Join The Journey

How do we respond when our friends go through grief? Do we need to say the right thing, do the right thing, do nothing? In today’s podcast, Watermark Institute Fellow Hannah Staubs interviews Seth Jackson. The answer to responding to your friends grief may not be what you think.    Additional Scripture used in today’s podcast:  John 9: Story of the blind man  Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time and se...

Is Job's story a true story or a parable? In today's episode, Emma Dotter is joined by Maddy Alvis to talk through how we can know that Job is a real story and what we can learn from Job 1.    Additional Scripture referenced in this episode:  Ezekial 14:14, "Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job..."  John 16:33, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the...

As we wrap up the book of Song of Solomon we see a final moment of brokenness but also see hope. Relationships are broken because of sin, but because of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection we are to be ministers in spite of this brokenness. Emma Dotter, Watermark member, Nathan Wagnon, and Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs, discuss Song of Solomon 8.     Additional Resources mentioned...

Are these really supposed to be compliments? And should I use these compliments today? How can when I am in conflict, I win by choosing to be kind? Today's episode covers this and more, and we will be hearing from Emma Dotter, Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs, and faithful Watermark Member, Nathan Wagnon.     Additional Scriptures & Resources mentioned in this podcast:   Ben Stuart's...

What is going on in this woman's dream? And how does that apply to the life of a Christian today? In Song of Solomon 4-5, Emma Dotter, Hannah Staubs, and Nathan Wagnon break down the beloved's dream.     Additional resources & Scriptures in this podcast: 1 Chronicles 11:15, The mighty men of David  Ecclesiastes 7:19, “Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city...

How do I know when the right time is to awaken love? In today’s episode, Emma Dotter is joined by Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs, and Faithful Watermark Member, Nathan Wagnon to talk through Song of Solomon 2-3.    Additional resources:  Ben Stuart's talk on Song of Solomon 2-3: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-song-of-songs-pursuit/id1406150278?i=1000579985957    Grab a NEW J...

In today’s episode, Emma Dotter is joined by Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs, and Faithful Watermark Member, Nathan Wagnon to talk through Song of Solomon 1.    Additional resources:  Ben Stuart's talk on Song of Solomon 1: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-song-of-songs-attraction/id1406150278?i=1000579360635    Grab a NEW Join The Journey Journal for 2024:  https://www.amazon....

In today’s bonus episode, Emma Dotter is joined by Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs, and Faithful Watermark Member, Nathan Wagnon to give an overview of the book of Song of Solomon.     Grab a NEW Join The Journey Journal for 2024:  https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Feeling-Gods-Way-Journey/dp/B0CPJ7WXN5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IEYKICMCV7IF&keywords=join+the+journey+watermark&qid=17025682...

Why should we do right, and live justly? Today Emma Dotter is joined by previous Disney Radio Star, Ali Batir! We don’t have to fear judgment, because of the gift of salvation that comes from Jesus. But how do we live in that tension of human works out of an overflow of our love for Christ? Ali explains that there is a difference in our perspective of “cheap grace” instead of “costly grace”, as we...

The key to life isn’t focusing on the outcomes, because we don’t understand all of God’s plans. But how do we reconcile this? Emma Dotter unpacks this with the number one fan of the book of Ecclesiastes, Justin Dalton. Justin challenges the listeners to seize every opportunity with a Spirit of trust. Take the first step in trusting God and letting him do the rest of the work. Ecclesiastes can give...

What does "money answers everything" mean? In today’s episode, Watermark Institute Student Hannah Staubs interviews Watermark Student, Bo Richardson to talk all things Ecclesiastes 10.     See you tonight at 7 PM for a Night of Prayer and Worship. We’ll be celebrating all God has done during our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting! watermark.org/pray    Additional Scriptures in this passage:  Ecclesiast...

Emma Dotter is back with Ben Krejci talking Ecclesiastes 9. No matter the good or bad, God has allowed both in the world. But Ecclesiastes 9 highlights that we even have life at all! Ben tells us to look at this passage in light of the rest of Scripture, because God loves us and cares about us in the good and the bad. Ecclesiastes paired with the rest of the Bible gives comfort to the Christian, t...

