Noah

Have you ever felt lost in the vastness of the Bible or struggled with understanding the true nature of God? Join Cheri and me, Kara R Hunt, as we embark on a compelling journey through the sacred pages, with an eye-opening focus on the Old Testament. In our latest episode, we unveil God's profound love threaded throughout the narratives. We share our personal experiences of reading Scripture cover to cover, and the surprising ways it can transform your understanding of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice.

This week's heartfelt discussion takes a deep look at one of the most relatable biblical figures: Noah. His story is more than a Sunday school favorite; it's a testament to obedience and faith amidst adversity, offering us a mirror into our own lives. Cheri and I discuss how stories like Noah's can lead to a profound understanding of our shared humanity and the significance of surrendering to God's will. Moreover, we examine the power of personal Bible study in uncovering new insights, as we did with the story of Ruth and Boaz, encouraging you to find revelations that speak directly to your heart.

As we wrap up, we extend a warm invitation for you to return next week for another session brimming with exploration and spiritual connection. Cheri and I are excited to continue our conversation on the Old Testament's fascinating figures, not from a podium of academia, but as friends in faith keen on growth and learning. It's about engaging with ancient wisdom and discovering how it can illuminate our modern lives. So join us, bring your curiosity, and let's journey together through these timeless tales. 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:19

Hi and welcome to the Cheer Up Podcast. I am your host, kara R Hunt, and with me, as always, is the lovely Sherry Swawa-Hauer. How are you doing today, sherry?

Speaker 2: 0:32

I am doing fantastic. I just absolutely love how, every week, we get to talk about different parts of the Bible. And I know that for some people and I know that I know this because this used to be me I used to think that God was such a mean cruel God in the Old Testament. But really my challenge to people is to really read through the Old Testament and you will see he was not a cruel God. Everything that he did was done out of love. And when you read, he challenged me.

Speaker 2: 1:11

A few years ago, I don't know. I want to say it was like well, let's see, I think our youngest was in early elementary school, so we're talking quite a few years ago and I stumbled through it and I'm like, okay, god, this is a total and complete act of obedience, because I do not understand Isaiah, I do not understand limitations, I do not understand Jeremiah. I don't remember crying when I was reading through those books, kara, because I'm like he is so mean, like this is just so sad and so depressing. But I'll tell you what when I was finished that year reading through the whole entire book, I got such an overview, like such a big picture of how loving our God really is and I just really challenge people, encourage people to do that. Like, if God ever invites you into reading the entire Bible, do it. Because people like to use their perspective.

Speaker 2: 2:09

Yes, cruel things happened in the Old Testament, but there's always a plan, always a purpose, and God always comes around, and this shows up in the 11th hour. I am truly, truly excited about reading the Bible and about sharing the Bible and about just learning from the Bible. So I don't think I would have felt that way if God hadn't, like, had me take that step and just like walk through it. But yeah, I mean, there are parts of the Old Testament that are really really hard to read. But yeah, if you allow yourself or challenge yourself to do it, then when you look back on it, I think you'll be really glad that you did, because you'll get to see that whole big overview. So you would have missed if you hadn't done that. I'm pretty sure you've read through the Bible. Have you done it more than once, or what's your journey look like? Okay?

Speaker 1: 3:10

Interesting that you mentioned that, sherry. I believe I have read through all of the Old Testament and probably a quarter of the new. I don't think I have completely read through, straight through, the entire Bible, but I possibly could have. The reason I say that is because it's been a while since I've done it. I remember one year I started from. I was going to try to read from Genesis to Revelation, but I think I got to after the Gospels and I don't think I finished it that way. But then I went back the following year or so and was like no, I'm going to read it chronologically, so I'm going to start with Job.

Speaker 1: 3:59

I had a whole plan excuse me, one of those Bible study plans where it says read the Bible chronologically. In a way it was written and everything else. I actually really, really enjoyed that. I got pretty far in it and I may have completed it, because I think that would have been around 2015, 2016 timeline and I can't remember the actual way you went through it. So I guess, to answer your question, yes, no, maybe I could have.

