Don’t Overcomplicate Your Faith (Start Here)

In this episode, Dayna shares what she would tell someone just beginning their faith journey. Keeping it simple and approachable, she walks through where to start in the Bible—highlighting books like the Gospel of John and Gospel of Luke—what truly matters when building a relationship with God, and what often gets overcomplicated along the way. Through personal insight and relatable analogies, she reminds listeners that faith isn’t about perfection or performance, but about knowing Jesus and growing with Him over time.

✨LINKS + MORE✨

shop my life application study bible: https://collabs.shop/4vd3j8 
DAYNA = 10% off entire Hosana Revival order!!

SOTE scents: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2...

IG: @daynamaierr

TikTok: @daynamaier

YouTube:    / @daynamaier  

SUBSTACK 💝 subscribe for weekly devotionals!! https://substack.com/@daynamaier?r=76...

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Buckle on up besties. We're back in our Bibles. Hello and welcome to another episode of Gospel2Go, the bite-sized Bible study you can take with you anywhere. My name is Dana. I am your host, and I am so incredibly excited and happy that you are here. I love you so much, and Jesus loves you so much. So today we are touching on a fun little topic. Um, you'll probably be able to tell by the title. If you or maybe even someone you know is fairly new to faith, or maybe you're somebody who used to be really involved in your faith, and then you fell out or you became very lukewarm and you're just trying to get back into it, I decided I would put together a podcast episode where I was kind of talking to the girl who just wants to, you know, start or start over, right? Like if we were going to grab a cup of coffee and sit down and go over everything, this is what I would tell you. So again, just you know, if you're starting your faith journey or you're thinking about it, or there's just a little seed in there, this episode is exactly what I want you to hear. So let's get on into it. Oh, wait, before we start, we need to pray. If you are somebody safe that you can bow your head and close your eyes, I invite you to do so. Otherwise, just follow along. Lord God, thank you so much for bringing me together with my bestie on the other side of this podcast, Lord. I pray that you teach something to them and also to me, just as we blow through this podcast, Lord, as we walk through this podcast together, as we pray together, as we learn together. And I pray that you remind my friend on the other side of this podcast just how lucky they are to be loved by you, Lord, that ultimately you have done the ultimate sacrifice and that we are brought together today because of you. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Um, you guys, I am a little bit, before we get into this, let's like just we need to like have a brief catch-up. If you missed last week's episode, um, I'm leaving for my bachelorette trip in two days, not tomorrow, but the next day at like four in the morning. And I'm just a little stressy. I'm just a little stressed. And I was FaceTiming my maid of honor. We were like packing together over FaceTime because she's coming up tomorrow, and she was like, Have you prayed about it? And I was like, Oh, girl, you already know I've done everything but that. Like, I just want to remind you guys, like, seriously, even somebody like me who talks about Jesus and posts about Jesus every day forgets to pray and forgets to go to him in some of the darkest times. And I I shouldn't say darkest, but just some of the like most stressful times. I'm very stressed right now just because of a lot of things. There's a lot of things going on in my life. Um, and besides the wedding, like obviously the wedding is coming up. We are very boom, boom, boom, go, go, go. I, you know, I'm still I'm working my full-time job, I'm doing content creation on the side. I have, you know, this trip coming up, and then I have my shower that I'm getting ready for. And I just I told her, I'm like, these are all things that I brought upon myself. Does that make sense? Like, these are all things that I've put myself in the situation. I feel like God would be like, what, like, you got yourself into this, Dana? Like, what do you want me to do? You know? And I just I needed that reminder today that, like, that is not who God is, and He will be there. You can pray to him about anything. So I guess I wanted to get into this really quick because if I sound sound a little bit scatterbrained or I'm like finding the wrong words and I'm dragging a little bit, it's because it's 10 p.m., which is way past my bedtime. Um, on Tuesday that I'm recording this, I'm recording this early for you guys because we cannot miss a week, okay? We cannot miss a week of gospel to go. So when you're listening to this, I'll be thriving in Florida on my trip. But uh, I just I wanted to, you know, obviously get something scheduled and up for you guys so we didn't fall out of routine. And I know how much you guys like love the podcast, and I just wanted to stay um on schedule. But anywho, I need you to know, like I've just had a long week. So um, that is why, if I sound a little bit, I don't know, just different today. But nevertheless, um, let's get into it. So I wanted to start with like one of my most commonly asked questions is where do I start? Where do I start in the Bible? Okay, you don't need to start in Genesis and like try to power through the entire Bible front to back. And I think that's where a lot of people make the mistake. I always tell people to