Episodes

  • NN001 - Hearing God's Voice When The World Is Chaotic

    NN001 - Hearing God's Voice When The World Is Chaotic
    Jan 4 2023
    Does God still speak to people? And if so, how do we hear His still quiet voice when the world around us is loud and chaotic? In this episode, we will be talking about hearing God's still quiet voice. Why is this topic important? Because life dishes out challenges and obstacles. Our family recently experienced one of these life altering challenges - the loss of a job. We started asking the typical questions: - How are we going to provide for our family? - Why is this happening to us? - God, what are you up to? We will share about our initial reactions after hearing the news, a story from the bible (Samuel's encounter with God's "quiet" voice in 1 Samuel 19), and advice for anyone who is wanting to hear God speak. Let's keep building faithful families - yours and ours! Nathan and Nina ---- Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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    23 mins
  • NN002 - Remembering God's Faithfulness When We Are Anxious

    NN002 - Remembering God's Faithfulness When We Are Anxious
    Jan 16 2023
    Christ commands us not to be anxious (Matthew 6:25). He reminds us that we more valuable than the grass of the fields and the birds of the air. But if we are being very honest, it is so easy to be consumed with our worries and anxieties. It is challenging to wait on the Lord when it feels like the work is beating us up and keeping us down. When we are hard-pressed, we need to run to God's Word. The Bible is filled with many scriptures that talk about waiting on Him. The list below is not exhaustive. Lamentations 3:25 - GOD’S GOODNESS Psalm 27:14 - STRENGTH AND COURAGE Isaiah 40:31 - RENWAL Psalm 130:5-6 - HOPE Psalm 33:20-22 - HELP AND PROTECTION In addition to running to God's Word, we should remember times from our past when God has shown up. Our Ebenezer stones, our "reminder stones", help us keep our eyes focused on God's faithfulness in the past and are a reminder that God will continue to be faithful in the future. ---- Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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    21 mins
  • NN003 - God Always Keeps His Promises

    NN003 - God Always Keeps His Promises
    Jan 16 2023
    “God always keeps His promises” is a family motto that we have repeated often for many years. We started saying this phrase after God fulfilled a very special promise to us many years ago. Listen to end of this podcast to hear all the fun details! God's Word is filled with promises. Depending on who you ask, there are anywhere between 3,000 and 7,000 promises in the Bible. The following list is just a few of them: Romans 10:9-10

 - SALVATION Psalm 103:12 - THE REMOVAL OF SIN
 John 14:16 - THE HOLY SPIRIT
 Matthew 4:19 - PURPOSE AND DIRECTION
 Matthew 11:28 - REST
 James 1:5 - WISDOM Matthew 6:33 - PROVISION Psalm 84:11 - NO GOOD THING WILL BE WITHHELD 1 Corinthians 10:13 - OVERCOMING TEMPTATION
 John 3:16, 1 John 2:25 - ETERNAL LIFE
 John 14:3 - AN ETERNAL HOME
 Revelation 12:4

4 - AN END TO DEATH AND SADNESS
 2 Timothy 3:12, Matthew 5:10-12 - PERSECUTION 
Hebrews 12:7 - DISCIPLINE One of the most important promises that God gave us is that a Redeemer would come and defeat the problem of sin. Sin impacts all of us. We are so glad that God kept that promise! ---- Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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    20 mins
  • NN004 - Our Story

    NN004 - Our Story
    Jan 30 2023
    In this episode we are spending some time telling you about our story. We share bits and pieces from our college years, early married life, and life overseas. As we share more about our life and the lessons we are learning today, we thought it would be good to give you some insights into our past. We believe it is important to share your story. You might say, "But my story is not interesting or important." Don't believe that lie! God has molded and crafted your story so that you can encourage others who are walking through the valleys and up the mountains that you have already walked. Do you want to receive discussion questions about this episode? If so, click on the following link and sign-up for our email list. https://mailchi.mp/a82d8c5ac00e/ncourage-nspire
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    27 mins
  • NN005 - In Sickness or In Health

    NN005 - In Sickness or In Health
    Feb 13 2023
    Our family has been struggling with sickness the last several months. Life is hard when everyone is healthy. It is extra challenging, and even frustrating, when one or more people are sick. In this episode, we talk about: - Staying healthy - How to maintain strong relationships during sickness - How to care for those who are sick and those caring for the sick ---- Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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    45 mins
  • NN006 - Craving Community

    NN006 - Craving Community
    Feb 27 2023
    In this episode, we will be talking about the importance of community. When we came back to the United States, we desperately craved community. That was a hard time in our lives. But God showed up (like He always does) and provided exactly what we needed. He guided us to a group of people who were doing life together. His people became our people. Although living in community with others is not always easy, it is very rewarding. God communes with us, and He expects us to be community with others. We also talk about an unlikely ice breaker that we call “Cereal Celebration.” It was amazing to see how God used some boxes of cereal, milk, and spoons to form new bonds and friendship. Our hope is that if you are looking for community you can find it. And once you have found it, we hope you fight to build stronger bonds with the people God has placed in your life.
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    31 mins
  • NN007 - Stop Going to Church (Part 1)

    NN007 - Stop Going to Church (Part 1)
    Mar 13 2023
    What verb do you most commonly associate with the noun church? Over and over, we have heard countless people talk about going to church. The words we use matter. They shine a light on our hearts regarding the things we believe, consciously and subconsciously. Going emphasizes a location. Did God intend for church to be a place? Did God ask us to emphasize a particular location? Or is church meant to be more than that? In this episode, we explain why we believe the "just going to church" mindset is not what God intends His people. If going to church is not the pinnacle experience, what does God want from His people and for His people? God's Word shines light on this very topic. Let's take a look at who the early church was and what people who made up the church did in the book of Acts (Acts 2:42-47). ---- Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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    36 mins
  • NN008 - Stop Going To Church (Part 2)

    NN008 - Stop Going To Church (Part 2)
    Mar 26 2023
    Hebrews 10:19-25 reminds us that we should not forsake assembling together. All believers make up the universal Church. God clearly wants His followers to live life with other believers in local churches. In this episode, we continue to talk about what it means to be the church and what Christ has command His church to do. We asked some important questions: 1. Should church be reproducible? 2. Should church multiply? Throughout this episode, we play a game that we call "Church Amnesia." We invite you to play along with us. ---- Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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    40 mins