Small Steps with God Podcast Por Jill from The Northwoods arte de portada

Small Steps with God

Small Steps with God

De: Jill from The Northwoods
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Small Steps with God is a practical guide to learning how to study the Bible thoughtfully and faithfully. Through clear teaching on exegesis, historical context, and careful reading, this podcast helps listeners move beyond surface-level interpretations and grow in confidence as students of Scripture. Episodes explore how meaning is drawn from the text—not read into it—along with series like MIRRORS, which examine biblical figures and historical groups to reflect on faith, obedience, and daily life. This is a place for steady growth, honest thinking, and learning to walk closely with God—one small step at a time.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Cristianismo Espiritualidad Ministerio y Evangelismo
Episodios
  • Titus: A Letter Written for Chaotic Times

    Titus: A Letter Written for Chaotic Times
    Apr 14 2026
    Some letters in the New Testament feel written for a specific ancient crisis. Titus doesn't feel that way — it feels written for right now. A young, unstructured church, false teachers already at work, a surrounding culture known for instability and self-indulgence, and one trusted person left to sort it all out. That's not just first-century Crete. That's familiar territory.Who Was Titus?Titus doesn't appear in Acts at all, which is striking given how much Paul relied on him. He shows up in Paul's other letters as a Gentile believer whom Paul trusted with the hardest assignments — representing Paul to the troubled Corinthian church, organizing famine relief for Jerusalem, and now, being left in Crete to establish order in a chaotic young congregation. He was not famous, but the early church functioned because of people like him.Where Is Crete and Why Does It Matter?Crete is the largest island in Greece, a busy Mediterranean crossroads with a history going back to the Minoans. By the time of this letter, it was a Roman province with a Jewish population — some of whom had been in Jerusalem for Pentecost, heard Peter's sermon, believed, and carried the gospel home with them. The church likely started that way: ordinary people with extraordinary news. But the island had a well-known cultural reputation for dishonesty, self-indulgence, and instability, and that culture was seeping into the congregation.The Three Pillars of the LetterPaul's response to the chaos in Crete was built on three things: get the right people into leadership (chapter one), make the teaching sound, and let the gospel visibly reshape how people actually live — at every age. These aren't three separate programs. They flow from the same source: grace that saves and grace that transforms.Two Theological AnchorsThe letter contains two of Paul's most compact theological summaries. Titus 2:11–14 describes grace as an active force — not just forgiveness received, but a power that trains believers to live differently. Titus 3:4–7 is among the clearest statements of justification by grace in all of Paul's letters: saved not because of righteous works, but by God's mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.Why This Letter, Why NowEvery generation has its own version of Crete — moral confusion, distorted teaching, cultural pressure toward self-indulgence, and people inside the church going through the motions. Paul's answer is always the same: faithful leadership, sound doctrine, and lives that actually look like the gospel is true. Those three things together make a church stable even in a very difficult place.Jill’s Linkshttps://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspodhttps://twitter.com/schmernEmail the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.”Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.“The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”.Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”.By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences, faith journey, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, theologian, or counselor. Any spiritual reflections, devotional thoughts, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, faith community, or professional mental health provider. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.
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    19 m
  • 148 - Your Occupation Is Not a Waiting Room for God

