break until after the summer holidays. Please join us again in 2025!

The house is a mess, there's nothing in the cupboard and we are running between work and social activities. God can't expect me to invite people over to my house can he? Meg speaks with Krista about why hospitality is still important and possible in the messiness of life.

It often seems that 'anything goes' in the online world - you can say anything, be anyone. Or can you? Meg asks Caity what she's learned interacting online and asking whether there is a place for visible, kind Christianity online.

This is the first episode in a series of three conversations where Meg asks ‘How do you…?' Jodi is responding to ‘How do you keep coming to church?' You might like to read Colossians 3 before you listen!

It's always exciting to celebrate a birthday, even of a podcast! In this episode, the Talk for 12 team reflect on the past year of podcasts, share how different series came about as well as some moments of joy and encouragement. Happy 3rd Birthday, Talk for 12!

New to Orange and OEC, Katelyn shares her experience of being a new person at a new church. Listen in to her conversation with Suellen and be encouraged.

Using our words to build up our brothers and sisters in Christ, is a huge privilege and is a foundational aspect of Christ-centred fellowship. In this second episode of our 2 part series on common phrases in Christian community, Lily and Nicki talk through the phrase "Praise God", when we say it, and what it tells us about our own hearts

How often do you reflect on the meaning of what you say? In this first episode of a 2 part series on common Christian phrases, Lily and Amanda talk through the phrase 'thoughts and prayers', and how the Bible teaches us to care for one another through grief.

Christian community is a place of comfort for the anxious and downhearted. But it doesn't always live up to expectation. In the second episode of this series Belinda shares with Gill helpful and practical ways to respond to anxious thoughts and feelings in ourselves and in others.

Is anxiety bad? Should Christians not have Anxiety? Clinical Psychologist, Belinda, helps us bust some 'myths' about what anxiety is, where anxiety belongs in the Christian life and the place of prayer and professional help.

Anna and Beth both work in situations that isolate them from a lot of adult contact beyond their own families. In this episode Mel invites them to share how God is challenging and teaching them as they serve him in their different contexts. Anna is a farmer, working alongside her husband, and Beth is a stay at home mum, home-schooling her five children.

Mel chats with Pauline and Lauren about owning a business, about tattoos and about core identity and how that plays out in what you do. Listen in to this third episode in our series on work as these women consider their identity as loved and esteemed children of God in very different work circumstances.

In this episode Katherine and Lis speak with Mel about what work and family have looked like at various stages of their lives. They reflect on how they have sought to be godly in the midst of the challenges of the workplace and in their desire to honour God as they have cared for their children. Mel asks them how they have been intentional in the decisions they have made and the priorities they have set.

Mel introduces us to Katherine to begin our four part series on ‘Work'. Katherine is considering what God's word has to say about work. Listen in as she reminds us that we have been created for work and as she unfolds three themes that shape our priorities in this area of life.

Kelly, Marion and Mel discuss what they love about studying theology, why they think it's a good thing for every Christian woman to do, and how we can grow in our study of our good God and His word.

Kathy has been serving as a Bible Translator overseas for 20 years. How did she start this journey and why would she continue when there are lots of hard and uncomfortable aspects to her life? Listen into this episode as Monica has an open conversation with one of our long serving mission partners.

Life in a busy household is anything but boring! This week, Dani shares with us what God has taught her through the joys and struggles of living in a household of many.

Living in a household of one has many joys but also some struggles. Join Phoebe as she shares with Mel how God has grown her through her time as a single woman, as well as gives some advice on how we can love other sisters in Christ who are living in a household of one.

As we begin a new series on women interacting with Jesus, Tab introduces us to Priscilla. While we are only given glimpses into the life of Priscilla in the book of Acts, and a few other epistles, there is much we can learn from her about what it looks like to serve God where we are using the gifts that God has given us.

Chocolate, buns, egg cups and egg-hunts. What traditions will you foster this Easter? Rhianna and Robyn chat with Gill about the ways we celebrate the truths of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday that help us have an eternal mindset all year long. Resources in the show notes.

Did you make a reading goal for 2024? Looking for some inspiration for some long weekend reading? Sara, Jill and Gill have you covered with 3 very different books about faith, talking and praying. Listen in for reviews and recommendations to get your pages turning!

In 2 Timothy, Paul finds himself chained and in prison, awaiting execution. Join Jan as she wraps up our series on Confidence in God for our past, present and future by teaching us from the life of Paul about the great confidence we can have that our future is secure, held in Jesus, the one who is steadfast and firm even when our confidence may waver.

