S4: Week 16 Day 5: Applying Numbers 21:4-9 & John 3:14-16

Summary

A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace

Episode: Season 4, Week 16 Day 5 - Applying Numbers 21:4-9 & John 3:14-16
Release Date: April 18, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, hosts Alexa and Beth delve into the practical applications of two pivotal scriptures: Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-16. As part of Season 4's "Christ in All of Scripture" reading plan, this session aims to bridge the Old and New Testaments, highlighting how these passages converge to reveal the centrality of Jesus in the overarching biblical narrative.

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Exploring Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-16

Beth opens the discussion by emphasizing the week's focus on applying the selected passages to everyday life:

Beth [01:35]: "Today we are going to be talking about how we plan to apply Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-16."

Alexa responds by connecting the theme of forgiveness found in John 3:14-16 with the Israelites' experiences in Numbers 21:4-9:

Alexa [01:48]: "Jesus gave us his forgiveness and so even when we mess up and sin, we have God's forgiveness instead of his judgment. But you know, that doesn't mean that we are to just go on living our lives however we please because we have God's forgiveness."

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Personal Reflections on Grumbling and Trust

The conversation shifts to personal struggles with grumbling during tough times, mirroring the Israelites' complaints in the wilderness:

Alexa [01:48]: "I feel like I tend to grumble when life gets hard in any kind of way, which is kind of embarrassing to admit, but it's true. And I think I most often grumble against God when I feel like he has let me down in some sort of way."

Beth relates by acknowledging the challenge of maintaining faith amidst personal hardships:

Beth [02:56]: "God's story is bigger than my circumstances, and I never really know how or where exactly he is working out his redemption in all of the things that surround me."

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The Power of Gratitude Over Grumbling

Alexa introduces the concept of gratitude as a remedy to grumbling, inspired by the Israelites' complaints about their provisions:

Alexa [03:24]: "The opposite of grumbling is gratitude. It's thanking God for the good things that he's doing and blessing us with, even if our circumstances are hard."

Beth echoes this sentiment, highlighting the cultural prevalence of grumbling and the importance of counteracting it with gratitude:

Beth [04:00]: "Our culture too is just so prone to grumbling and complaining. Maybe all cultures are, since that's clearly it was a prominent feature of the Israelites too. But I think actively practicing gratitude is such a good way to fight against that and to live a life that is countercultural."

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Practical Applications and Takeaways

The hosts discuss actionable steps to cultivate gratitude and trust in God's plan:

1. Recognize God's Provision: Acknowledge the blessings, both big and small, that God provides daily.
2. Shift Perspective: Understand that personal hardships are part of a larger, divine narrative.
3. Practice Daily Gratitude: Make a conscious effort to thank God regularly, especially during challenging times.

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Conclusion and Prayer

As the episode draws to a close, Beth invites listeners to engage in prayer, focusing on gratitude and confession of grumbling:

Alexa [04:29]: "Confess any ways you have grumbled against God. Ask God to help you live in gratitude in light of the Gospel and His daily blessings."

The hosts encourage continued study and participation in the "Christ in All of Scripture" plan, promising deeper insights in future episodes.

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Final Thoughts

This episode effectively intertwines the lessons from Numbers 21:4-9 and John 3:14-16, illustrating how recognizing Jesus as the central figure in both Testaments can transform personal struggles into opportunities for faith and gratitude. Alexa and Beth provide relatable reflections and practical advice, making the ancient scriptures relevant to modern-day challenges.

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Additional Resources

For those seeking to deepen their study, The Daily Grace Co. offers a variety of studies, journals, and resources:

• Website: thedailygraceco.com
• Social Media: Follow A Year in the Bible Podcast and The Daily Grace Co. on Instagram for ongoing support and Bible study materials.

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Thank you for joining Alexa and Beth in this enriching exploration of Scripture. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions as you journey through the Bible with Daily Grace.

