You know, I've realized I'm kind of picky when it comes to Bible translations. Yeah, you are, because you're the guy that underlines half the page and then argues with the footnotes. And I'm a good arguer. But, you know, I care about two things, faithfulness to the original text and just being able to read it without feeling like I'm reading a dictionary. Which is why we're grateful for the support of the Christian Standard Bible.
The CSB was created to be accurate and readable, helping people engage God's word with confidence and clarity. And it's sponsors like the CSB that help make this podcast possible. To learn more, visit csbible.com. Hi. I think we all are very familiar with the verse that says, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord.
But what we don't think through is he doesn't say, I'm going to let you know the plans I have for you, right? He says, I know them. And if we really know who he is, if we've really spent the time and we've invested in fostering a relationship with him, searching for him like hidden treasure, right? If we've done those things, then when he says, I know the plans I have for you, that's enough. Welcome to Family Life Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most.
I'm Dave Wilson. And I'm Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifetoday.com. This is Family Life Today.
So today we get to ask some questions, and there's nobody on the planet asks better questions than you. Why would you say that?
Well, there is one person that asks better questions than you. His name is Jesus. No, seriously, there's no one like you. That's nice. Whether it's in an airport with a total stranger or people in our neighborhood or friends come over, you.
Are not about you, you are about them, and you ask questions and you draw them out. I think that's one of the reasons we're so drawn to this Bible study that we're going to talk about today. Yeah, what is it? It's called Untangling Faith: Reclaiming Hope in the Questions Jesus Asked. And we have Amberly Neese with us today.
Yes, and I'm so excited to be here, but I want to just take a minute. That is high praise to say that somebody is a good question asker. That was sweet of him. That was very, very kind.
So, I don't know how many husband points he gets, but he deserves all points. I should get 50. Exactly, exactly.
Well, Amberly, we're going to talk about untangling faith. And I set that up because so much of this book's about the questions that Jesus asked. But before we get there, you travel the country. And do what? I know you do humor, but what else?
So I do women's retreats. I definitely am a speaker, but I tour with two national tours with comedy, Aspire Women's Events and the Marriage Date Night Tour. And I'm able to share comedy and laughter with couples and ladies and love doing that. And hopefully they see Jesus and all of that. But I love, love, love to do that.
But I also love doing women's retreats and diving into God's word with ladies. That's such a blessing. And you love Bible study. You love teaching. You love digging into the scriptures.
I do. I do. I do. And I did not think that that was going to be my jam. I mean, like, I loved God's word, but at least when I was young, the ladies in my life that could do that, I just like, oh, you know, like, there's no way I could ever do that.
And fortunately, God uses the ill-equipped and does great things despite them.
So I'm excited about that. Share with our listeners the first time you started. Teaching because it wasn't something you were anticipating. No. No.
So when Scott and I were first married, our very first call was like two weeks after we got married, and we got called to a church in Garden Grove, California, and they wanted to put a women's retreat together. And they asked me if I would be willing to do it. And I thought, I'm not sure I'm up for the task. And they said, that's okay. We don't have anything to pay you.
So you'll be worth whatever we, whatever we, whatever we're going to pay you, which is zippity von duda. And I loved it. I loved the diving into God's word and looking at a particular topic. I loved really doing some deep diving. The whole process was so fantastic.
And at the end of the weekend, I came home and I was so emotional. It was such a gift. I know that's shocking.
Sometimes women's retreats just like give them a little bit of Jesus and a lot of tissues because we do have a tendency to get emotional. But I came home and I just told him I was really overwhelmed and I tried to articulate what I was feeling. And I said, you know, like, did you ever watch Chariots of Fire? Where when Eric Little says when he runs, he feels God's pleasure. And my husband's like, do you want to start running?
And I'm like, no, oh my goodness, no. Get behind me, Satan. No, that is not what I want to do. I said, but I felt like I was doing. What God wanted me to do, that I was in the right place in the universe.
And he said, Well, well, how can I help? And I said, I don't know. I don't even know where to get started. How sweet of him to ask that question. How can I know?