Speaker 2: 4:30

That is so funny because I think it was around 2015 or 2016 that God invited me to read the whole Bible and you know I was intimidated.

Speaker 2: 4:39

I was so intimidated because I'm like there is no way I can read through the whole Bible. That's just asking too much. And then the next year. I'm like, okay, god, what are we doing this year? And he well, I think he did give me a plan. I think I went back to reading through the New Testament until 20, I always get this mixed up.

Speaker 2: 5:00

I want to say it was 2019. I invited people with me to do to read through the whole New Testament. And then in 2020, I'm like, okay, god, what are we doing this year? And it was silent. I got nothing. And I was like, wait a minute, I have to have a plan, I have to have a plan, I have to have a plan. No, no, no, I lied, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2: 5:22

It was 2020 that I invited people to read through the New Testament with me. And then in 2021, I was like, okay, god, I need a plan. And he was silent. And that's when he invited me that July to start reading through it with two. Well, with one woman first, and then the next month we added one more woman and we've been reading it together slowly. It'll be three years this summer and I'm telling you what I have learned more reading through it slowly, but I really think that the first part of that was getting the overview, when he challenged me or invited me to read through the whole Bible in one year to get that overview. So now I'm just kind of excited. I'm like, okay, god, what are we doing next?

Speaker 1: 6:08

Right, and I think something I want to piggyback on, something you just said about how important, how important it is to do a study through the Bible, no matter how you do it, chronologically, from Genesis to Revelation Old Testament first, you know, and then like New Testament next year. However you do it because I think it's so important that people who are studying the Bible get a general overview right of the Bible, of how God works, why Jesus needs to come, why he had to die for our sins. So and I think a lot of that makes more sense when you have read it in its entirety, and then after that, because I think so, maybe I have completed it, maybe once or twice. Like I said, it's been a minute, but then after that do the study that you prefer that really speaks to you. There are people who like me. For me, for instance, I like topical studies. You know, like it could be on a particular topic where it's forgiveness, whether it's joy, whether it's love, you know whether it's on, like I just finished one on the book of life. You know, and it was really simple to get through a lot of that, especially now with technology and study Bibles, because all you have to do is like go to the back of the Bible and look like like with me, or you could just like search on your electronic device while you're reading the Bible book of life and then just be able to study those topics throughout. And so and I noticed how much I really enjoy like topical studies, Some people like character figure studies, you know, and different things like that, and there's just so many ways to study it.

Speaker 1: 7:56

But I just suggest, like Sherry just mentioned, do a complete overview of the Bible first. You know, through a year and there's so many plans, like Sherry said, it seems daunting at first but then there's so many plans out there that break it up into 365, like tidbit 365 dates in bits, right to where it's not so overwhelming, and things like that. So just pick a day. It doesn't have to be January 1. It could be March 1, april 1, may 1, and just continue to the to that date of the following year and then decide by that time you'll probably have a. You know what I really prefer doing this type of study now, but I've kind of got an overview and everything else. So, but it is so beneficial, it really really, really is. And all of that leads into what we are going to be, who we are going to be discussing today, and that is one of the most well-known biblical figures there is in a Bible, and that is Noah. There have been songs written about him.

Speaker 2: 9:12

You know.

Speaker 1: 9:13

By songs I mean children's songs and there have been children's songs written about him that they learned in Sunday school. There's so many children's ministries. I think a couple of them I can think of, think about on top of my head. Who you go, you go into the children's ministry area of like a couple of churches and you generally sometimes may see animals painted on a wall, the animals that went into the ark. You will see the ark, a big, you know a colorful painting of an ark or you know, and the flood waters and things like that.

Speaker 1: 9:54

So I say he's probably one of the most well-known biblical figures, especially of the Old Testament, because he's not just one of those figures that adults know about, right, he is one of those figures that I think children are taught at a very young age in children's ministry and children's church in Sunday school, simply because it's just such an easy and interesting story. It has parts of it to where the children can learn about the Bible, the children can learn about Noah, the children can learn about what happened in such a very fun and like colorful way. Have you seen Asheri in children's ministry?

