Discovering True Intimacy with Our Savior

E2: Genesis 2

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Welcome to Coffee with Christ.  I’m Nikol Jones and you are listening to episode 2. 

If you’re new here, you might want to go back and listen to the Introduction episode, so you can get the gist of what this podcast is all about and my hope for our time together.

I truly believe God’s word changes people.  It changes them verse by verse and chapter by chapter. It is a magnificent and marvelous thing these ancient words that are written for us and have stood the test of time. 

Since this is new to everyone – including me – here are some reminders.  We’ll start with a few minutes of silence to help you slow down, settle in, clear the clutter, and breathe. 

I read from the New Living Translation and you can follow along in your Bible, but my hope is that you’ll just listen because that is how God’s people heard it when it was brand new.

If you need more time to think about something you heard, just hit the pause button and take your time.  At the end, I’ll guide you through another set of questions to help you ponder the passage more. 

Occasionally, I might write something about what I learned during my time with God.  You can find those thoughts on coffeewithchrist.org.  I’ll put a link in the show notes in case you’re interested. 

Now, take a deep breath.

Seriously, take a deep breath. 

And let’s get started by being still. 

 

What is stirring in your heart today?  What has your mind in a flutter?  Use the next few minutes to jot them down or say them out loud to God.  Ask him to shift your focus from these things, to Him.

 

Yesterday, we read through Genesis chapter 1.  We saw God create everything – well almost everything. 

He created light and night,
the heavens and the earth,
the sun, moon, and the stars.
He created time and seasons. 
He created the sky and the dry ground, and everything that lives on and in them: 

the fish of the sea,
the birds of the air,
animals,
and He created human beings. 

He created an order to things and even though he could have created all things in one glorious day, He paced Himself over six.  And He saw that it was all very good. 

Genesis 2

So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed. 2 On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested* from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.

4 This is the account of the creation of the heavens and the earth.

The Man and Woman in Eden

When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 neither wild plants nor grains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, and there were no people to cultivate the soil. 6 Instead, springs* came up from the ground and watered all the land. 7 Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.

8 Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made. 9 The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

10 A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches. 11 The first branch, called the Pishon (Pee-Shon), flowed around the entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. 12 The gold of that land is exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there. 13 The second branch, called the Gihon (Ji-hON), flowed around the entire land of Cush. 14 The third branch, called the Tigris, flowed east of the land of Asshur (Assur). The fourth branch is called the Euphrates.

15 The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. 16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” 19 So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man* to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. 20 He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him.

21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs* and closed up the opening. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man.

23 “At last!” the man exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’ ”

24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.

25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

May God bless the reading and hearing of His word.

As we listened to more details about the creation of human beings, male and female, in God’s image.  And as we heard about God creating and observing rest.  What came to mind?  Did anything stick out to you?   Did anything surprise you?

 

What did you learn about God in this passage?  Use this time to praise Him for who is and what you just learned. 

 

Think back to all those that had your mind in a flutter.  Now think about what you learned about God.  Is there anything that can change your outlook either of Him or of your circumstance in light of this?  Tell Him or write them out in a prayer. 

 

As you reflect on your life in light of God’s character?  How do you think He wants you to respond?  It is OK if you don’t know right this second.  Ask Him to show you and keep your eyes and ears open through the day ahead for Him to teach you. 

 

To ease yourself back into your day, be quiet again.  The world will wait just a few more minutes. 

 

I hope you enjoyed this second episode of Coffee with Christ.  If you are still finding it awkward to be still and think through all of these questions, you are not alone and it is a discipline that comes with time. 

If you did enjoy the podcast, I hope you’ll pass it along to your friends.  It would be such an encouragement to me – but more importantly for future listeners – if you would leave a comment about the podcast on whatever platform you are listening.  Not only does it make my day, but it will help others find it as well. 

Have a wonderful day and be sure to join me tomorrow for our next episode.

E1: Genesis 1

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Welcome to Coffee with Christ.  I’m your host, Nikol Jones.  

My favorite time of the day is early in the morning when I sit down and have coffee with Christ.  Yes.  It sounds cheesy and weird, but it has been a life changing experience for me. I covered my experience with it in the Intro if you want to go back and listen. 

Basically, I started to apply everyday, ordinary relationship tools to my relationship with God, and that meant sitting down and having a cup of coffee and listening. 

I don’t do it every day, but on the best days, I do.  So, I thought it would be interesting to help you do the same. 

Maybe for you it isn’t sitting in your favorite chair and drinking a cup of coffee. 

Maybe you’re driving down the road or getting ready for bed.  Maybe you’re listening on your commute in to work, while you’re cleaning the house, or getting dressed for the day. 

Wherever your are and whatever you are doing, I hope this becomes part of your routine and part of how you come to know God just a little bit better than you did the day before. 

First, we’ll start with a few minutes of silence.  The key word is minutes – not seconds, so, prepare yourself accordingly. 

This will help you slow down and settle in;
to clear the cluttered thoughts from your head;
and to just breathe. 

Then, I’ll ask you some questions to get your conversation with God started. 

After a few more minutes of quiet, I’ll read a passage of scripture.  Since this podcast is just beginning, it makes since for us to start in the beginning of the Bible:  Genesis. 

I love the New Living Translation, so that is what I’ll use.  It is more conversational and uses common English which is helpful.

You can follow along in your Bible, but my hope is that you’ll just listen.  That’s actually how God’s people heard it when it was brand new. 

If you’re not driving or operating heavy machinery, you might want to grab a pen and a notebook to keep track of things that jump out at you.  Listen for words that repeat and reflect on those.  If you need more time to think about something you heard, hit the pause button and take your time. 

At the end, I’ll guide you through some questions to help you ponder the passage more.    

