Small Steps with God

Jill from The Northwoods
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Small Steps with God is a practical guide to learning how to study the Bible thoughtfully and faithfully. Through clear teaching on exegesis, historical context, and careful reading, this podcast helps listeners move beyond surface-level interpretations and grow in confidence as students of Scripture. Episodes explore how meaning is drawn from the text—not read into it—along with series like MIRRORS, which examine biblical figures and historical groups to reflect on faith, obedience, and daily life. This is a place for steady growth, honest thinking, and learning to walk closely with God—one small step at a time.

  1. 4d ago

    What Does It Mean to Find Favor with God?

    What Does It Mean to Find Favor with God? When someone’s life seems to go smoothly, we may say they have God’s favor. But does hardship mean God is displeased? Scripture gives us a much deeper picture. From Noah and Mary to Joseph and Paul, we look at people who received God’s grace and still endured difficult experiences. We examine why grace is a gift rather than a reward, why obedience follows grace rather than purchasing it, and why God’s faithfulness cannot be measured by comfort, wealth, or the absence of suffering. IN THIS EPISODE• Does an easy life mean God’s favor?• Favor and grace in Scripture• Grace is not a rewards program• Noah: preserved through the flood• Mary and Joseph: favor amid hardship• Paul and the sufficiency of grace• What favor does—and does not—promise CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction: What Does It Mean to Find Favor with God?02:54 Favor and grace in Scripture05:40 Grace is not a rewards program08:26 Noah: preserved through the flood11:17 Mary and Joseph: favor amid hardship14:06 Paul and the sufficiency of grace16:56 What favor does—and does not—promise19:46 Putting the ideas together22:34 Practical lessons and reflections25:21 Final thoughts and next steps REFERENCES AND RESOURCESGenesis 6:8–9; Luke 1; Genesis 39; Ephesians 2:8–10; Hebrews 11:7; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 Jill From the Northwoodshttps://jillfromthenorthwoods.com

  2. Oct 21

    MIRRORS: Faith Has Generations Too

    The MIRRORS series turns toward Seth and the generations leading to Noah. Genesis tells us very little about many of these people, but it gives us glimpses of worship, walking with God, remembrance, and hope. Their quiet place in the story invites us to consider who helped us know Christ and whom we can encourage today. Moment: A Family after LossAfter Abel's murder and Cain's departure, Eve receives Seth as another offspring. His birth does not erase the loss, but the family continues under God's care. In the generation of Enosh, people begin calling on the name of the Lord, and Genesis follows the line toward Noah. Identity: Ordinary Links in the StoryWe do not know the personalities or full lives of most people in this genealogy. Biblical silence should not become invented biography. What we can see is their place in a continuing family line and the importance of people whose names receive only a few verses. Right Choices: Calling, Walking, RememberingEnoch walks with God. Seth's descendant Lamech remembers the curse on the ground and hopes for relief through his son Noah. These glimpses point toward ordinary faithfulness: worship, trust, remembrance, and hope. They do not establish that every person in the line lived a perfect life. Risks and Ongoing MessageFaith is not automatically inherited, and a family genealogy cannot guarantee personal trust in God. Another risk is measuring faithfulness only by results we can see. Encouragement, prayer, Scripture, and forgiveness can matter long after we have lost sight of their effect. Reflection and Steps: Hand It ForwardLuke's genealogy places these familiar early names in Jesus' family line. Turn the mirror toward your own life: who helped you learn the faith, and who might benefit from your encouragement? Spiritual influence can travel through teachers, friends, pastors, and neighbors as well as biological families. Name someone who helped you know the Lord and thank them if possible. Then take one small step to encourage another person through Scripture, prayer, an invitation, an answer, or an act of forgiveness. jill@startwithsmallsteps.com and jillfromthenorthwoods.com A note on this podcast: Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The faithful people we barely know02:34 Moment: Seth after family tragedy05:47 Identity: ordinary links08:26 Right choices: ordinary faithfulness11:06 Risks: faith is not inherited14:26 Ongoing message: what travels forward17:18 Reflection: who stands behind your faith?19:18 Steps: thank someone and encourage someone

  3. Oct 14

    Who Is Watching When You Fail? It is Not God!