Speaker 2: 10:37

Yes, actually our church is exactly what you just said. We have a huge play structure that's in the shape of an ark for kids to play on, and then on the wall, painted both, I think, in the classroom and in the hallways, are animals all over the place.

Speaker 1: 10:55

Yes, see.

Speaker 2: 10:56

So yeah, our church is exactly what you just said.

Speaker 1: 10:59

See, and that's what I'm saying, which makes him so, which makes who he is and what he did so awesome, because it resonates. There are certain biblical figures in the Bible that I think the kids would be like what, what did they do? And then there are some where you just may not want them to really know about until they reach a certain age a majority right but Noah is just one of those where boom your kids in children's church, they go to Sunday School, children's Ministry, and it's usually one of the first people that they are introduced to regarding the biblical figure of Noah. So we are introduced to Noah in Genesis, chapter 5, 29. I'm not going to read that for you guys. Like I said, I think everyone probably knows who Noah is, but for those who may be new to your nation, new to the church of Pai Caz, new to the Bible, then I wanted to make sure to give that reference His story. We're introducing him in Genesis, chapter 5, verse 29, and you can start there and then you can just read about the story of Noah.

Speaker 1: 12:15

So, in a summary, the world was just in a bad, bad, bad, bad place during Noah's time, during this particular time of Noah, and I am just going to read just a part of the history right here from the King James version, and it just says and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart, of man's heart, was only evil continually. So that's, that's like I mean. Sometimes we look around in our world today and we're going, man, my goodness, things are bad. There's so much injustice in the world. We're doing all these crazy things that no one ever thought of. You know, there's no shame anymore, there's no honor, there's nothing so much violent. But the fact is that we're still here, you know, and the earth has not been demolished again. Of course it wouldn't be by flood, because, as you read, for you know, into further into the North story, that he's promised, god promised never to any earth like that again with, you know, by flood. But it didn't say he could, he wouldn't do it by other means, like that could be a huge earthquake that just shakes everybody up, right, you know, and things like that. And so it was. Oh, I'm looking for the one where it just I'm sorry, I'm looking for the scripture where it talks about yes, okay.

Speaker 1: 14:02

So he tells Noah, build this ark. And you get in it, your son's get in it, your wife get in it. I'm going to send animals of the earth, two by two, a pair of animals, to you, two by two. I'm also going to send birds and and boughs of the air, and you know, and everything else, and you're going to build this ark. These are the measurements, this is how wide, how deep, how high, and everything else. And you're going to build this ark because it needs to sustain what's going to happen, because there's evilness all around you. But you have found favor in my sight and he said but everybody else got to go, you know.

Speaker 1: 14:40

And so he, knowing him, get on a boat, the ark, because it's huge. It's not a boat, it's we're talking humongous, because we're talking lots and lots and lots of animals that have, you know, have to be on this, this arc, and that will not be able to um, made in a way to where it won't be able to sink Right. And so they get on the arc and it rains and rains, and rains, and rains, and rains and rains, and all those people you know. So, while Noah is building this art, he's being laughed at, he's being mocked, he's being teased and people are like what, what are you talking about? Oh my gosh. So we could just imagine the things that they were saying to him. But then it rained and you know, I guess they weren't laughing anymore.