Since this time is for you and God to get to know each other, I won’t share my thoughts or insights with you.  If there is something I want to share, I’ll post it on my blog, coffeewithchrist.org.  If/when that happens, I’ll let you know and put a link in the show notes, so you can access it quickly, but this is YOUR time to listen to God’s Word and to what His Spirit might be stirring inside you. 

I truly believe, God’s Word changes people.  It changes them verse by verse and chapter by chapter.  It is a magnificent and marvelous thing – these ancient words that are written for us and have stood the test of time. 

So, let’s get started by being still. 

 

Tell God what is on your heart today. 
Has he called you to do something? 
Are you struggling with fear? 
What keeps you up at night? 

Use these next few minutes to listen as God brings things to mind.  Jot them down or confess them aloud. 

 

As I read, listen carefully to what God is doing.  What does this teach you about who He is?   

Genesis 1 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Account of Creation

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[a] 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be a space between the waters, to separate the waters of the heavens from the waters of the earth.” 7 And that is what happened. God made this space to separate the waters of the earth from the waters of the heavens. 8 God called the space “sky.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the second day.

9 Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened. 10 God called the dry ground “land” and the waters “seas.” And God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came.” And that is what happened. 12 The land produced vegetation—all sorts of seed-bearing plants, and trees with seed-bearing fruit. Their seeds produced plants and trees of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

13 And evening passed and morning came, marking the third day.

14 Then God said, “Let lights appear in the sky to separate the day from the night. Let them be signs to mark the seasons, days, and years. 15 Let these lights in the sky shine down on the earth.” And that is what happened. 16 God made two great lights—the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set these lights in the sky to light the earth, 18 to govern the day and night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

19 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fourth day.

20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

23 And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.

24 Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. 25 God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth,[c] and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

27 So God created human beings[d] in his own image.
    In the image of God he created them;
    male and female he created them.

28 Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

29 Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. 30 And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life.” And that is what happened.

31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

May God bless the reading and hearing of His word. 

Did anything surprise you as we read the story of creation?  Did a phrase jump out at you?  Did you learn something you didn’t know before?

 

What questions do those things stir inside you? Did they stir fear or comfort? Was there anything that brought you hope or peace of mind?  Tell God about those things.

 

Did you hear anything new about God’s character?  What is it?  Have you experienced Him in that way?  Or do you need to experience Him in that way?  Take the next few minutes to thank Him for who He is. 

 

In light of what you learned about who God is, how do you think He wants you to respond?  What is keeping you from responding in that way?  Talk it out with Him. 

 

As you ease back into your day, give yourself a few minutes to be quiet again.  The world will wait just a few more minutes. 

Bring your thoughts to God and who he is; how He works; and how those things might apply to what is on your heart today.

 

I hope you enjoyed this first official episode of Coffee with Christ.   If you did, I hope you’ll pass it along to your friends.  Join me tomorrow for the next episode. 

Introduction

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Welcome To Coffee with Christ.  I’m your host, Nikol Jones.  

Finding time to read the Bible is hard.  We are so busy these days whether it is with work, family, friends, kids, extracurricular activities, or all the “To Dos” of ordinary life. 

It is hard to sit down and read the Bible let alone process what you read or hear what God has to say to you. 

If you’ve been in church for a while or you hang out around church-y people, you’ve probably heard the term “relationship with Christ.”  It’s a weird phrase if you haven’t grown up around it.  It’s also a weird phrase even if you have.  I mean, what does having a relationship with Christ even mean? 

Most people think it is going to church on Sundays

Maybe participating in a Bible Study if you’re really serious

or reading a devotional book. 

And prayer.  We can’t forget about prayer.  Some people love it; others find it  confusing and frightening.  But we all seem to manage it when something is desperately wrong.

All of these things are GOOD things.  They are building blocks for faith – every single one of them.  But they are not relationship.

Relationships are two way streets.  Think of how you interact with a friend.  What do you do? 

You call them;
you text them;
you listen or read their response. 

On the best days, you make time on your calendar to be with them.  Maybe you go to a coffee shop to catch up on their day or week or every how long it has been since you last talked.

You share what is important to you.
And they share what is important to them. 

You listen.
You learn.
And this is how we love. 

About 10 years ago, I decided to test out things I’d do with my friends (like catching up at a coffee shop) with my relationship with God.  So, even though I’m not a morning person – I got up early one morning.  I poured myself a cup of coffee even though at the time I wasn’t a coffee drinker.  I sat in my favorite living room chair; and as silly and foolish as I felt, I invited God for coffee and said out loud, “Good morning, Lord.  How are you?” 

Then, I listened. 

I listened to the clock ticking.
I listened to my dog snoring.
I listened to all the thoughts running through my mind about how stupid this was.

But I sat there – in the silence – and listened long enough to get through that first cup of coffee.  I didn’t pick up my bible until I finished.

God didn’t speak to my heart that day, but as I kept inviting him over and listening, eventually He did. 

And so, coffee with Christ was born.  I have a blog (coffeewithchrist.org) where you can read what God teaches me in my time with him. 

But I thought it would be fun to created a podcast where I can guide you through a similar process. 

It is a time for you to sit back, enjoy a cup of coffee (or your favorite drink) and listen.  I’ll go ahead and warn you – when  you’re sitting alone in the silence, it will be awkward.  But we will push through that together. 

Then, I’ll read from the Bible and ask some questions.  You can follow along in your bible but you don’t have to.  You can just listen to God’s word being read aloud.  That’s actually how God’s people heard it when it was new. 

I won’t offer insight or discuss what we just read.  There will be gaps between questions to give  you time to think.

If you like it, I hope you’ll tune in regularly and pass it along to your friends. 

So, are you ready?  We’ll get started in our next episode.