Transcript

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[Beth]

The Bible with Daily Grace. This year we want to spend a few minutes with you every day walking through our study Christ and all of Scripture. Each week we will dive deeply into two passages of Scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the New, seeing how they connect and point to Jesus.

[Alexa]

Whether you are doing the study yourself or just following along with us here, we are hopeful that through studying these passages each week you will see how Christ is not only present throughout the entire Biblical story, but the center of it. Hey friends, welcome back to Year in the Bible. My name is Alexa and I'm here with my co host Beth.

[Beth]

Hey everyone. Today we are going to be talking about how we plan to apply numbers 214 through 9 and John 3, 14, 16. So Alexa, how do you plan on applying these passages this week?

[Alexa]

Yeah, I mentioned yesterday how Jesus gave us his forgiveness and so even when we mess up and sin, we have God's forgiveness instead of his judgment. But you know, that doesn't mean that we are to just go on living our lives however we please because we have God's forgiveness. I really appreciated the first application question from today's study that asked us to consider how we are often like the Israelites when life becomes hard and when the times are that we grumble against God. I feel like I tend to grumble when life gets hard in any kind of way, which is kind of embarrassing to admit, but it's true. And I think I most often grumble against God when I feel like he has let me down in some sort of way. Or like when he doesn't answer a specific prayer in the same way that I want him to, or when I feel like things in life are good and then something hard happens, I can essentially be like God. Why did you allow that? As if my life is meant to be devoid of hardships and those hardships are God's fault. Thinking about all of that challenges me to still trust and believe that God is good even when life gets hard. Because just as God was taking care of the Israelites, so is he taking care of me.

[Beth]

Yeah, I'm definitely with you. This week really reminded me that I often need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. God's story is bigger than my circumstances, and I never really know how or where exactly he is working out his redemption in all of the things that surround me. So yeah, I have to just accept that his plan is bigger than the way that I can see it and look at it from a bigger perspective. So what other takeaways did you find?

[Alexa]

I want to go back to something I noted at the beginning of the week, and that's how the Israelites complained about the food God gave them when they should have been grateful to have any food at all. And that challenges me to practice gratitude more in my life. The opposite of grumbling is gratitude. It's thanking God for the good things that he's doing and blessing us with, even if our circumstances are hard. When I choose to grumble, I fail to consider all the ways in which God is taking care of me and providing for me. And so I think if I chose gratitude instead, that will help me to praise God more, including the moments when life feels hard.

[Beth]

Yeah, so good. I think our culture too is just so prone to grumbling and complaining. And maybe all cultures are, since that's clearly it was a prominent feature of the Israelites too. But I think actively practicing gratitude is such a good way to fight against that and to live a life that is countercultural. So that's really good. I like that. Well, it is now time to end our week with prayer. As usual, take a moment, wherever you may be, to respond to God in prayer. Following these prayer prompts, praise Jesus for.

[Alexa]

Giving you eternal life through Him. Confess any ways you have grumbled against God. Ask God to help you live in gratitude in light of the Gospel and His daily blessings. Thanks so much for joining us this week. We look forward to being with you all next week as we dive into more of Christ and all of Scripture. Thank you for listening to today's episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. Be sure to check out our show notes for some helpful links and resources related to today's episode. And make sure you're following aalygrace Podcast and hedailygrace Co on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement. We're looking forward to studying God's Word with you again tomorrow. Bye friends.

[Unknown Speaker]

You know when you're really stressed or not feeling so great about your life or about yourself, Talking to someone who understands can really help. But who is that person? How do you find them? Where do you even start? Talkspace Talkspace makes it easy to get the support you need. With Talkspace, you can go online, answer a few questions about your preferences, and be matched with a therapist. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule wherever you feel most at ease. If you're depressed, stressed, struggling with a relationship, or if you want some counseling for you and your partner or or just need a little extra one on one support, Talkspace is here for you. Plus, Talkspace works with most major insurers and most Insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance? No problem. Now get $80 off of your first month with promo code SPACE80 when you go to talkspace.com Match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com Save $80 with code [e-mail].