Speaker 1: 15:27

Because it goes on to say that all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. All who's in, not all in whose nostrils, was the breath of life. That's a lot of people and that is a lot of people. So, and I keep repeating that, that particular part of the script, the scripture, because when we get too upset about things that is going on right now, um, it's like it had to be a million times worse in Noah's day for this to happen, for all in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died and every living substance was destroyed which was up on the face of the ground man, cattle, creeping things foul in heaven and they were destroyed from the earth. And Noah only remained alive and they who were with him, you know, and I know there's some who probably go, oh my goodness, why did he just say just to breathe the van, you know, to a pair of animals from each breed, like why did all the other animals have to die? Why the cattle what a bird? Why, you know, why, the animals in the field, and I that, which is a very interesting question, but I I think it was because, mainly, who was going to be there to care for them? There were, there were going to be no more men, there were no more women, there were no more children, um, and the water was all on face of the earth. I mean just for anything for them to have to eat, you know. So I think they would have just suffered more in the long run. Um, you know, and they, you know, like that, but it's so. It rained and it rained and it rained, and everything that was living, that had breathed in their nostrils, was gone, was was taking away. It was just Noah and his family that was left. And the thing I really want to talk about regarding Noah's life. There's so much more to Noah and his life and um, his um legacy, um, regarding him and his children, his cousin, you know, and everything else. But, um, right now I just want to focus on the part where, excuse me, talk, discuss about the part where.

Speaker 1: 17:52

Have you ever been in a situation have any of us ever been, in a situation to where you know in your knower that God has told you to do something, and it's not that he just told you to do something, he told you to do something. That seems absolutely crazy to the people around you. Sometimes it's crazy enough to where they're mocking you and they're teasing you like are you okay, cause? Like, why are you doing this? This makes absolutely positively no sense. You know, and you know it could be or it could be something like um, um, where they're not necessarily mocking you, but you know that God has told you to do something and it just it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make logical sense. Let me put it that way you know and it doesn't make logical sense.

Speaker 1: 18:46

But yet there are people in your life that are going what are you doing?

Speaker 1: 18:51

Like how, for instance? Let's just say you're, you feel like you were calling your heart to go to minister um, to be a missionary in a, in a foreign land that is war torn, where there's like active war going on or war has just ended, and you tell them you're going there, you're, like, I really feel like God has called me to this place and everyone is looking at you like are you crazy? You do know they're in the middle of a war, right, and, or they just got over a war, and a lot of times that's not teasing and or mocking, it's just general concern for your well being and safety, you know. But you know that you have to go. You feel a strong calling that you have to go, and sometimes we are in situations like that where we don't even think it makes logical sense. Like God, am I hearing you right? Like is this me who's wanting to go? Because I just have a heart to help people? Or are you truly, truly calling me to do this? And I think a lot of times we have to ask ourselves that.

Speaker 1: 19:59

And because that's what Noah had to do, besides all the miking, besides everything that was going on and we gotta remember, it wasn't overnight that he could build this thing. It was huge, you know, and but he did it. He did it and it is. And then there's the scripture that talks about so. Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him. So did he. And wow, what a statement to be said about you by the creator of heaven and earth that you did everything according to all that I commanded, you did it all, and that requires obedience, self-restraint, self-discipline, faith beyond belief, right, and it just was just one of those things where you're just like, okay, god said it, I gotta do it. It's making no logical sense to me. I keep trying to question myself about it, but I just need to keep putting one foot forward in faith and just keep doing it. And have you ever been in situations like that, sherry?

Speaker 2: 21:12

Well, the fact that people didn't even know what rain was back then, Nope. Because to me, like that's huge obedience, Like they didn't even know what the definition of rain was, so it wasn't just that. Okay, it's going to rain and it hasn't rained in 50 years.

Speaker 2: 21:32

It's I don't even know what rain is, but God is telling me to build this huge boat because there's gonna be something called rain. So that, to me, is huge. There have been times where I have felt like God has told me to do something, and I'm one of those people that I have to get hit over the head with a billboard like a huge neon sign, and I used to feel really bad about that. I used to think that that meant that I didn't have any faith, and it's just that I never wanted to make a mistake, like I always wanted to make sure that it really truly was God telling me so. But there have been a handful of times in my life where I have known that. I know that I know, and if I don't, I'm finding now the older I get. If I don't know that, I know that I know, then I do one of two things. The first thing is is I say, okay, god, you know that my heart is to obey you. You know that I want to live a life that pleases you, and I know that you're not always going to give me all the blueprints all at once. I get that. But, god, I need to know that this is really you before I step out, because this is like a huge thing and I will tell him.