That gives him some points. Oh, a zillion, zillions of points. I mean, I feel really thankful. I really feel so. fortunate that my husband is as clear about my call as I am and my kids as well.
So I feel really, really thankful for that.
So why this Bible study is when you say reclaiming hope in the questions Jesus asks. Yes. What's that mean? I have lots of people in my life who are deconstructing their faith. I have lots of friends who are loving their kids and grandkids through jumping off of the faith bus.
I mean, they just are really struggling. And I wanted to practically look at what that looks like and how to give hope to people when it comes to that.
So most Bible studies that I've done, they're written for the sweet church lady who needs encouragement and, you know, hope in her heart and all those things. But I wanted to write a study for those that were saying, I am beseeching the Lord on behalf of somebody who's struggling or who's leaving the faith, who's struggling in their faith or leaving their faith. I want like practical, tactile things that I can do to provide hope. And all of my studies, I look from a certain vantage point. Point.
And this one is unlike any of them. The six-week study every single day is a different. Question that Jesus asked, not an answer like tie it up in a pretty little bow and everybody's happy and there's a soundtrack that begins. We don't break into Oklahoma halfway through the study. It is an unpacking of the questions Jesus asked.
And Jesus really only answered straight out. Two questions in the Bible. The rest, he often would respond to a question with a question. And God did the same in the Old Testament. Old Testament.
Totally. Over 300 questions in the New Testament that Jesus asked. And what I think is interesting about that is that we teach kids to be like Jesus in so many, like, this is how you deal with people, and this is how you handle this, and this is how you do whatever, but we rarely give them permission. To ask questions and to embrace the power of what those can be. Questions can be holy beginnings of journeys.
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So join us. Yeah, just go to familylifetoday.com and tap the donate button at the top of the page. What's one of the questions that Jesus asked that you just tugged at your heart that you're like, oh, yeah, this is so good that he asked this question? I loved studying, who do you say that I am? Which sounds silly, especially for those of us who are believers and know who Jesus is.
However, It was really profound for me. Actually, the week that I was writing that particular chapter, I had gone into the dermatologist. My dad died of skin cancer when he was 51. My sister had major skin cancer surgery. Like it looks like she has a shark bite on the back of her leg when she was in her early 40s.
And I'd gone in, and usually I have my dermatologist wonderful, and did the scan. But this time he said, There's some places I'm really concerned about. And so there were about. Nine days, for whatever reason, that's how long it took. And in those nine days, I kept hearing that question: well, who do you say that I am?
And you'd think that they're unrelated, but do I believe that he's Jehovah Jireh? Do I believe he's the provider? Do I believe he's the healer? Do I believe he is the God who works all things for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose? Do I really believe?
Who do you say that I am?
So I would say with my mouth, I mean, goodness knows, I travel the nation, I tell people that Jesus is Lord, right? And he is. But when it comes right down to it, when there are questions in my mind, when my mind was riddled with, you're going to have cancer. How are your kids going to respond if you have cancer? What's going to happen to your husband?
What financially are you guys in? I mean, I just had this like crazy that I recognized that. Even though I'd been a believer a long time, I still had some unresolved issues when it came to who I really say that he is. And not just with my mouth, but with my life. What does my life say that he is?
Does my life say Oh yeah, she trusts. What happened with the cancer? What was the diagnosis? The cancer was that it's fine and all the things were good, that there's still things that we need to watch. But more thrilling to me than the diagnosis that things were okay was the journey that I took in those nine days of really figuring out, really being honest with God about my areas that I'm still holding on to, thinking I'm in control, that I'm large and in charge is what we used to say with our kids.
Well, it's interesting because just last spring. I had had a mole removed and I asked the doctor, will you please take this off? I know you've said it's fine in the past, but I would just like you to take it off. And so we were here recording and we were having lunch with a guest and I got a call from my doctor. And I said, hey, I'm going to step out.
I need to get this. And she said, hey, so that diagnosis showed that you have melanoma. I remember that night in bed. Just asking God, God, are you here? Do you see this?
I know you do. I know you do, Lord. I know spiritually, biblically, theologically that you are with me. But, Lord, I sometimes need to be reminded. It's almost like John the Baptist saying, I know you're the one, but are you the one?