    When you mess up, who do you imagine is watching? A lot of Christians carry an image of God with crossed arms and a clipboard, waiting for the moment they fail. Scripture gives us a very different picture of accusation, temptation, warning, forgiveness, and the God who wants sinners to come home. The Wrong Face Behind the ClipboardAfter we fail, it is easy to imagine God waiting to catch us. Scripture gives a different picture: the accuser condemns, while God confronts sin in order to forgive, restore, and call people back. The Accuser in ScriptureJob, Zechariah, Revelation, Genesis, and the story of Peter show a repeated pattern of accusation and temptation. The guilt may be real, but accusation is not the same thing as God's response to a repentant sinner. Sin Crouches, God WarnsGenesis 4 gives us the image of sin crouching at Cain's door. God is not hiding behind the door waiting for Cain to fail. God is the one warning Cain before the murder happens. Small Openings Become FootholdsPaul's warning not to give the devil an opportunity helps explain how ordinary anger, resentment, envy, pride, loneliness, and repeated habits can become openings. Spiritual damage often grows through cracks we leave unattended. Temptation Does Not Remove ResponsibilityScripture holds several truths together. The devil deceives and accuses, the fallen world pulls us away from God, and our own sinful nature wants what it should not want. None of that turns our choices into somebody else's responsibility. Resistance Begins With What Christ Has DoneThe Christian response is not fascination with the devil or confidence in our own strength. It is truth, prayer, Scripture, confession, forgiveness, and the confidence that Christ intercedes for us and restores people who return to him. Sin really does crouch at the door, and Scripture tells us to stay alert. But the central Christian picture is not God waiting to catch us. It is Christ interceding for us, warning us about danger, forgiving confessed sin, and restoring people who turn back. Contact: jill@startwithsmallsteps.com | jillfromthenorthwoods.com A note on this podcast: Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Who do you picture watching?03:20 Satan as accuser06:15 God draws sinners out of hiding08:37 Sin crouching at the door10:45 Peter, temptation, and intercession13:28 Finding the cracks and footholds17:02 The lies before and after sin19:38 Three enemies, real responsibility23:02 How Christians resist temptation27:23 Christ intercedes and restores

  4. Oct 7

    MIRRORS: Cain and the Sin Crouching at the Door

    Have you ever done something halfway, then watched someone who gave it their whole heart get the praise, and felt something ugly rise up in your chest before you could even think? That's Cain's story, and most of us know Cain better than we'd like to admit. In this MIRRORS episode, I walk through the life of Adam and Eve's firstborn son and the first murder in Scripture, not to make him a cartoon villain, but to see what his story reveals about us. **Identity: A Name About Getting** Eve named her firstborn Cain, a name that sounds like the Hebrew for "acquire" or "gain." His younger brother Abel's name means "breath" or "vapor." We know very little about Abel beyond his faith-filled offering (Hebrews 11:4), which is why this profile focuses on Cain. **Moment: The Offering, the Warning, and the Field** Cain's moment unfolds in stages. First comes a careless offering next to Abel's thoughtful, costly one. Then God speaks directly to Cain, warning him that sin is crouching at his door. Finally, Cain lures Abel into the field, kills him, and answers God with a lie and a sneer. **Right Choices, Risks, and Wrongs** Cain did show up to worship, and he kept talking with God. That's about where the good list ends. The wrong list runs long: carelessness, anger, ignored warnings, premeditated murder, lying, and a complaint that focused only on his own safety, with no remorse at all. **Ongoing Message: Resentment Left Unaddressed** Cain didn't wake up planning to become history's first murderer. He woke up jealous, and he let it build. As 1 John 3:12 puts it, the problem was never really Abel. It was what Cain let take root inside himself while he watched his brother. **Reflection: The Quieter Downcast Face** Most of us will never commit murder, so the real question is different. Where have you felt the sting of watching someone else get recognized for something you wanted? A sibling, a coworker, someone at church? Cain's story asks whether private anger is quietly shaping what you'll do next. **Steps: Ruling Over What's Crouching at the Door** God told Cain exactly what to do: do what is right. That means honest self-reflection, naming the envy or wounded pride for what it is, remembering that with God's help you can rule over it, and dealing honestly with the person you resent instead of letting distance and silence do the damage. Even Cain, marked and sent east of Eden, still carried God's protection. Judgment came, and mercy came with it. If you're sitting in your own version of downcast anger, this is your warning and your invitation: come back to God before the thing crouching at your door gets its way. You can find everything I do at jillfromthenorthwoods.com, and you can reach me directly at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. --- **A note on this podcast:** Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 When someone else gets the praise 01:05 Identity: Cain and Abel's names 03:47 Moment: the careless offering 04:49 God's warning: sin at the door 06:01 The first murder 06:49 Right choices, risks, and wrongs 08:46 Ongoing message: unaddressed resentment 12:04 Reflection: the downcast face 13:23 Steps: ruling over sin 14:56 Mercy east of Eden