Speaker 2: 22:44

There's a couple of things in my life right now that I've been having an active conversation with him about and I'm like God, I'm really scared. I'm just being brutally honest with you. I am really scared. This thing that I think you're asking me to do is a huge ask on my part and it's a huge step of faith in my part, and until I know that it's really you asking me to do it, I'm not moving. So I need your help because I need to know that. I know that. I know you know me, you know my background, you know that I'm tenacious, you know that I will get it done. But I need to know that. I know that. I know that it's you and not just some cockamamie story of my own or some idea of mine that's gonna fall flat and I'm gonna ruin whatever, because I'm married, I have kids, you know I have responsibilities. So I need to know it's you and not just pizza from last night.

Speaker 2: 23:39

So, and I used to be scared having those conversations with him. But you know what I realize? I don't know. I think it's because my faith is growing and it's that one. God doesn't expect me to be perfect, he just expects me to have a heart of obedience. God doesn't mind the questions, he doesn't mind me coming and having these conversations with him. He'd rather I have these conversations with him than avoid him. So, and he also knows that my heart is in the right place, but that I don't want to just follow any any whatever. I want to make sure that I'm completely following him. And the other thing I want to point out about Noah's story, and not just Noah's story he just happens to be the one that we're talking about right now.

Speaker 2: 24:30

He's God didn't call perfect people. So when Noah got, he had this huge thing happen, this huge big miracle, and you can't say that a flood in him and his family being saved was not a miracle, because it was.

Speaker 2: 24:44

So he had this huge, big miracle happen and then when, finally, like I think it was almost a whole year or maybe more than a year later, they were finally the grounds right up and they were able to get out and start rebuilding, okay, that had to be, that had to be like when reality really sunk in. Okay, oh, my gosh, you know, my, my neighbors, who I, who I liked, are not here anymore. We have to start from scratch. Like we thought that it was just the. Let's see two, four, six, eight of us on the on the boat and, you know, maybe they had kids by then. So eight plus people. You know, now we have to repopulate the earth. You know now, whatever, whatever.

Speaker 2: 25:25

So he ended up getting drunk. And then something else happened during all that, and I don't really want to talk about everything that happened. You'd have to read about it because it's not really PG. But anyway, my point of the matter, of that part of the story, is that God didn't even expect Noah to be perfect, like he knew that when he called Noah to build the Ark and he knew, when Noah obeyed and built the Ark, that Noah was going to then have a big fall at the end, like after he got out of the Ark. So God doesn't expect us to be perfect either. Just like when we were talking about reading the Bible, don't expect to understand the whole entire thing the first time you read it through.

Speaker 2: 26:06

God is expecting perfection. He's expecting, or desiring, a obedient heart. So when these challenges come up in your life and you have that choice, talk to God about it and ask him. You know, like, like, have those conversations with him. God, I'm really scared, I'll do this. Scared if you want me to do it, scared, but I need to know that it's you, god, I'm, I'm all in, I'm 100% in. So let's do it. Let's you know, get this thing done. Or, okay, god, I I started out strong, but but now I've really blown it. I'm really, really sorry. Can I try again? Can I have a do over? Like? He wants those conversations with you. So I guess those are the things when I said they're listening to you share.

Speaker 1: 26:58

Those are the kind of things that that popped up into my head about, about the story of Noah, and you're right, and you had just mentioned that, when they got to dry land, it had to be like a wow, a shock, right, a reality check. And in my mind I imagine it happening on the boat, right. I, in my mind, I always imagine, oh my gosh, they're seeing this. The rain, this rain, this rain they never heard of before. But they knew. He knew God had already told him what's coming, that and the, the, the, the water just keeps rising and rising and rising.