    148 - Your Occupation Is Not a Waiting Room for God
    Apr 7 2026
    If you look at the famous names of the Bible and ask what they did for a living when God called them, the answer is almost never: official religious work. Fishermen, tentmakers, tax collectors, seamstresses, shepherds, government administrators, an innkeeper, a foreign field laborer, a nameless slave girl. This episode asks what that overwhelming pattern means for ordinary people today.The List of Ordinary CallingsPeter, Andrew, James, and John were fishing. Paul was building tents — a trade he kept alongside his missionary work. Matthew was collecting taxes for the Roman occupation when Jesus came directly to his office and said, come now. Lydia sold purple cloth and opened her home as a church the day she believed. Dorcas was sewing clothes for widows, and her community grieved her so deeply that Peter raised her from the dead.Shepherds, Government Workers, and CraftspeopleDavid was watching his father's sheep when Samuel came to anoint him. Amos was a shepherd and fig farmer who said plainly: I had no credentials, God grabbed me out of the field. Nehemiah was a royal cupbearer. Daniel administered a pagan empire. Joseph became second-in-command of Egypt. Esther was a Persian queen. These weren't people operating outside the system — God used them right where they were.Ruth, Rahab, and the Woman at the WellRuth was a foreign-born immigrant doing field agriculture because she had nothing to eat. Rahab — innkeeper, possibly prostitute, possibly both — hid the Israelite spies and shows up in the genealogy of Jesus. The Samaritan woman at the well, with five ex-husbands and a reputation, met Jesus at noon and became the first evangelist to her entire town, with no preparation and no credentials whatsoever.How Few Official Religious Workers There Actually WereOut of twelve tribes of Israel, one — the Levites, and specifically the descendants of Aaron — had priestly duties. That's a small fraction of the total population with any official religious role. But before the Levitical system was even established, God told the whole nation at Sinai: you will be a kingdom of priests. Every person. That was always the design.What 1 Peter 2:9 Means for Regular PeopleIn 1 Peter 2:9, Peter writes to ordinary, scattered believers — not leaders of any kind — and says: you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. In Christ, the original design is restored. Everybody. The work of the gospel travels through farm fields, workshops, government offices, homes, and ordinary Tuesdays. Ordinary life is not a waiting room while someone else does the real work.ClosingYou don't need a title. You don't need credentials. That servant girl in Naaman's household didn't even have a name — and her testimony made it into the eternal record. The job you have, the neighborhood you live in, the conversations you have on a regular Tuesday: that is exactly where God's work in the world happens.Jill’s Linkshttps://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspodhttps://twitter.com/schmernEmail the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.”Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.“The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”.Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”.By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences, faith journey, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, theologian, or counselor. Any spiritual reflections, devotional thoughts, or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, faith community, or ...
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    18 m
  • 147 - When Are You Going to Start Living Like Psalm 23 Is True?

    147 - When Are You Going to Start Living Like Psalm 23 Is True?
    Mar 31 2026
    When are you going to start living like Psalm 23 is actually true? That question stopped me cold. I had been talking through a difficult personal pattern with an AI tool—how I've always felt like the only adult in the room, responsible for everything—and the response that came back changed something in me. In this episode, I want to walk through Psalm 23 slowly, phrase by phrase, and ask what it would actually look like to live it, not just recite it.The Lord Is My Shepherd — I Shall Not WantIn ancient Israel, a shepherd wasn't a romantic figure. He was a working person in rough terrain who knew where to find food and water, tracked every single animal, and fought off predators. When David says 'the Lord is my shepherd,' he's speaking from direct experience—he fought lions and bears before he fought Goliath. 'I shall not want' in Hebrew is closer to 'I lack for nothing essential.' Not luxury. Sufficiency. That's a more stable promise than anything we chase.Green Pastures, Still Waters, and the Sheep That Won't Lie DownSheep only lie down when they're free from fear, free from tension with other sheep, free from pests, and well-fed. A shepherd who makes the sheep lie down isn't forcing them—he's removed every anxiety until rest is possible. Still waters matter too: sheep are frightened by moving water. Their wool soaks and can drag them under. The shepherd finds calm pools. This is specific, attentive, personal care.He Restores My SoulThe Hebrew word is shub—return, bring back. Philip Keller's illustration of the 'cast sheep' (a sheep rolled onto its back that can't right itself) makes the image vivid: restoration isn't just comfort. It's being turned back to the right position. The soul gets depleted. It gets turned upside down. The shepherd flips it back.The Valley of the Shadow of DeathAt the most dangerous moment in the psalm, the language shifts from 'he' to 'you.' David stops describing the shepherd and starts talking directly to God. The danger doesn't disappear in this passage—God doesn't reroute around the valley. He walks through it with you, armed with a rod (to protect) and a staff (to guide). Both tools tell you the shepherd came prepared.A Table in the Presence of My EnemiesIn Near Eastern hospitality culture, a host was obligated not just to feed a guest but to protect them—even from the guest's enemies—as long as they sat at the table. The anointing of oil was the sign of honored guest status. The overflowing cup is not minimum provision. It's abundance. And the enemies are still there, watching, as all of this happens.ClosingSurely goodness and mercy are chasing you. That word 'surely'—no hedging, no 'I hope so.' The same word David used for an enemy in relentless pursuit, he now applies to the goodness and mercy of God. I went to bed with tears, realizing I've been acting like there's no shepherd. There has always been a shepherd. Let's start living like it's true.Jill’s Linkshttps://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgodhttps://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspodhttps://twitter.com/schmernEmail the podcast at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.”Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.“The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”.Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”.By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal experiences and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed healthcare provider, psychiatrist, or counselor. Any advice or suggestions offered should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice. You are solely responsible...
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    25 m
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