  5. Sep 30

    Mirror: Eve, the Mother of All Living In The Face of Death

    Would you have eaten the fruit? Most of us like to think we wouldn't have, but if we're honest, we're not so sure. In this episode of the Mirror series, we look at Eve, the first woman, the first mother, and the first mirror any of us has ever been handed, walking through her story letter by letter using the M-I-R-R-O-R-S framework. **Moment: Setting the Stage** Eve's story unfolds in Genesis 2 through 4, before nations, covenants, or history of betrayal existed. Everything she experienced, she experienced for the first time, with no prior example of temptation to learn from. **Identity: Essential, Not an Afterthought** Genesis 2:18 uses the word "ezer," the same word God uses to describe himself as Israel's helper. Eve's identity as Adam's partner was built as essential and corresponding, not secondary. **Right Choices: She Wasn't Passive** Before anything goes wrong, Eve is shown holding a real theological conversation with the serpent, reciting what God commanded. She knew the truth. The question is what happened between knowing it and acting on it. **Risks: Where the Cracks Formed** The serpent's first move wasn't a direct attack, it was a small exaggeration, and Eve's response added even more to what God actually said. We trace the anatomy of temptation through verse six: appetite of the body, appetite of the eyes, appetite of pride. **Offspring: The First Gospel** Tucked into God's judgment on the serpent is the first promise of a rescuer in all of Scripture, directly tied to Eve and her offspring. Her story doesn't end in despair. **Reflection and Steps** We look at the ways we still exaggerate or minimize what God has actually said, and end with one simple, repeatable step: saying "I am responsible" before reaching for any excuse. This podcast is for entertainment and educational purposes only. I'm not a licensed pastor or theologian, just a layperson studying Scripture alongside you. Verses referenced from the CSB, ESV, and NET translations. Find all of Jill's podcasts and videos at jillfromthenorthwoods.com. Questions or topic requests? Email jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Would You Have Eaten the Fruit? 01:27 Moment: Setting the Stage 02:29 Identity: Essential, Not an Afterthought 04:24 Right Choices: She Wasn't Passive 07:16 Risks: Where the Cracks Formed 10:40 Offspring: The First Gospel 12:09 Reflection: Looking in the Mirror 15:45 Steps: One Repeatable Habit