Speaker 1: 27:38

And the part of me is like, did they see bodies in the, in the water that you know, did what? Like, like I don't know. To me it just would have been such a um, it's like you know it was coming, but it's still shocks, you right? Because, like I said, they never seen anything like this before. And it's like you. You're like, oh my goodness, these people are no more. It's just us. It's just us. It's just us. That's the part that probably would have you know, you mentioned how he got drunk later. That's the part that probably would have, uh, led to me drinking it's just us the responsibility.

Speaker 1: 28:21

Right, just like, oh my gosh, oh my goodness, like who? There's no one, no one's no one's, no one's left, you know, and then they, then, when they, the water's receding and then there's a dry land, and then you're in it with like a double whammy, like you know, you just feel this loneliness, right.

Speaker 1: 28:39

I mean you have your family and everything, but you're just so, you know, um, I could just imagine everything that was going to his mind and and I'm so glad you hit on, have these active conversations with God A lot of times we think we're hiding things in our heart. From God, that's impossible. He created us, he knew us before we were knitted in our mother's womb, he knows us intrinsically, he knows us better than we know ourselves, and so there is no hiding it. And I remember, um, you know um, I was talking to someone and they were just so angry. They were reliving the time where their son died, and I believe their son was in her twenties at the time and it was such a you could just imagine the shock, right, and a heartache, and she was so upset about it. She, you know, it was more. It was more along the lines like God, I, I'm a good Christian and I, I, I evangelize and I tell people about you, I'm so passionate about your word and everything else. And then this happens to my son. This happens to my son, you know, and she was very angry with God, very, very angry. She was very, very upset. So that's our soul, right, that's our emotions, you know and that's coming through. And she was, you know, she even mentioned, you know she said a lot of things that were just not honorable, god honoring to him. But she was having that honest conversation because her, she was wounded, she was aching, she was grieving, she was crying and she just could not understand. You know, like, after everything I've done, this is how you reward me you know type of thing that she was kind of doing and she was kind of rude and crude towards the Lord in their prayer. But you know what? God heard her and nothing that she said surprised him because he already knew how she was feeling in her heart. He already knew how she was going to respond.

Speaker 1: 30:39

I don't recommend it. I always want to recommend, when you have hard conversations with the Lord, to always be respectful and remember that he is the King of glory, right, that he is our. You know that he is God and never forget that he is God. But in her soul and her emotions it just came out and everything else and so and now she's still guess what? She still has an on fire love for the Lord right Now. It's been some years, it's been about 10 or 15 years since her son passed away. But that was her soul talking, not her spirit right. The spirit is one that connects with God. Our soul is our emotions, the way we feel, the way, you know, stuff that's made up in our minds by the environment and everything else. And that was her soul talking, not her spirit right. And so she, you know, it took a while, but she was finally able to be. Oh, my goodness, god, I am so sorry, you know. And guess what? God's still able to use her to do amazing, amazing, amazing things. She's just an amazing woman of God, you know. So it's not saying so.

Speaker 1: 31:47

If you've had those conversations with God and be like, oh, god won't talk to me, no more. Ooh, I said some things. Nope, he still loves you, he's always going to be there for you. You know, you had those four conversations and you said some things that you feel really guilty about saying. Well, you should feel guilty about saying those things because we don't talk to our fathers like that, especially our heavenly father. But guess what? God wasn't shocked by it. God knows how you felt the whole time. You weren't going to be able to hide it from him anyway, you know. And just sit back and surrender your heart and let God continue to work with you in that Because, like, one of the main things about Noah's story is his obedience and, like Sherry said, he wasn't perfect Noah near was he perfect but he was obedient and that blessed the Lord, which, in return, blessed him and his family by being able to survive such a such a I mean you talk about a natural disaster, right, that's exactly you know what that was.

Speaker 1: 32:52

And they had to start everything over from scratch.

Speaker 1: 32:53

I mean, there was no FEMA that was going to come and help and, and you know, give them money and get them, give them everything to start over again.

