The Jesus Storybook Bible Podcast

19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kirkegaard once mused, "Busyness tends to prevent people from forming a heart." Theologian Kelly Kapic agrees. Kelly shares his struggle to shed the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves and the solution he found to "the busy problem" — embracing our limitations, which connects us to God and to others.   *Are you celebrating Lent with your family? Dow...

As a teen in Dubai, Dr. Brandon Vaidyanathan experienced God's love, ironically, through heartbreak. This experience gave him a new lens that launched him into a career in sociology. And eventually, Dr. Vaidyanathan realized that maybe the forces he thought were at odds—science and religion, truth and wonder—could actually work together for good.   *Are you celebrating Lent with your family? Downl...

Michael Wear believes politics doesn't have to be a cage match; it can be a forum for loving your neighbor. As a leading strategist, Michael shares how faith communities can participate in the public sphere as a form of service, shifting their focus from effecting policy to helping people flourish. *Are you celebrating Lent with your family? Download our FREE Lent + "Countdown to Easter" Activity...

God's greatest work, says author and speaker Kechi Okwuchi, is a kind of alchemy: He can transform pain into purpose. As one of two survivors of a commercial airline plane crash, Kechi shares her miraculous yet harrowing struggle to survive her trauma, and how she's learned to draw strength from a story she never asked for. Quotes   "What sets you apart as a Christian, as a believer, is that when...

As she navigated an emotionally unstable childhood, Laura Smith decided she needed to earn love through perfection. Today an author and speaker, Laura shares how receiving a different kind of love in adulthood, along with immersing herself in the Psalms, taught her how to trust God and experience a love not determined by achievement, but by being exactly who we are. Quotes "I love Psalm 16 so much...

Pastor and author Dr. Dharius Daniels believes we'll find fulfillment when we find our purpose. Dr. Daniels shares how God places purpose in each chapter of our lives, so that can we can live with contentment in every role we play. Quotes "I try to help as many people as possible transform their life so that they can make some transformations in the world." - Dr. Dharius Daniels   "I believe God h...

Kyle Petty comes from one of NASCAR's most legendary families, as one of four generations who have raced in the sport. But perhaps the more lasting legacy comes from Kyle's grandmother, who showed him that even amid horrible loss, we have a choice: do we choose to stay mired in our pain, or do we try to move forward with new purpose? Quotes "On that day, [I had] two choices. I could choose to be b...

After years of stress and burnout, award-winning physician Dr. Sasha Shillcutt shares how a dedication to saying "no" revolutionized her life and put more joy in her days. Quotes "Many women struggle to set boundaries because they feel guilty, and they feel like they're going to be letting someone down. They would rather overextend themselves and live in constant burnout, which is unhealthy, so th...

Time and again, songwriter Fernando Ortega has seen that art has the power to carry our strongest emotions—love, joy, grief—and connect us to others who may be feeling the same. Fernando shares how he discovered a love for writing contemporary hymns, how his craft helped him heal after suffering huge losses, and the joy of watching his words give meaning to the moments of others. Quotes "The proce...

As she navigated a season of loss in her twenties, author and podcaster Anne Snyder discovered the foundations that hold up our lives—our families, our workplaces, our churches and neighborhoods—can also hold us when we suffer and help us find meaning when we're ready to move forward. Quotes "The crucial questions in life are not what questions: 'What do I do?' They're who questions: 'Who do I fol...

Just when we're getting comfortable, God shows up (in his impeccable timing!) to ask us to step toward something new and scary. That's certainly been the case for Jodi Benson, the original voice of Disney's The Little Mermaid . Jodi shares how her career soared to unexpected heights, and how she strives to be salt and light wherever she goes, even if it's in the pages of a book she never expected...

What do you do when God calls you from one story into another? For author and speaker Christy Wright, that meant walking into the workplace she'd poured herself into for 12 years and resigning to begin a new chapter. A chapter that, to Christy, looked like a terrifying blank page. But as she put one timid foot in front of the other, Christy began to see the path God was laying for her all along—on...

