Join Nicole and Sharon and a host of others as we share our own journey toward a podcast totally run and fueled by God because of our own weaknesses. This one is personal. And short. Because after our sharing, come interviews with followers and friends plus the people behind the scenes at WORD Radio. This is our last episode of Season Seven and it’s full of celebration, giving glory to the One who gives strength when we are weak. Enjoy! See you in September 2023 for Season Eight …

Want to become a Podcast Partner? We’d love to have you on our team! You will get exclusive emails from Nicole and Sharon and our deepest gratitude if you are led by God to become a monthly donor. Seriously, even a $3 a month donation would be such a help. Go to DONATIONS tab on this website and sign up today. Write that you are choosing to be a Podcast Partner in the Comments section. Thanks.

Speaker 1 (00:01):

Welcome to a podcast designed to bring biblical encouragement to your weary soul. We are so glad you’re listening and we pray God blesses you and strengthens you in your walk with him. The Sweet Selah Moments Podcast is brought to you by the cooperative efforts of Sweet Selah Ministries and Word Radio. Sit back and enjoy.

Nicole (00:28):

Welcome to the Sweet Selah Moments Podcast. This is episode 110, His Strength In Our Weakness. This is our last episode for season seven, and it’s a bit different from a normal episode. We are actually taping it early during our 100th episode podcast party April 1st. As we talked about how to celebrate 100 episodes, we both wanted to make sure God got the glory, particularly because we know our own weaknesses so well. Let’s start right there with our weaknesses and then move on to God’s strength. Sharon, tell us what makes you feel weak when it comes to creating and producing a podcast.

Sharon (01:06):

Well, to start with, I couldn’t produce a podcast to save my life, which is why we are so grateful to Word Radio for helping us with it.

Nicole (01:14):

Yes.

Sharon (01:15):

I’m not a technology person.

Nicole (01:16):

No

Sharon (01:17):

I only like computers when they work. I want to pound on them with my little fist when they do not. And I remember during Covid we had one episode where we were trying to tape from home.

Nicole (01:29):

Yes.

Sharon (01:29):

Do you remember? I could never get the volume.

Nicole (01:31):

No. It took us over an hour and a half to just figure out—

Sharon (01:33):

We got nowhere.

Nicole (01:34):

Yeah.

Sharon (01:34):

Yeah.

Nicole (01:35):

It was not fun.

Sharon (01:35):

It was really sad. So, weakness number one, cannot do technology. Weakness number two, when we first started, I’d never listened to a podcast. I actually didn’t know what they were. (Nicole: Really?) I had no idea. And yet, (That’s so funny) my board said, I think you should do a podcast. I’m like, okay. What’s that? (Whatever that is) And then, general weakness is just that we do so many other things, you and I, it’s not like we just do a podcast. (Sure) You’re very involved. I’m very involved in other things. So the attention we give, it never seems to...

Once upon a time, there was a follower of Jesus named Joseph. He was so encouraging, though, that he got a nickname that literally replaced his birth name. Barnabas: Son of Encouragement. Nicole and Sharon talk about the value of being an encourager and how the Holy Spirit can pour fruit into us that enables us to be encouragers. Be encouraged! Listen in.

Want to become a Podcast Partner? We’d love to have you on our team! You will get exclusive emails from Nicole and Sharon and our deepest gratitude if you are led by God to become a monthly donor. Seriously, even a $3 a month donation would be such a help. Go to DONATIONS tab on this website and sign up today. Write that you are choosing to be a Podcast Partner in the Comments section. Thanks.

Speaker 1 (00:01):

Welcome to a podcast designed to bring biblical encouragement to your weary soul. We are so glad you’re listening and we pray God blesses you and strengthens you in your walk with him. The Sweet Selah Moments Podcast is brought to you by the cooperative efforts of Sweet Selah Ministries and Word Radio. Sit back and enjoy.

Nicole (00:01):

Welcome to the Sweet Selah Moments Podcast. This is episode 109, The Blessing of Encouragement. Sharon, I love being encouraged and I often need it as a Mama.

Sharon (00:39):

Oh my. Yes.