Speaker 1: 33:01

They literally had to start over, you know, by themselves. There were no missions or or charities that were going to come, or the Red Cross, right, it was literally starting all of this over by themselves. And that takes a, that takes a toll on us, right, but just like it tells us in John 1633, in this world we now know it didn't have this script at the time, but it is world we will have trials and tribulations, but be of good cheer because I have overcome the world and Noah ended up, even through all his human prevalence and and everything that that involved, right and everything that they had to do. And, as Sherry said, when you read continue to read the story you'll see some, some, some mistakes that were made, that had some consequences, but in the end, noah is written I think it's in a book of Hebrews, right when it talks about the people of faith. Yeah, yeah, right here, okay, hebrews 11.

Speaker 1: 34:05

Yes, where it talks about that. So, even after all of that, god was able to take those trials and tribulations that Noah went through and he was able to just create so much from it because, remember, no one was here, it was just Noah and his three sons. Am I right? Yep, yeah, yeah, is it? Am I getting right? Son? Okay, and yeah, so it was just like three of them, and they're wise.

Speaker 1: 34:35

So literally everyone here and listening to this podcast today, we're all descendants of those of those people who survived after the flood. Now, of course, noah was a descendant of Adam and Eve, right, but that's a completely, you know, different story. So we are all tied to Adam and Eve, but then the flood came, everyone else was wiped out. So now we're all descended of Noah in one way or another, and it's just amazing what God can do with obedience, and amazing with what God can do with a human who has a soul, who has to deal with the everyday shocks and surprises and things of life, and the things that he could do when we just are completely surrendered to him. Is there more that you? I know you would like to add more to that, sherry.

Speaker 2: 35:31

Actually no, I think that you did a fantastic job. So I just we want to. Our goal this year with with the podcast and with talking about different Bible figures, is not to make you guys think that we're, you know, these huge Bible scholars who know all the ins and outs and ups and downs, because we aren't. We're just two women who are totally on fire for God. We love him, we want to point people back to him because we know that that's the only hope that we have. That's where we get our hope and our joy and our peace, as it says in John 1633. So we just want to bring to life some of these Bible characters, bible figures I don't want to call them characters because that makes them seem like they're cartoons Bible figures so that you will get excited and that you will want to read about them yourself, because there is no way that we could take 40 minutes every week in a podcast and speak all of what God wants, spoken to you.

Speaker 2: 36:32

The Bible is a living, breathing excuse me word of God and what he speaks to me. He's not going to speak to care necessarily. And the thing that's so exciting is that when we were talking about Ruth and Boaz on the podcast a few weeks ago, never before had I thought about the correlation between Naomi that's the mom's name, the grandma right, naomi who wanted to be her mother-in-law?

Speaker 1: 37:06

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 37:06

Right. I just wanted to make sure I got that right, because sometimes my brain just doesn't work with names as my family, and it's very embarrassing, but it just happens, but anyway. So, naomi, never before had I got the connection that Naomi gave both Ruth and Orpha the free will to go back to their heathen cultures, never before when I had read that and I should have read that story a gazillion times. So God is always, always, always refreshing and renewing and showing us something different. So that's why we want you all to read it for yourself. We want to talk about it, we want to get you excited about it, but we want you to read it for yourself, study it for yourself. And studying it for yourself just basically means sitting down in a quiet place and either having the Bible app read it to you, if you're someone who does better hearing it, or reading it yourself, if you're somebody who does better seeing it, reading it yourself.

Speaker 2: 38:12

I personally have the type of personality or type of learning ability that I do better if I see the words printed. If I'm trying to listen to it while I'm doing something else, it goes in one ear and out the other and I'm like wait a minute, what was that? I get nothing, but someone in my family, one of my family members. If they have to try to read it, they can read through the page and then they're like, wait a minute, what in the heck did I just read five minutes ago? But if they hear it, they retain it better. So that's all that Tara and I are trying to do. So John 1633, just like Tara said these things, I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. And one thing that I want to piggyback on that is Jesus said, or God said, he is the same yesterday, today and forever. And that is one of the reasons why I absolutely love that we're going through the different Bible figures this year, because the lessons that they learned we can learn from, because Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit were the same yesterday, back then, today, the present day that we're living in right now, and the future, what we will face one year, two year, five years, 10 years down the road, and that right there, should give us that peace that Jesus talks about in John 1633. All of these things I have spoken to you. I am the same yesterday, today and forever that in me you may have peace. It doesn't matter what the world throws at you. It's nothing is new under the sun. It tells us that in the cleavage. So all of that we say just to encourage you.