To celebrate the merriest week of the year, author Sally Lloyd-Jones is reading three special Christmas stories from The Jesus Storybook Bible , perfect to listen to with your family. Wherever you are this season, let your heart be filled with childlike wonder and as you remember the miracle of Love that came down as a tiny baby boy. Merry Christmas!    Resources Mentioned in This Episode The Jesu...

While living in one of Washington, DC's most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhoods, pastor Duke Kwon began to see opportunities to make Jesus' love incarnate. Using Jesus' life as inspiration, Duke shares why he believes his mission is to bring restoration and healing to his community, and how Jesus' love has the power not only to transform our neighbors, but especially to transform us...

Justin Giboney knows that people do their best work when they do it together—and he created his own civics organization to prove it. Justin shares how neighborhoods and faith communities who seek common ground can heal and restore the world.    Quotes "You may not get it perfect, but if you do your due diligence and you work with others and you're listening to others, you can have a profound impac...

As we celebrate the arrival of the Christmas season, author Sally Lloyd-Jones reads her beloved picture book Song of the Stars and shares a special prayer: that we would not miss nor forget to celebrate the Rescuer who came into the world, who gives us light amid the cold, dark night. *Want more ways to celebrate Advent with your family? Download the FREE Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Kit ! Quotes...

For many years, writer and self-proclaimed "Lazy Genius" Kendra Adachi struggled with the need to impress, even in the kitchen (after all, Kendra believed, the way we're loved is through our achievements, right?). But over time, Kendra has learned a few things from her time at the table: you don't have to impress to connect. Just bring what you have, because you are loved just as you are, no for w...

Gabrielle Beam has made it her life's mission to give children a hope and a future, and she does it through literacy. Gabrielle shares how helping children learn to read (using the Jesus Storybook Bible , no less!) helps them grow into adults who can flourish physically, mentally, and spiritually. Quotes "If a child is introduced to the love of God and the fact that they have been created in His i...

"Forgiveness is when someone owes you a debt and, instead of making them pay the debt back, you absorb the debt," says our guest, pastor and theologian Tim Keller. Tim shares why forgiveness is crucial to building and keeping relationships, and how daring to forgive brings the humility and empathy we need to restore the world. Quotes "The more I sense that I am a sinner forgiven by God, the easier...

When the winds of change begin to blow, and everything in our lives seems to be slipping through our fingers, entrepreneur and author Emily Ley reminds us to look at the sunrise. Because every morning, without fail, God will always bring up the sun—and He'll always love you, too.  Quotes "Even when the rest of the world is changing really quickly, or we're really anxious or worried about other thi...

When TV executive Michelle Hord lost her seven-year-old daughter to an unspeakable tragedy, she didn't know how she'd ever recover. In her darkest hour, Michelle was reminded of the story of Job, and that God was able to bring hope to a man who had once lost everything—and that, perhaps, she could find a shred of the same hope for herself, too. Quotes "We all deal with different types of loss and...

The Jesus Storybook Bible is turning 15 years old! To celebrate this special birthday, Sally steps back in time and leads us through the book's creation—why she was inspired to write it, how Jago created the beautiful illustrations, the way Sir David Suchet brought the book to life on audio. We also hear from Rachel George, who shares the moving story that compelled her to launch her Room 423 Bibl...

NFL broadcaster and Super Bowl champion coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren know that God designed every person to influence the world for good—no matter the size of their circle. Tony and Lauren share how, when they've found themselves in a role they didn't feel ready for, God's always helped them along the way. Quotes "God has roles for all of us. Some of them don't seem real important to us, b...

Time and again, author and speaker Rebekah Lyons has seen that unexpected, painful situations can throw us into a tailspin—but they don't have to. In fact, they can even lead us to our true purpose: helping others shoulder the same struggles we carry, too.   Quotes "My job is to help people uncover what's already there, versus thinking that calling is this abstract thing that floats down from the...

When she was diagnosed with OCD as a teen, writer Sarah Clarkson found comfort as she immersed herself in stories, realizing that God's goodness could pierce through her mental darkness with small acts of ordinary beauty.   Quotes "I think stories of imagination help us to, in a sense, follow the path in the world that God has created and set up for us." —Sarah Clarkson "I really believe that God...