That kind of thing. And it's so crazy because a couple of days later. I went over to talk to my neighbor because we were going to go out of town. And he said, he's this great older man, probably in his 80s. He says, and he's Polish.
I need to show you this. Come, come, come, come. And I said, what's up? And he said, I need to show you what happened last night. I said, oh, what happened?
And he gets out his phone. And he, you know, he's trying to find the picture and he's, he's having struggle finding it. And he said, last night I woke up like three in the morning. He said, and I couldn't sleep. And I look out and I see your house and I see this angel or Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
He goes, I don't know what it was, but I took a picture of it. And he goes, oh, here it is. And he shows me. And I'm like, what in the world? Did you photoshop this?
What is this? He goes, If he can't figure out his phone, I don't think he's photoshopping. Let's be on his phone. What's photoshopping? And I said, Will you send this to me?
He said, I don't know how to do that.
So I sent it to myself and I showed Dave. And, you know, everybody can say, like, whatever, it's just the clouds. But I'm telling you, this thing, to me, was like, you guys can say it's nothing, it's something, but I'm going to tell you for me. That just was all I needed, like hey in. Yeah, I woke this dude up across the street, let him see this thing, and he took a picture with his phone.
So, Well, you can be skeptical, but for me, I knew it in my head. Yes. But just that sweet, loving kindness of God saying, I'm with you. I'm with you in this. And who do you say that I am?
Who do you say that I am?
Yes. You are the God who sees. And hears. Yes, absolutely. I mean, what would your response have been if the melanoma came back?
Not good. I mean, I think I know, but I just literally preached the Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego story a couple weeks ago, and you know, where they say to King Nebuchadnezzar, we will not bow down to your idol. Right. And if you throw us in the fire, our God will deliver us. They say will, not maybe, they say will deliver us.
But if he does not, we will. We still will.
Well, he might not. Maybe his plan is we die and go to heaven. It's a promotion. You got to love that phrase. But even if he doesn't, I'm not going to submit.
Your story turned out well. Do you know what you would have thought if, okay, you're sitting here today?
So it's super easy for me to say at this point, you know, right? Yeah. There are times that things don't work out beautifully. I mean, again, our story includes nine years of infertility. We could get pregnant.
We just couldn't stay pregnant. And I will tell you that sometimes I felt like, oh, yeah, nope, my faith is in a good place. And then. tragedy would strike and I would realize, nope, I still have some growing to do. And so I would hope that I would just give him praise.
I would, I would hope that I would look like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and say, oh, yes, absolutely. But let's be honest, I am imperfect and I can't even stand the heat of Arizona sometimes, much less the heat of a fiery furnace. But I would hope that I would give him praise. I mean, I love, I think we all are very familiar with the verse that says, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, right? But what we don't think through is he doesn't say, I'm going to let you know the plans I have for you, right?
He says, I know them. And if we really. Know who he is, if we've really spent the time and we've invested in fostering a relationship with him, searching for him like hidden treasure, right? If we've done those things, then when he says, I know the plans I have for you, that's enough. Right.
And we can be satisfied in that because we're trusting less in ourselves and trusting more in the character of who he is. And so I would like to say that I would. find joy in all of it. Um I got on a flight one time and there was a lady who was late getting on the flight. And she was um I'm a big girl, but she was a big girl too.
And she was struggling to make her way through the very narrow aisle and she's doing whatever. But every time she would bump somebody, she would say, It's all joy. It's all joy. It's all joy. And wouldn't you know she sits across from me?
And I said for her, you know, I'm thinking to myself, like, doesn't she know the term is it's all good, right? That was when it's all good was a thing. And then the more I thought about it, it's like, no, consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials and many times, because you know the testimony of your faith develops perseverance. She was literally saying, This feels like a little trial, but it's all joy. And my hope was that I would respond with, even when the cancer.
comes back positive. It's all joy. Right, because I know who God is, and when He says, Do you who do you say that I am? That I can say with confidence, You are God who has proven Himself so worthwhile. I love the ministry that you all have to married couples, and I'm going to share my favorite marriage tool.
