Celebrating God’s Creativity with Trillia Newbell
On today’s episode of the Journeywomen podcast, I chatted with Trillia Newbell about celebrating God’s creativity! Trillia and I talked about everything from how we can practically celebrate people of all backgrounds, to how Jesus himself loved people who were different than him. She said, “When I think of Jesus I think of a man who died for sinners, who died for those who could never repay him, and who related to those who others would shun. His example is ours. It’s what we should aim to live like and live for.” Trillia encourages us to simply love our neighbors and to seek to know them through something as simple as inviting them to share a meal around our tables. Ultimately, we discussed God’s plan to glorify himself by rescuing a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. I know you’ll have so many takeaways from this conversation.
So you’ll know her a little better, Trillia Newbell is the author of the kids’ book God’s Very Good Idea, as well as Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God’s Good Gifts (2016), Fear and Faith: Finding the Peace Your Heart Craves (2015) and United: Captured by God’s Vision for Diversity (2014). Her writings on issues of faith, family, and diversity have been published in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, Desiring God, True Woman, Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and more. She has spoken at numerous conferences, churches, women’s retreats, colleges and seminaries, including True Woman, The Gospel Coalition Women’s conference, Southeastern Theological Seminary, and more. She currently is the Director of Community Outreach for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the Southern Baptist Convention. I can’t wait to share her with you guys.
Before we go there, I want to say THANK YOU! Many of you follow Journeywomen on Instagram and if you do, you had a chance to see that my kiddos baptized my laptop last week, completely crashing my hard drive. My friends Sarah Scott, Chloe Hamaker, and Elizabeth Seifried launched a Go Fund Me and within 12 hours you raised enough money to fund an entirely new computer to keep Journeywomen running! I cannot thank you guys enough, truly. Thank you so much for helping make today’s episode possible!
Can you tell us about who you are and what you do?
What is God’s design for creation?
How did he bring this to fruition?
What happened when sin came into the world?
What do we all need as a result of our sin?
Where can we find rescue and forgiveness?
How did Jesus love people who were different than him?
How can we extend this kind of love to people who are different than us like Jesus did?
How does doing so bring the Kingdom of God down to earth?
What would it look like to celebrate God’s beautifully diverse design when we’re interacting with others?
How can we communicate value and care to people of all backgrounds?
What does celebrating God’s design for humanity elicit in us? What does it show the world? What is God’s ultimate purpose in his beautifully diverse design?
THREE QUESTIONS I ASK EVERY GUEST
What are 3 resources for those of us who wants to grow in their understanding of others and loving/celebrating who they are?
What are your 3 simple joys?
Who has had the greatest impact on your own journey with Jesus?
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES
"God has called us to make disciples of all nations and called us to live in community with one another."
"We see God calling people to himself of every tribe, tongue, and nation."
"In Genesis 1 we see God created people, made in his image. He did not discriminate in who he created. Everyone is created with worth, and value, and dignity."
"God has been rescuing people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Jesus died on a cross bearing the wrath we deserved, and he did not discriminate in regards to ethnicity. The Gospel is for all nations, for all people, anyone who would put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ."
"Jesus related to all people."
"He had such a non-discriminating love for all people."
"Jesus was always laying his life down for others."
"Jesus related to those who others would shun."
"Jesus’ example is what we should aim to live like."
"A love for our neighbor allows us to enter into mourning, weeping, and rejoicing with those who are mourning, weeping, and rejoicing."
"It is a privilege that we get to lay down our lives for others."
"God says, 'that if we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.' Jesus is making us more like himself. We need to repent of where we have sinned against our brother or sister."
"Rest in Jesus. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. We need to rest in that truth."
"I don’t want to self-righteously hold people to something that I’m not going to hold myself to. I want to make sure I’m extending grace. I speak the truth in love, but from a heart that is loving."
"We don’t want to harbor bitterness. Bitterness harms you more than the other person."
"We need to ask ourselves what is hindering us from loving people who are different than us. If it’s hard, there may be sin in your life. If it’s hard because you cannot relate to them, ask the Lord to reveal what’s in your heart that is hindering you. We need to ask ourselves if we see people as the ‘Imago Dei’, made in the image of God."
"Once you get in proximity with those who you haven’t engaged with, those [fears] will crumble."
"God promises to finish the work he began."
"Listening helps us to love our neighbor as ourselves."
"If you’re asking questions that are really intense, you might reserve that for a friend or a proper context."
We are going to mistakes in getting to know people who are different than us."
"Listening and interacting is a sweet way to celebrate differences."
"You don’t have to pretend to be colorblind because you’re not. It’s not helpful."
"Our differences aren’t negative. The reality is when we look at God’s word, our differences are not a negative and we can celebrate them."
"Be normal. Don’t relate to people as aliens. We are all people. Relate to one another as people. Introduce ourselves and see what the Lord has after that."
"Step out of your comfort zone."
"The world is broken and divided and there is someone who can unify!"
"Any division is a way for our enemy to distract us."
"It’s all ultimately about God."
"The end goal is the glory of God."
TRILLIA'S RESOURCES
The Bible and seeing God’s heart
Reading broadly to gain different viewpoints
Praying
Have a friend around the table
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
United by Trillia Newbell
God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell
TRILLIA'S SIMPLE JOYS
Road cycling
Anything outside with my family
Cooking
IMPORTANT NOTE
Journeywomen interviews are intended to serve as a springboard for continued study in the context of your local church. While we carefully select guests each week, interviews do not imply Journeywomen's endorsement of all writings and positions of the interviewee or any other resources mentioned.
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