start in the Gospels. Gospel of John is amazing, gospel of Luke is probably my second favorite, okay? Um, because in the Gospels, the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you're learning who Jesus actually is, like what he did in his 33 years here on earth when he came here, like what he taught and the miracles he performed. You're learning so much about who he is and him as Jesus and not just the rules in the history, which is what a lot of the first few books of the Bible are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus. Um, those are just really like you're learning about, you know, Moses and um Passover and the plagues and the creation of you know the world and then Adam and Eve, and then you know, Cabe Ain and Ain and Cable. I mean, seriously, like this is why I gave you, this is why I gave you guys the disclaimer. Cain and Abel, okay, and you know, the brother, they kill each other. You know, you know what I'm saying? So there is a lot of history and just like crazy things happening. Sarah, okay, um, Abraham and Abraham and his son Isaac, like all of these things that are happening at the beginning of the Bible are crucial and they are important to know. And I think that it's very important that we do obviously read those at some point. But I think when you're trying to establish a relationship with Jesus, in my opinion, again, this is just my opinion and what I would tell myself if I was starting over, um, is that Genesis is like you just don't have to start there. It can be really heavy. The Old Testament's very heavy and there's a lot in there. And I think if you're somebody that wants to go in chronicle chronological order, like, do it, go for it, love that for you. But I did start there and ended up skipping to the New Testament. Um, and I'm really comfy in the New Testament right now. I really should go back to the Old Testament and brush up a little bit on that. But it is, it's just a lot. Um, it's a little bit harder to read and understand. So I always recommend starting in the Gospels. Again, that's Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I think they're pretty easy reads. Um, and again, just easier to comprehend. So again, you're learning who Jesus is and not just like the rules. And we'll get into why I think that's important here in a second. Um, you'll also just want to like add a very, very simple structure. Um, so set a task for yourself. Like read one chapter a day. Maybe you don't have time to read a chapter, or you know, some chapters are longer than others depending on what book you're in. Pick some sort of task that you want to complete. It doesn't have to be anything crazy. It just needs to be something that you can stay consistent with. Okay. So read one chapter a day and then maybe ask yourself, what is this showing me about Jesus? Or what does this mean for me? Get out some scrap paper or a journal, start a notebook, like a journaling, you know, a Bible study journal, something like that. Um, you guys know my code for Hosanna Revival, Hosanna Revival is Dana. It saves you 10%. Um, and I'm just throwing this out there because they have so many beautiful Bibles and really good like um Bible application, like study Bibles. They have very um good resources over there, and then also like notebooks, just absolutely stunning notebooks. I think I always feel like more inclined to open a book or to read something or to write in something if it's like really pretty. So if that's you, check those out. I always have them linked down below. Um, but there's a reason like why this is important, you know, to actually journal and reflect on it because that is going to help your relationship with God grow so much more than you know. At the core of Christianity, it's not about being perfect. Okay. I think a lot of people get lost here too. Like, there's no perfect way to do this. Um, it's about knowing Jesus and walking with him. And I think I I don't know how to explain this. Like, I sort of have an up had an epiphany like a while ago. I want to say this was like 2020 or maybe 2021. I remember I was driving home from work and I was praying or I was thinking about it, and it was kind of the first time I had ever come to the realization that God is omnipresent, and I didn't even really like know that word or what that meant back then, but now I know like God has the ability to be everywhere at once. And I remember thinking when I was praying, like, no way God hears my prayers. Like, how can he hear everyone? I like there's a million, a billion, seven billion people in the world. Like, how could he possibly manage all of this and do all this and listen to all of this? And the the concept is he is omnipresent, right? He has the ability to be everywhere at once, which means he can he is within us. Well, obviously, with the Holy Spirit, he's within us, but he can be with us and walk with us and listen to us and talk to us and have that relationship with us and walk alongside us, all seven billion of us at one time, which is quite literally insane. And if that's something that you're like, no way, Dana, like you really expect me to believe that. That's crazy. We're not supposed to understand, okay? God is so like out of this world, it's it's hard for the human brain to understand the concept of it, and that's what faith is all about. Like, faith is about believing in something that you can't see, okay? And I'm telling you all right now, give it a chance. Like, what's the harm in giving Jesus a chance? Right? So, why did I get into all of that? Essentially, I think I was just trying to come to the the