You ready for this? Here it is. Your favorite marriage tool ever. In our 31 years of marriage, which I know for some people, I always think it's funny when you meet other couples and there's a competition. Like even with the believers, this is holy competition.
Oh, only 31 years. That's adorable. We've been married 43 or whatever it happens to be. Hey, she just said our exact number. There you go.
I love that. She just got us. Is an Ebenezer.
So in our early in our marriage, You know, the Old Testament Ebenezer, where God would do something great and he would say, I want you to build an altar and I want you to call it. God is great, give him chocolate cake or whatever the new, whatever the message version says. But anyway, he would say, I want you to build an altar for this. And it was a blessing as the people would come and go.
Well, Scott and I, very early on, especially when things were really tight financially, we started an Ebenezer.
Now, it didn't look like the Old Testament thing. It looked like a charger plate that we'd gotten for our wedding that we never used, right? The charger plate is the one that I always feel like that's the one I want to eat off of, but I want to, you know, practice some self-control.
So I'll use the smaller plate, but the charger plate and a hurricane lamp and a candle and rocks from the dollar store. And every time God did something great, we would take the rocks from outside of the hurricane, we'd write on it, put the date, and then we'd put them inside. And what we found is it was really hard to feel sorry for ourselves when we were able to see God's hand. In every day. And at the end of the year, we'd pull it out and we'd say, oh, this is when you got out of that traffic ticket.
Or this is when, this is when God provided. When we didn't think it was possible, you know, we'd we'd get a Deposit for something that we did not even see coming. We just kept looking at the faithfulness of God and transformative for a marriage. Because again, it's really easy as humans to feel sorry for ourselves or to get self-absorbed. It's really hard to stay self-absorbed when you're looking at God's provision.
Every day. And in those first couple of years of marriage, that's what it felt like. It literally felt like manna every single day. And that's been huge. And we've done it with our kids.
We've done it as a family for years, but for us, it's been so huge. And when. God asks us, Who do you say that I am? He's proven himself so faithful. And again, even if the bill doesn't get paid, even if the check doesn't get signed, even if the whatever, he's still God.
And when he says, Who do you say that I am? I can say with confidence, all these years later, you are the God who. loves me and sees me and works in my best interest and Knows that I'm workmanship because you've created me. Yeah, I think it's interesting what you're saying because you're talking about that Ebenezer being with your husband. And, you know, I'm preaching a sermon a few weeks ago on Shadrach, Meshach, and Bebego.
And honestly, I. preached something like that 20 years ago. And it didn't hit me until this time. that in that story You never hear of Shadrach? Meshach or Abednego alone.
Mm. The entire from beginning to end is they're always together. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
And so you think, is there something that community, when you got to answer that question, who do you say I am? We already talked about your other project, the belonging project, is all about community. I think when we struggle, like a lot of people that deconstruct or deconvert, they're often alone. Who's walking beside them to help answer that question? Because I'm struggling right now to remember who Jesus really is.
And your spouse or your child or a friend walks beside you and says, I've been there, dude. Let's talk. And answer these questions together. That's so critical. I was going to say, and I think that is a glorious tidbit that the Holy Spirit gave you.
That is so good. The grocery store that's closest to us, recently I had some kind of return that I needed to make, which I'm not God's most patient child. I'm just going to be really honest. And so I'm waiting in line, and there are like five or six people ahead of me. And I found myself like making up songs to try to pass the time.
I'm looking at these items on the side, these like impulse items. I don't need. I don't need another charger for the love of all that's holy. I do not need it, but I'm looking. I'm just trying to pass the time.
I'm scrolling through social media. I'm doing whatever. It just seems like forever. And I'm finally like one person away. You know, there's one person ahead of me.
And I'm starting, like, get hopeful. I'm like, one person. You know, I'm doing, I'm doing all the hand motions. I'm going to, I'm going to make it. And all of a sudden, I did not hear what the person asked, but the person behind the customer service desk said, you know what?
I'm not sure. Let's figure it out together.
So she leaves the booth. And I found myself going, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, don't go. Way, and then the more I thought about it, I thought, oh, that's such a glorious way to look at it. You know what? I'm not totally sure.
