Christ With Coffee On Ice

Host: Ally Yost
Episode: The Beginning of Genesis Reading
Date: September 19, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Ally Yost invites listeners to settle in with their iced coffee and join her for a vulnerable, raw, and deeply thoughtful reading of the book of Genesis. The focus is on the relevance and wisdom within the Old Testament, particularly the early chapters of Genesis. Ally highlights God's grace and patience despite humanity's recurring mistakes, offering encouragement and reflection on what it means to walk with Christ in the face of life’s obstacles.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Facing the Old Testament with Openness

(03:40 – 05:00)

• Ally confesses her tendency to gravitate toward the New Testament because the Old Testament can feel intimidating. However, she’s been intentionally reading more of it and finds it just as relevant—pointing to Jesus even from the beginning.
• Quote: “The Old Testament can just be intimidating in a lot of ways. And so I typically gravitate to the New Testament for that reason… But I have been dabbling a lot more in the Old Testament because it’s just as relevant and it actually all still points to Jesus.”

2. Genesis Reading & Reflection

(05:30 – 33:30)

• Reading directly from Genesis 1 through the flood narrative, Ally pauses to offer context, encouragement, and insights.
• Encourages listeners to read along and shares she’s using the NLT (New Living Translation).
• Before reading, Ally prays, inviting the Holy Spirit to make the scripture meaningful and relevant to all listening.

Creation (Genesis 1 & 2)

(07:00 – 13:43)

• Emphasizes God’s intentionality in creation.
• Focuses on the goodness of God’s design and His thoughtfulness toward humanity.
• Notable reflection: Even in the creation account, everything points to Jesus.
• Quote: (Prayer) “God, I just pray against any distractions. I pray that we can just lock in and we can hear the word for what it is and we can feel your spirit, Lord.” (07:19)

The Fall & Cain and Abel (Genesis 3 & 4)

(18:00 – 29:00)

• Ally’s commentary spotlights God's consistent warnings and the consequences of disobedience.
• Expounds on God’s grace, even in moments of judgment (“He still met them in their sin”).
• Quote: “But what’s interesting is, like, when I read this... I actually see the grace of God throughout, like, His patience and His grace and His compassion.” (21:08)
• Refers to the foreshadowing of Jesus and the Tree of Life: “God wanted that to be an option for us to choose so that there is still a way out for us to live forever. And that is through his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for us.” (23:45)
• Reflects on Cain’s punishment—noting God’s compassion in marking Cain for protection rather than destruction after his violent act.

Genealogies & Lifespans

(29:15 – 31:50)

• Ally reads through the descendants from Adam to Noah, remarking on the exceptionally long lifespans and the exponential population growth.
• Shares her own surprise at the numbers and reassures listeners that there’s a biblical reason lifespan shortens later on.
• Quote: “You hear these numbers and you’re like, huh?... It’s interesting.” (30:40)

Humanity’s Decline and Noah

(32:00 – 36:00)

• God sees increasing corruption and violence; grieves the world’s wickedness, yet Noah “finds favor with God.”
• Ally highlights Noah’s faith and obedience—especially since rain and flooding were unknown concepts then.
• Quote: “Imagine the faith that Noah had to have in this moment to be like, okay, you’re telling me there’s a flood coming? Don’t even really know what to expect that to look like.” (35:10)

3. The Flood and God’s Covenant with Noah

(37:30 – 46:40)

• Detailed reading of the flood story, with Ally emphasizing God’s mercy in rescuing Noah’s family and the animals.
• God provides Noah with every instruction, showing personal care even in judgment.
• Highlights the symbolism of the rainbow—God’s promise never to destroy all life with a flood again.
• Quote: “And we’re going to stop there at the rainbow, which was my favorite part, by the way. Just to preface. Is that not the best?” (46:12)
• Ally points out the ongoing themes: human failure, divine compassion, and second chances.
• Quote: “Just the reality, like, the heaviness of, like, just our poor decision making. But thank you, God, for Noah. Noah really saved our butts… He was the hope of humanity.” (46:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On God’s Instructions: “He warns us of the consequences of our sin and he warns us of the things that are going to harm us. But it’s in his love that he still gives us free will.” (22:15)
• About Experiencing Good and Evil: “Knowing is this: I know evil, I know good, but I now know evil. Like, I’m aware I have experience with it, which was never something we were supposed to know.” (23:00)
• On the Flood's Devastation and Hope: “He could have just let Noah… but then he saw Noah, and he was like, huh, okay, there’s still a glimmer of hope in humanity because that one, though, is righteous.” (41:25)
• Reflection on the Rainbow: “God’s compassion and patience with us. Anyway, guys, thank you for tuning in. I hope that you enjoyed this episode. Yeah, it actually blessed me so much to be able to read that with you guys.” (46:40)

Segment Timestamps

• Intro and Context (Skip ads, product mentions): 03:40
• Opening Prayer & Scripture Begins: 07:00
• Creation (Genesis 1–2): 07:00 – 13:43
• The Fall (Genesis 3): 18:00 – 20:40
• Cain and Abel (Genesis 4): 20:40 – 29:00
• Genealogies (Genesis 5): 29:15 – 31:50
• Wickedness and Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6): 32:00 – 36:00
• The Flood Narrative (Genesis 7–8): 37:30 – 43:30
• God’s Covenant and Rainbow (Genesis 9): 43:30 – 46:40
• Final Reflections and Closing Thoughts: 46:40 – 47:50

Takeaways for Listeners

• Vulnerability and Reflection: Ally models honest questioning and awe regarding difficult texts, encouraging listeners to do the same.
• God’s Character Revealed: The narrative is about more than punishment—it is about God’s persistent grace, patience, and desire for redemption.
• Practical Application: “Can we show somebody how cool Jesus is? Can we walk more like him, talk more like him? Be more like Jesus today?” (47:40)

Tone and Language

Friendly, honest, and inviting. Ally’s conversational asides, gentle encouragement, and humble inquiry create an approachable space for anyone seeking deeper understanding—not just biblical scholars.

For new listeners or those revisiting Genesis, this episode provides a thoughtful, heartfelt walk through foundational stories, balanced with encouragements to trust, question, and rest in God’s compassion.