  6. Sep 23

    MIRRORS: Are you Like Adam?: Accepting, Silent and Blaming

    # Adam's Silence: The Sin Before the Sin Have you ever stood next to someone while something was going terribly wrong and said nothing at all? That's where Adam's story met me this week, closer to home than I expected. **Eden Was a Real Place** Genesis names actual rivers, the Pishon, Gihon, Tigris, and Euphrates, placing Eden somewhere in the region we now call Mesopotamia. This wasn't a floating myth to the people who first heard it. It was a location they could have pointed to on a map. **What Adam's Name Actually Means** Adam comes from the Hebrew word for ground, adamah. He didn't earn his first breath; it was placed in him by God, which reframes the familiar line "dust you are, and to dust you shall return" as something closer to a gift than a sentence. **Adam's Strength: Receiving Everything Openly** Adam takes in every good thing God gives him, his breath, his job, the animals, and finally Eve, with joy and no complaint. It's a genuinely admirable trait, right up until it becomes the same trait that lets him down. **Where It Goes Wrong: The Silence** Adam was standing right there for the whole conversation with the serpent and said nothing. The same openness that let him receive good gifts from God let him receive the fruit from Eve without a word of resistance. **From Silence to Blame** Once confronted, Adam doesn't just stay quiet. He shifts the blame onto Eve, and indirectly onto God himself. Paul later calls Adam a pattern for what all of us would have done in his place, and calls Jesus the "last Adam" who reverses every step: he speaks, he doesn't pass blame, and he goes to the cross instead. The question worth sitting with this week isn't really about Adam. It's about the moments you go quiet because speaking up feels like too much trouble, and the sentences you reach for when something finally goes wrong. You don't need the perfect words, just one true one. This episode is part of the ongoing Mirror series, taking a closer look at people in the Bible and what they reflect back at us. You can find everything I do at jillfromthenorthwoods.com, and you can reach me directly at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. --- **A note on this podcast:** Scripture quotations come from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New English Translation (NET). Maps and imagery referenced in the video come from sources including bible.ca, FreeBibleImages.org, and Faithlife/Logos. I'm a layperson doing a Bible study, not a licensed pastor or theologian, so treat this as one person's careful reading, and bring your own questions to a pastor or trusted Bible teacher too. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The moment you say nothing at all 00:30 Introducing the Mirror series 01:23 Eden was a real, mapped place 02:23 What Adam's name actually means 03:51 Waking up in a world already good 04:50 Adam's strength: receiving every gift openly 06:20 Where it goes wrong: silence in the garden 07:48 From silence straight to blame 08:20 Paul's verdict: Adam as the pattern for us all 09:47 Jesus, the "last Adam," reverses the pattern

  7. Sep 17

    Why Did Sabbath Become So Complicated?

    Flag before publishing: the raw transcript cites "Exodus 28" for the Ten Commandments passage, that's actually Exodus 20. I've corrected it in the cleaned transcript and the notes below, but worth double-checking your script. I grew up with a rules-heavy version of Sabbath, the kind where you couldn't turn a light switch on or even turn the pages of a book. This episode is me tracing how Sabbath actually got started in Genesis, how it became a command, and how it turned into the exhausting rulebook I remember from childhood, and what Jesus was actually restoring when He pushed back on it. REST BUILT INTO CREATION, NOT A FIX FOR THE FALL Genesis 2:2–3 shows God resting on the seventh day, not because He was tired, but as part of the original design. Rest predates sin. It was never a patch for human weakness. A TEST BEFORE IT WAS A COMMAND In Exodus 16, Sabbath shows up first as a trust exercise with the manna. Can Israel believe God provided enough on day six that they don't have to keep grinding on day seven? It's a test of trust before it's ever written down as a rule. TWO REASONS FOR THE SAME COMMAND Exodus 20 ties Sabbath to creation. Deuteronomy 5 ties it to being rescued from slavery in Egypt. Both reasons are valid, and Deuteronomy adds that the rest extends to servants, animals, and foreigners, not just the head of the household. HOW A TRUST EXERCISE BECAME 39 CATEGORIES After the exile, when Nehemiah found people back to ignoring Sabbath, the guardrails got tighter and tighter, eventually landing on 39 categories of forbidden labor drawn from the tabernacle-building instructions sitting next to the Sabbath command in Exodus. WHAT JESUS WAS ACTUALLY RESTORING When Jesus heals on the Sabbath and lets His disciples pick grain, He's not throwing out the command. He's restoring its purpose: "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath." Mercy had gotten buried under the fence built to protect it. REST AS TRUST, NOT A RULEBOOK Paul in Colossians 2 and Hebrews 4 point past the day itself to the rest Jesus makes possible. The takeaway isn't a new list of do's and don'ts. It's trusting that six days of work is enough, and actually stopping. I still don't have this fully figured out for myself, and I say that honestly in the episode. But the invitation is the same for me as it is for you: not a rulebook, an actual rest. If Sabbath means something different to you now than it used to, I'd love to hear about it. Email me at northwoodsjill@fastmail.com, or find everything at jillfromthenorthwoods.com. Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ - Find my podcasts, videos, downloads and ways to contact me https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://x.com/NorthWoodsJill Email the podcast at NorthwoodsJill@fastmail.com “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.” Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. “The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”. Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/ Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”. By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal study, faith perspective, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, seminary-trained theologian, or biblical scholar. Any scriptural interpretation, commentary, or reflections offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, church body, or faith community. Theological understanding is a lifelong journey — I encourage you to study alongside your own tradition and trusted spiritual leaders. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.

