The Jesus Storybook Bible Podcast

Psalm 139 reminds us that God will always love us, no matter what. To celebrate that truth, Sally's reading from her brand-new children's book Known (illustrated by Jago!), which reminds little ones that God sees them, knows them, and loves them with a Never-stopping, Never-Giving-Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever love.  Available right now at your favorite book retailer! https://www.sallylloyd-j...

Artist Amy Kavelaris spends her days sharing beauty and light, and over the years, she's noticed that God's light has a beautiful effect on our lives, too. He promises to carry us and show us the way through hard times with His light. And it's always available to us—all we need to do is seek it to find it.   Quotes "How awesome to know that no matter how sad or dark our days might be, God's light...

When the framework of your world disintegrates, remaining joyful feels nearly impossible. Musician and songwriter Andrew Osenga had a "streams in the desert" moment when he lost his job and struggled to provide for his wife and three kids. But through that season, Andrew discovered God provides "headwaters" in unlikely places, and can restore joy to even the parched parts of our lives.   Quotes "T...

Writer and Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren says prayer matters—even when it seems like God isn't listening. Tish shares the hard season that pushed her into a new perspective on prayer: that we don't pray to change our circumstances. We pray because it brings us into a closer relationship with God. We pray because it changes us.   Quotes "Christianity is not a performance. It's union with God...

Usually, faith doesn't feel like fireworks or a mountaintop moment. Most of the time, faith is—as our guest, writer Jen Pollock Michel says—as ordinary as lacing up your running shoes. Jen shares why thinking of your spiritual walk as a daily habit instead of a to-do list removes so much pressure, and why cultivating relationships brings more reward than a checkmark ever could.   Quotes "Faith is...

When so much divides us, Dr. Esau McCaulley has found there's one thing that remains true: God can do His best work in any place, in any time, in any culture. Dr. McCaulley has traveled across the world with his wife Mandy, a pediatrician and Navy reservist. And no matter where he's gone, Dr. McCaulley has seen God show up with His Never-Stopping, Never-Giving-Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Lo...

God can find you anywhere—even on the bathroom floor. That's what Holly Hayes discovered in her lowest moment. Holly's the founder of Sanctuary Project, a social enterprise where survivors of human trafficking earn meaningful employment by make beautiful jewelry. As a survivor herself, Holly uses her story to tell others that God isn't interested in "perfect." He uses the sick, the lonely, and the...

We don't give God enough credit, comedian Susan Isaacs says. He can take the moments when we're confused or upset—even at him—because he loves us even when we're "unlovable." Susan shares when she discovered that her "God with a posh British accent" wasn't out to get her. In fact, He was her soft place to land (and could even share a joke or two).   Quotes "God made us fully human. I think of the...

Married for eleven months, writer Mattie Jackson Selecman lost her 28-year-old husband Ben to a tragic accident in 2018. As she grieved her husband and their future together, Mattie began to feel God's presence far more than she ever had—in the moments of desperation and in the small, quiet moments too.   Quotes "I've learned, now more than ever, we all experienced loss in every way, you know? And...

To diffuse the anger simmering in our world, pastor Scott Sauls reminds us there's another solution: gentleness. Scott shares why giving a kind and gentle answer in the face of hurt and hostility, even when it's hard, leads to greater compassion.   Quotes "When we're able to see people rightly, when we're able to discern that there is hurt beneath sinful behavior or there is hurt beneath suffering...

Does God hear us when we hurt? As she's walked through pain from an autoimmune disease and an abusive church experience, author and trauma therapist KJ Ramsey has discovered she meets Jesus in her story not in spite of her suffering, but because of it.   Quotes "The suffering in our stories becomes a place where we get to encounter God—God Himself. Jesus made pain into a portal, and when I can sit...

We all want more peace, but is it possible to find peace right where we are? Digital artist and bestselling author Morgan Harper Nichols thinks so. Morgan shares how, in the midst of a world filled with overwhelm, peace is available to us no matter where the day leads us—all we have to do is take the time to practice it.   Quotes "Community and connection was always something I was craving and des...