Nicole (00:40):

So I remember recently taking the girls to Aldi where you have to bag your own groceries. And as I was standing there at the bagging table with my four kids all asking me lots of questions (Sharon: Of course they were) and maybe fighting and trying to help me bag, and I’m trying to sort the groceries into different bags so it’s easier to put ’em away at home, you know? (Yep, yep) And so this sweet lady comes up to me and she says, you are so organized. I’ve been watching you, and you just seem like you have everything so well sorted. And what nice helpers you have. Well, I’ll tell you, Sharon, I was not exactly thinking they were the best helpers at the moment, nor was I feeling organized. I was tired and frazzled and I just wanted to get to the car and put the audiobook on to calm some of that chatter down a little bit. (Yes) But that lady made me feel like I wasn’t completely failing that day. And you know, it put a smile on my face.

Sharon (01:29):

I love that, she saw you.

Nicole (01:30):

She did.

Sharon (01:31):

Oh my goodness.

Nicole (01:31):

And all that crazy. And I thought, oh, thank you Lord.

Sharon (01:34):

That was a blessing.

Nicole (01:35):

It was such a blessing.

Sharon (01:37):

I really was. And encouragement can change your whole mood.

Nicole (01:39):

It really can. And it’s something, so mundane, like I have to grocery shop. I bring the kids cause I have to bring the kids. You just get through it. (Sharon: Absolutely) And she’s like, you’re so organized. I’m like, am I? Well.

Sharon (01:48):

Mothers, mothers need to be seen cause they don’t even see how much they do themselves. (Nicole: Yeah) they don’t. (No) So, oh, I love her.

Nicole (01:57):

Yeah. She made me happy.

Sharon (01:57):

Whoever she was.

Nicole (01:58):

So, how about you? Have you been encouraged?

S...

Oh to have a passionate heart like Stephen, who was martyred for his faith in the early days of the church. Sharon and Nicole explore his story, together, seeing how the fruit of the Spirit enabled Stephen to have a heart of passion for those around him, even when that passion cost him his very life. It’s an amazing story and one full of surprises. Join us!

Want to become a Podcast Partner? We’d love to have you on our team! You will get exclusive emails from Nicole and Sharon and our deepest gratitude if you are led by God to become a monthly donor. Seriously, even a $3 a month donation would be such a help. Go to DONATIONS tab on this website and sign up today. Write that you are choosing to be a Podcast Partner in the Comments section. Thanks.

Speaker 1 (00:01):

Welcome to a podcast designed to bring biblical encouragement to your weary soul. We are so glad you’re listening and we pray God blesses you and strengthens you in your walk with him. The Sweet Selah Moments Podcast is brought to you by the cooperative efforts of Sweet Selah Ministries and Word Radio. Sit back and enjoy.

Nicole (00:28):

Welcome to the Sweet Selah Moments Podcast. This is episode 108, The Power of a Passionate Heart. Today we’re going to look at the life of Stephen, a man who lost his life because of his faith in Christ, but showed a passion and a trust in Jesus to the very end. He’s an amazing example of being all in for the Lord, Sharon. He held nothing back, not even his own life.

Sharon (00:52):

I know, he’s an amazing example for us, Nicole. I am really excited to study him today. He’s mentioned in Acts chapters six through eight, and then a little mention in Acts 22. So let’s discover who this guy is. We meet him first in Acts chapter six in the midst of a controversy in the church. So let’s start by reading Acts 6:1-7. I’ll read verse one and we’ll go back and forth. So, “but”, it starts with but. “But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek speaking believers complained about the Hebrew speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.”

Nicole (01:35):

“So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, we Apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.”

Sharon (01:43):

“And so brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.”

Nicole (01:53):

“Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”

Sharon (01:56):

“Everyone liked this idea and they chose the following. Stephen, (our guy for today, Nicole) a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicholas of Antioch, an earlier convert to the Jewish faith.”

Nicole (02:14):

“These seven were presented to the apostles who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.”

Sharon (02:18):

“So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem and many of the Jewish priests were converted too.” Oh, I kinda like that aside. (Nicole: Yeah) And you know why? All right, this is totally off topic, but I have always loved that the Jewish priests were converted too. You know my theory on th...