point where you don't have to be perfect, like nothing has to be, you know, the most perfect way or in a you know perfect scenario or situation for you to start that walk with him. Um, because he knows you, he knows you so well. He knows your name. The God that created the universe knows your name, he knows every hair on your head, and he's been walking with you this whole time. Um, in John 15, I just wanted to tie back to some scripture. Um, John is again one of the gospels. Um, and it John as a whole, like records part of Jesus' farewell discourse to his disciples, centered on the metaphor of the vine and the branches in this uh this like actual chapter 15. So um the actual like verse, the vine and the branches. And I just went over this. Did I not go over this like two episodes ago? Or maybe I made a TikTok on it. Anyway, um, verses one through eight introduces the final of Jesus' seven I am statements in John's gospel. I am the true vine, and my father is the husband man. Believers are depicted as branches whose vitality depends on remaining in the vine. The father, as the gardener, prunes fruitful branches to increase yield, and removes the barren ones. This imagery emphasizes dependence on Christ and fruit bearing as evidence of authentic faith, which essentially is just like explaining how God is, we're connected to God, right? We are the branches. He is the vine, and we are the branches. Am I saying that the right way? You guys know what I mean. Like we are connected to God at all times, and he has been with us every step of the way. So there's no cleaning up to come to God. Like he knows who you are and accepts you as you are right now. You don't have to fix your whole life become before coming to him. You just come as you are and he transforms you over time, which is so cool. Okay. Um, and then also there are things that people make feel like it's the main thing, like it's the big thing about being a Christian in Christianity that just aren't. So, for example, like having this perfect, structured, quiet time routine, knowing a ton of scripture right away, right off the bat, looking like a perfect Christian online, getting everything right immediately, like memorizing things, understanding the stories. Growth with God is a relationship, you guys. It's not a performance, it's nothing that has to be perfect. Um, you guys know I love my analogies. So think about it like starting a new friendship. You're you're not gonna understand or know this person like overnight. You wouldn't expect to know everything about them overnight. You spend time with them, you learn with them, and you eventually grow closer as friends. And that's exactly what this is with God. It is a relationship. So, I mean, I know that this was a shorter episode and it was just like a couple topics that I really wanted to like cover. Um, but genuinely, I just want you guys to believe like it is not hard to come to Jesus. It's he is there like waiting for you. Okay. You have to just take the step, take the leap, and it's not as scary as it sounds, and it's not as crazy as you might think. We just open a Bible, right? Get into the word, like forget about I hope so badly that you're not turned off or turned away from God because of religion or because of a church. Those are worldly things and created by the world. Okay. There is one God, he has one son, Jesus Christ. And if you believe in him, you'll make it to eternal life, right? And believing in him is reading his word and abiding by it, abiding by it and being obedient and understanding it and building that relationship with him. And it takes time. So give yourself grace, give yourself the time to do so. Again, start in the Bible. I would recommend starting in the gospels, read it, journal on it, make it whatever you want. I have devotionals you can follow along with. I'll leave them linked below on my Substack. Um, like if you need a guided study, there are tons of resources online for guided studies, or if you need like prompts for your journal or whatever. Um, I just I encourage you guys to just jump, just take the leap. There's nothing bad that could come out of this. There's nothing bad that could come out of this. So why not just go for it? Right. If you are at the very beginning of your faith, just know you're not behind. Okay, you're not doing it wrong. I just want you to start, just open your Bible, talk to God. And the most important thing here, you guys, is to keep showing up. Stay consistent. Okay. Stay consistent. Talk to him, talk to him in the morning, talk to him when you're driving, talk to him at night. Oh, I love you guys so much. If this helped you, send this to someone who has been asking questions about faith, maybe, or just starting their journey, um, maybe a friend or a family member. And of course, you guys, I love when y'all share the podcast because it's a great way to spread the word about God. And if you're feeling about it, if you're feeling about it, what? What? You guys, I have to go to bed. If you're feeling like it, send me over some notes or like any takeaways from the episode. I love chatting with you guys over on Instagram DM. Um, so I will see you guys over there if you want to have a little chitty chatty. But I am so, so excited to hear what your thoughts are on this episode and anything that you took away. Um, again, you guys, thank you so much for just being here and for supporting me and trusting me alongside your journey with God. It means the absolute world to me. And I love getting to do this. So, again, I love you so much, and Jesus loves you. I will see you for next week's episode.