Speaker 2: 39:56

And if you take the time to read through Noah, as we said, you can find it starting in Genesis 6, and you have a question, you have a comment or you have an aha moment, like I did with Ruth and Boaz, and you want to share it with somebody. Let us be that somebody. We would love for you to share it with us. You can email us at cheeruppodcastgmailcom. You can start a thread on the Facebook group cheer up podcast. If you don't belong to it yet, head on over there and just come on in. We don't have to. There's no questions for you to ask. There's no I mean, there's no answer questions for you to come in, there's no waiting list. You just join right away and you can start talking. We would love for you to start a conversation over there. So Kara has so many wonderful resources on her website. I would encourage you to head over there to karaahuntcom. I have resources on mine too, sherryswallowcom, and one of the things that Kara was talking about earlier is she was saying how she loved to study different topics with the Bible. She's a topical person.

Speaker 2: 41:03

Well, that is one of the things that God has been speaking to me about, about the membership Jesus in the everyday. Starting last month, starting in February, we started the mini devotionals that are exclusive only to the membership, have started talking about and introducing different topics. So February, we talked about the Holy Spirit. March, we've been talking about forgiveness. April, we're going to be talking about boundaries healthy biblical boundaries. May, we're going to be talking about family both healthy and unhealthy family relationships and encouragement of how to deal with those things.

Speaker 2: 41:39

Again, not coming from a perspective of I'm an expert in any of that but the perspective of I'm your friend. I might be a little bit ahead of you, I might be a little bit behind you spiritually speaking, but we can grow and we can work on this together. It's a community and it's just something that I really felt like God wanted me to start so that, if you are someone who needs not necessarily guidance per se, but who needs more of like an accountability to stay in his word, to to spend your days focused and surrendered to him. That's kind of what the membership is all about. It's not a you have to be perfect, it's just a hey, I'm here to come alongside you, I'm here to encourage you, I'm here to let's talk, let's grow our faith, and so I just wanted to point that out, since Kara was talking about how she's a topical person. There is a discount for sweet seniors Anyone over, I don't care 55 or 60 and for younger adults, because I think especially young people need just need that mentorship and need that encouragement from from people who are just a little bit older and, honestly, I think, people.

Speaker 2: 43:01

I consider myself one of the little bit older, unfortunately, but well, fortunately, because I have three amazing kids. Two of them are young adults themselves, and I love the fact that I get to watch them sprout their wings and become the people that God created them to be, and so I think that we can all learn from each other. They can learn from my life experiences and I can learn from them and their perspective. So if you're interested in checking out the membership, head over to my website, and you will. You can just click on me. I want to be a member or you want to find out more about the Jesus in the everyday.

Speaker 2: 43:39

Like I said, there's discount for the younger and the older, because they don't want money to be an obstacle. So you can even email me and say hey, I don't fit into either one of those categories, but I'm living paycheck to paycheck and I could use a discount to you know what? Talk to me. There's no shame in that game. Believe me, we have had so many ups and downs in our family as well that I will work with you, because what's most important is pointing you to the one who loves you and the one who has all the answers, and that is Jesus Christ. So have a great rest of your day, a great week, and come back next week because we're going to be talking about more biblical figures from the Old Testament. And again, I am so excited to share with you. And coming from a friend to a friend, a woman to a woman, a woman to a man, not from a Bible scholar, an expert, to a believer to a believer.

Speaker 2: 44:39

Amen, and Christ follower to Christ follower. You got it, Kara. So that's us. So come back next week if you feel like joining us again and talking about another biblical figure. Have a great week.