Let's figure it out together.
And I think you're right. I think when people are struggling spiritually, I think the most glorious thing that we can say to them. Besides, God is good, right? Is. Let's figure it out together, right?
Let's journey together. And she could have just pointed her to aisle 13, but she didn't. She could have passed her off to somebody else, but she didn't. She left the comfort of her booth. And she walked alongside this person who was struggling.
And I think the community is the key.
So I'm so glad that you. Got that degree from that teaching.
So good.
Well, I even thought, would Shadrach have stood by himself? Would Meshach and not? I have no idea. I don't know. But we know they did together.
I know, I love that. There's something, too, about being in community, like even a small group, when you have women of all different ages in the group. I was in a group just last week at a table of 10, and we were just talking. There are a lot of young moms with, you know, toddlers. Those are the hardest years for your marriage.
Yeah. You just, you're dying on the vine, you know, and you're so many. You're deprived. You're working and you just think I'm doing everything as a mom and why isn't my husband? It's really easy to start looking at the negative in your husband and in your life.
And I used to do that. I used to think, do I even have a life anymore? And I'd have a pity party and then I'm the martyr. And I, as women were talking about the stages, this one young mom was talking about how hard it is, how her husband doesn't see her, how her husband doesn't care. And so this older woman who had grandkids, she said, oh, honey.
Like I look at you and when I look at you and think, wow, this girl is amazing. And she just started. Talking about all these wonderful attributes this young woman had. And she said, I'm watching you as a mom. You're pretty incredible.
And I'm watching your kids. I watched you parent the other day at church. And I thought, this girl, she's got it going on. And your husband, the way he looks at you. He adores you.
And I'm watching this young woman, her whole demeanor started to change as a reminder of all God's goodness, the things that she could be thankful for. As you said, the Ebenezers. But also, sometimes we can't see it when we're in the pit. Oh, so. You know, and someone else has to point out like, no, there's some good things in the pit.
Look around. Exactly. Exactly. But I love that thought of one God always sees. And to ask him to tell him the truth of when you're struggling.
Lord, I'm struggling. Oh, you bet. I can't do this. I don't know if you see me and I'm struggling. And put people around me and put yourself in positions where women can speak life and hope to you.
Absolutely. Absolutely. And I know men need it too. Yes. They absolutely.
They need it a little bit differently. Like, I think it's so interesting that. Are you going to tell us what men need? Yeah, I want to hear it. Bring it.
I just think it's interesting that like female babies make eye contact three months earlier than their male counterparts. Like we need, oftentimes when I say to my husband, are you listening to me? It's because he's not making eye contact with me. He's hearing everything. He can like regurgitate verbatim what I just said.
But I think like, oh, he's not listening to me because he's not looking at me. And women, often we connect with each other. We look each other in the eyeball. And guys, at least the gentleman, my husband, my son, our other friends, they connect best when it's ear to ear, when they're. Driving in the car, when they're working on stuff together, when they're doing whatever, they don't have to have that eyeball to eyeball.
But I truly believe it's kind of a superpower of both genders to be able to connect like that. It just looks different for men than it does for women. For us, we don't need an excuse. If the day ends with a why, it's time to connect, right? Guys need a little bit different motivation, but so thankful for the power of that community that it can provide to encourage one another for sure.
I always love talking to Amberly Nice. Yeah, why is that? She's wise, she gives us practical things, and she loves Jesus. Who doesn't love that? Yeah, hopefully, you loved it as well.
And she's created a video-driven small group called Untangling Faith. And this is a small group study about reclaiming the hope in the questions Jesus asked. And you get the link in the show notes at familylifetoday.com. I really think one of the greatest passions of my life is growing spiritually stronger, going deeper, learning more, connecting to Jesus more. And maybe you feel like that too, like you just want more.
You want to learn more. You want to grow and you want to go deeper. And you can by going to familylife.com/slash stronger faith. And we've got resources there that can help you grow in your faith.
So go again to familylife.com/slash stronger faith. Family Life Today is a donor-supported production of Family Life, a crew ministry, celebrating 50 years of helping you pursue the relationships that matter most. Yeah.
