Carmen on Java with Juli
I’m at a loss for words on how to share this Java with Juli podcast. The first words that come to mind are: Thank You, God, for friends!
Throughout the years, God has blessed and surrounded me with amazing women, women who are strong, brave, wise and love Jesus. Women who speak His truth, grace and love with more than just words, encouraging me to follow hard after Him. I am beyond grateful!
Recently, God allowed me time with two friends whom I dearly love and admire, Juli Slattery and Hannah Nitz. Juli had invited Hannah and I to talk about Simply Bible for her podcast, Java with Juli.
In case you don’t know her, Juli founded and runs a ministry called Authentic Intimacy. She provides compassionate and real conversations with tons of resources- books, studies, conferences, podcasts, etc.- for anyone experiencing sexual brokenness, which if we’re honest, is every one of us. I love her and her authentic and compassionate heart for God and others. She is a fan of Simply Bible, and she personally uses these books to know and enjoy God. (Our hubbies do too! I know because we are in small group together.)
Juli’s cousin, Hannah, is another dear friend of mine. She also has her own podcast, There is More. I cannot not smile when I am with Hannah. She radiates a love for Jesus, for the Bible and for life. She is another fan of Simply Bible. She will tell you that God used Simply Bible to draw her to Himself. She single-handedly has probably shared it with more people than anyone else I know.
And so, that’s what we talked about… Simply Bible.
Obviously, Simply Bible books are not about sex. Rather, Simply Bible leads to a different kind of intimate knowing, that of experiencing God directly through His Word.
In the Bible, God uses the intimate knowing of sex to point us to the intimacy of knowing and enjoying Him. I know. That’s a deep conversation! Juli only touches on it in our conversation, and I invite you- encourage you- to check out all of Juli’s podcasts, resources and studies for more of these conversations.
All that to say, our conversation pertained to authentic intimacy with God Himself. Ultimately,
this is the intimacy we are designed to enjoy, and yet, so often, we miss out. When it’s missing, we lack contentment. We experience anxiety and fear. Without knowing how to relate directly with God through the Bible, many of us simply go through the motions of the day, and as Hannah often says, “We wonder if there is something more.” There is.
Knowing and enjoying God through His Word. This is not rocket science. Rather, Bible study involves having a conversation with a Friend. Simply Bible books provide a framework for having those conversations.
I don’t remember exactly what was said in this podcast with Juli and Hannah. I’ll have to listen, too! I just remember how I felt being with friends as we discussed our greatest passion, knowing God and helping others know Him through His Word. I felt blessed. I continue to feel blessed.
Thank you, Juli, for this opportunity. Thank you, Hannah, for sharing your beautiful heart. And thank You, God, for the gift of knowing You.
I also thank you- each of you- for being a part of this Simply Bible community to know and enjoy God through His Word. So many of you are helping others do the same. I am grateful for your friendship.
Lord, may we know and enjoy friendship with You and with one another as together we seek to know and enjoy You. Unite our hearts with Your Heart through this gift, the Bible!
PS- That day I also made a new friend and listened in on a conversation with Robin Lutz, author of Valor: A Messianic Journey through Proverbs 31.
Photo:
Carmen Beasley, Robin Lutz, Hannah Nitz, Juli Slattery
Our Sermon on the Mount study is right around the corner! The study begins on September 12th and we are getting so excited to join with you all to discover the heart of Jesus.
If you haven't yet registered for Sermon on the Mount, you can do so here. Study books are available on Amazon. Carmen's teaching videos will be available on our YouTube channel.
In addition to these teaching videos, Carmen is introducing a new format of video content - YouTube shorts. These one-minute videos are designed to give you a quick takeaway from the day's lesson. Keep an eye out for these "A Thought on..." videos!
Want to get in touch? Have a question about Simply Bible? The best way to reach us via our website. We also encourage you to engage with the Simply Bible community by joining our private Facebook group. We can't wait to hear from you!
To learn more about Authentic Intimacy, we encourage you to visit their website for more information. You'll find upcoming conferences, studies, books, podcasts and a wide variety of practical resources to help with sexual brokenness, trauma and more.