Sometimes our relationship with God feels like looking through a foggy window. We can just make out a figure in the distance, but it feels just that: distant. Sometimes it takes a different lens to see a bit more clearly. As a spiritual director, Katie Haseltine offers that new lens to her clients. She shares how her own perspective of God was transformed when she began to notice her feelings and...

When author Steve Pemberton was growing up, he suddenly found himself in the foster care system after his mother, who struggled with alcoholism, was unable to care for him. When all seemed dark, different adults shone a light for Steve along his journey to adulthood, and today he endeavors to be that same "lighthouse" by helping others with what he has to give. Quotes "I often get asked, 'Well, wh...

Therapist Dr. Judy Cha knows that God's love can transform lives. As the director of Redeemer Counseling Services in New York City, she's seen that when people can be present with their pain without judgment for what they're feeling, they can put aside the shackles of shame to become a vessel for God's goodness in ways they could've never imagined.   Quotes "My relationship with God has definitely...

When musical duo Shane & Shane first met in college, they never anticipated playing music professionally. But God works in mysterious ways, and as they've built a career and a ministry, they've learned that by showing up and saying "yes," God has taken them on more adventures and touched more lives than they could've dreamed of.   Quotes "I feel like the Lord is always talking and speaking through...

When Cece Jones-Davis watched a documentary about a Black man and fellow Oklahoman who had been imprisoned for a crime he likely didn't commit, she decided to act on faith and her love of justice to do something about it. A Yale-educated minister and justice advocate, Cece shares her convoluted journey through the US justice system, and how God can use what you love—and also what breaks your heart...

Nearly five years ago Rachael Prescott, already expecting a surprise set of twins, learned more news about the babies she was carrying: they'd be born with Down Syndrome. Rachael, the mom behind the popular @doublingdownmom Instagram account, shares how her girls have taught her how beautiful the world can be when we create space for everyone to thrive, and how God can use every single person for...

It takes courage to take a big leap and trust that God's got you. Andres Quintero's spent his whole life trusting God to catch him: after he moved from Colombia to the US, when he switched his career from architect to handbag designer, to switching the way his whole business ran during the pandemic. And amid the fear, Andres has seen God work every single thing out for good.   Quotes "We always dr...

If you're looking for fulfillment, look no further than serving someone else. Air Force fighter pilot Lt. Colonel Dan Rooney has seen that time and again in his life. Lt Colonel Rooney shares the inspiration behind his nonprofit organization Folds of Honor, which provides for the families of fallen and disabled soldiers, and reminds us why service helps us just as much as it helps someone else. Qu...

Every human being is a creator, whether they're creating a beautiful work of art or cultivating kindness in someone's life. That's what jazz vocalist and composer Ruth Naomi Floyd has found to be true. Ruth shares all the ways she sees God creating beauty in our lives, even in the darkest of places, and how we can find it when we just allow ourselves to look.   Quotes "God is the first and greates...

We live in a deeply divided world—but that's not the blueprint God handed to us. Pastor, author, and former NFL player Dr. Derwin Gray shares how long ago, as far back as Abraham, God has been showing us the kind of community he wants for us: one filled with all ages, races, and cultures because we are more beautiful and stronger together.   Quotes "Jesus of Nazareth created this community where J...

One of God's best gifts for us has to be the beauty of the natural world He created. The diversity we find in nature—and in humanity—widens the lens we use to look at the world, as well as our hearts. That's the message Jenny Stifter shares with the thousands who follow her @microadventures on Instagram. Jenny is a physician assistant-turned-stay at home mom, and she's passionate about finding adv...

Pastor Jonathan Pitts suffered a tremendous tragedy when his wife and mother to his four girls, Wynter Evans Pitts, died unexpectedly. Faced with the task of raising their four daughters alone and shouldering Wynter's ministry, Jonathan turned to God as he navigated a new season he never asked for. In the months ahead, Jonathan found himself straddling two worlds: his life "before" Wynter, and the...

A dream put on hold. A prayer without an (obvious) answer. Sometimes, we wish we had more control of our lives because we don't like waiting, or we wish we could go back and change a moment in our past. But if God has brought you to it, He'll bring you through it—that's what positive artist Lathan Warlick reminds us. Lathan shares how he found himself staring down the barrel of a .45-caliber pisto...