Is there a problem with your wisdom or understanding? David Hope & Emma Dotter break down this question for us. We can see in the world an apparent mismatch in how the righteous can experience bad things, and people who don’t fear the Lord experience good things. David encourages us with these general principles and that we don’t fully know what God is doing, but we can trust what God is doing...

Emma Dotter interviews Watermark member Craig Wenning. Ecclesiastes 8 leans into the brevity of life. Craig posses the challenge that, “It would be wise to live in the reality that all of us will die one day.” Craig asks us this question, “What will be said at your funeral, who will say it, and was is the dissonance of what will be said and what you want to be said?”    Learn more and see more res...

Instead of general truths, Ecclesiastes 5 now turns to directly advise you, the listener. Today Emma Dotter interviews faithful Watermark member Sarah Hamilton. Sarah explains there is a shift from Chapter 5 from the first person to the second person. The Teacher is shifting from his own point of view to now directly telling the listener what they are supposed to do. Saying phrases like, “When you...

Is it okay to be in a season marked by trials? Where can we turn or what should we do when life just doesn’t feel “beautiful?” In today’s Valentines Day episode, Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs is joined by Watermark High School Student, Anna Sharpe!    Read more about Anna’s story of grace here: https://www.watermark.org/blog/what-i-learned-in-loneliness     Additional Scriptures in th...

Emma Dotter and Ben Krejci unpack Ecclesiastes 2, but also give some tangible tools for good Bible study methods. Ben continues in comparing these desires that are explained in the passage to life in our world today. The ladder is always going to be there to climb. All in all, the number of ladders can be overwhelming, so how are we to move forward?    Ben’s Previous Podcasts:  Palm Sunday:   http...

Vanity! Vanity! Is all vanity? Today Emma Dotter is joined by Watermark Institute Fellow, Hannah Staubs. If you come to the book of Ecclesiastes with the wrong understanding of the word “vanity” you will miss the theme of the book. Emma & Hannah break down what Vanity means, and how to approach this passage.     Additional Scripture mentioned on today's episode:  John 10:10, “I came that they...

This is a Join The Journey Rewind episode. Emma Dotter is joined by Chris Sherrod, Watermark’s Marriage & Family Director. The book is really saying that all of creation is good, but it is never intended to satisfy us. It’s not that life has no point, but that these things are “hevel.” The word “hevel” means “mere breath”. Christ said that the book has made him a joyful realist! Accept that li...

Proverbs 31, what a classic passage! Today Emma Dotter is joined by faithful Watermark members Lucina & Kyle Thompson. The mother’s oracle in the beginning advises to watch out for three things! Watch out for women, wine, and then look out of other people! But the end of the passage is best seen as a template for women to live by. The woman’s values are in three things: family first, work rela...

So often we can want to share what we think is best or right, instead of looking to the Lord and his Word that continually proves true. Connor Sampson and Emma Dotter walk through Proverbs 30, and how we meet a friend we only see in the Bible here, Agur! Connor challenges us to look to God’s Word is our guidance and advice, and to ask the question: who are we exalting?     Additional Scriptures in...

In today’s episode, Watermark Institute Student, Hannah Staubs is joined by Watermark High School Student, Tee Parker to talk all things Proverbs 29.        Leaving a review on the podcast makes it easier for new friends to find us. Let us know what the Lord is teaching you by leaving a review on this episode!     To learn more about Watermark’s ministry for High School students, check out this li...

God’s economy is different from our economy. How do we reconcile making interests and profit and wanting to use it in a God honoring way? Emma Dotter is joined by Peggy Liska, who is a Watermark Member who serves at Gather at Watermark. If you want to hear more about Gather, click the link below.     Additional Scriptures in Today’s Podcast:  Isaiah 55:8, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neithe...

We think too little of sin, too much of ourselves and we don't think enough of Jesus. Today Emma Dotter is joined by Saegan Cockerham to talk through what it looks like to love our friends well and what biblical rebuke looks like.    Additional Scripture referenced in today's episode:  John 10:10; "I have come that they may have life"  Matthew 7:4-5, "First take the log out of your own eye, and th...

Laughter, jokes, teasing, all of these things are common practice for people. But how can a believer know when a joke as gone too far? How can we be Christ-like even in the way we joke? Today Emma Dotter breaks down this question in light of Proverbs 26.     Additional Scripture Used in this Podcast:   Hebrews 10:30, “For we know him who said, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lor...