In episode two of our series on confidence in God for our past, present and future, Kristy asks us to consider what confidence in God looks like in our day-to-day lives. As well as teaching from the Bible, Kristy shares the story of Elisabeth Elliot, whose deep confidence in God in her daily life helped shape a pattern of trust, obedience and love in her actions that we can learn a lot from.

Kicking off our series on having confidence in God for our past, present and future, Kerryn teaches us from John 4 and reminds us that no matter what we may have done or who we may have been previously, we can confidently draw near to Jesus who has washed us clean and given us a new start. If you can, read John 4 before you listen to the podcast.

In the second part of our series, Suz, Madi and Jill share their stories of coming to know Jesus and reflect on what we can learn from other generations that will help us relate well in the body of Christ?

How much does your generation define you? In our final series for 2023 we bring together Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Z. Join the conversation as Jill, Suz and Madi consider how important generational culture is for our relational and communication styles.

To help us continue preparing well in the lead up to Christmas, join Fay and Rochelle as they talk about how Fay tries to intentionally share the love of Jesus with her non-Christian neighbours at this time of year.

Christmas is fast approaching and as our thoughts turn to all the things we need to do to prepare for the festive season, join Mel as she shares how she shows love to her non-Christian family members at Christmas and how preparing well can help you to do the same.

To celebrate Talk for 12 turning 2, the team chats to five OEC women who have either listened or contributed to the podcast in its second year. Happy 2nd birthday Talk for 12!

In episode 3 of this series, we hear from Sarah who is preparing to go overseas to serve God. Sarah shares with Mel how she and her family have chosen to make decisions based on their theology and not just their feelings.

In this episode, Monica, a working mother of two children, shares with Mel how being a follower of Jesus affects her day to day decision-making. When she is needing to weigh up what to say ‘yes' and ‘no' to in regards to work, school and church commitments, Monica shares the gospel-shaped question she asks of herself and her capacity to take on more.

How do you make decisions? Are you a list-maker? Do you seek the counsel of everyone you know and trust? To kick off our new series "Making Gospel-Shaped Decisions", Karina takes us through a biblical framework of how to do just that. Karina also helps us think through what questions to ask of ourselves as we seek to make decisions that honour God, rather than ourselves.

In the very first verse of James 2:1-13, the topic of "favouritism" is raised. Tune in as Jess and Claire unpack what this passage has to say on this topic by asking some key questions about the context, the big idea and how we can apply this passage to our lives.

Join Katherine and Bec as they unpack James 1:19-27. In their 1-2-1, Katherine and Bec ask some helpful questions of each other and God's word to understand what the passage is saying and figure out how they should respond in light of what they have learnt.

This week, we start our new series "A Walk through James" and look at how we can do 1-2-1s on any passage in the bible. Join Wendy and Ros as they meet up to discuss some of the stand-out points from James 1:1-18.

In John 10:10, we hear that Jesus came so that we could have life and have it to the full, but does that "full" life include having fun? In the second episode of our series, Jill and Alex chat about what fun has looked like in their own Christian lives and how it comes from the freedom they have in Christ.

In the first episode of our new series "What puts a smile on your face?", Rosemary takes a look through the Bible at whether God has a sense of humour. It seem that God has revealed the answer through his word time and time again, so why not tune in and find out if a holy God can really enjoy a laugh or a joke? We are all made in his image after all!

When life felt meaningless and hopeless, Naomi found peace, happiness and life in God. Despite continuing to struggle with occasional doubts and fears, Naomi shares with Susan how she knows and is reminded of God's faithfulness and hold on her life through his word spoken, sung and preached to her.

To continue our series on suffering and God's faithfulness in it, Susan chats to Olwyn. Olwyn shares how despite going through multiple hard seasons in life, including the breakdown of her marriage, she has been able to persevere because her joy and identity is rooted in Christ. This has proven to be a constant in and out of the seasonal happiness we all face in this fallen and broken world.

In the second episode of our series, Skye shares with Susan about how she has been reminded of God's steadfastness over the past five and a bit years. At times, when Skye has felt unable to walk beside God, God carried her through as she and her family have dealt with and continue to deal with medical concerns for their youngest son

How should we respond when life is hard? Is it ok to break down and cry out to God? Is it ok to ask "why me"? In the first episode of our new series, local Christian Psychologist Susan introduces us to the idea of 'lamenting', the pattern of praying in tough times seen in the bible. In Psalm 77, we see the author go through different stages of lament, which can be helpful for us to keep in mind when we ourselves face suffering.

In our final episode of ‘Women interacting with Jesus', we get an inside look into what it is like to be a Christian teenager! Rochelle chats to Mackenzie and Hannah about their experiences of meeting Jesus and how that affects their day to day lives as they juggle uni and school.