  8. Sep 9

    Genesis 1 Says You Were Never a Mistake

    I've been sitting with an uncomfortable question this week: if I really believe every person carries the image of God, does that change who I'm willing to be patient with? This episode doesn't tie up neatly, and I don't think it's supposed to. **The King's Statue, Reimagined** In the ancient world, a king would set up a statue of himself in places he ruled but couldn't personally live in. That statue wasn't decoration. It stood in for him. Genesis borrows that exact idea to describe what it means for us to be made in God's image, and it changes what "image bearer" actually means. **No One Is Exempt** Genesis doesn't reserve the image of God for kings, scholars, or any special class. It's everyone, which was radical for its time. Every person you interact with today, including the ones who are difficult on purpose, carries that same standing. **You Were Never a Mistake** Even if you grew up hearing you were an accident or a burden, every soul was known before the beginning. That's not just a nice thought about self-worth. It's meant to hold up under the hardest version of that question. **Jesus and the People We'd Rather Skip** Jesus tied this directly to how we treat the people we're most tempted to walk past, the same idea behind the Good Samaritan story. It's not a vague spiritual metaphor. It's aimed at specific people in your specific life. **Mercy That Doesn't Excuse the Wrong** Believing someone carries the image of God doesn't mean their actions get erased or that consequences disappear. I try to untangle that balance carefully here, because it's easy to swing too far in either direction. The takeaway I keep coming back to: the next person you interact with today is carrying something that isn't yours to dismiss, and neither are you. Small steps, but not small stakes. You can find everything I do at jillfromthenorthwoods.com, and you can reach me directly at jill@startwithsmallsteps.com. Jill’s Links https://jillfromthenorthwoods.com/ - Find my podcasts, videos, downloads and ways to contact me https://www.youtube.com/@smallstepswithgod https://www.buymeacoffee.com/smallstepspod https://x.com/NorthWoodsJill Email the podcast at NorthwoodsJill@fastmail.com “Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.” Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. “The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”. Bible Maps and images used with permission from https://www.bible.ca/maps/ or https://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/bj-ot-world/ Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software. Free for non-commercial use by individuals or organizations. May be presented before live audiences; may be posted on social media; may be re-distributed. May not be used commercially. May not be modified or included in published works without permission; contact permissions@faithlife.com. Attribute as: “Copyright 2014 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software ()”. By choosing to watch this video or listen to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are doing so of your own free will. The content shared here reflects personal study, faith perspective, and opinions and is intended for informational and inspirational purposes only. I am not a licensed pastor, seminary-trained theologian, or biblical scholar. Any scriptural interpretation, commentary, or reflections offered should not be considered a substitute for guidance from your own pastor, church body, or faith community. Theological understanding is a lifelong journey — I encourage you to study alongside your own tradition and trusted spiritual leaders. You are solely responsible for any decisions or actions you take based on this content.

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About

Small Steps with God is a practical guide to learning how to study the Bible thoughtfully and faithfully. Through clear teaching on exegesis, historical context, and careful reading, this podcast helps listeners move beyond surface-level interpretations and grow in confidence as students of Scripture. Episodes explore how meaning is drawn from the text—not read into it—along with series like MIRRORS, which examine biblical figures and historical groups to reflect on faith, obedience, and daily life. This is a place for steady growth, honest thinking, and learning to walk closely with God—one small step at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Jill from The Northwoods
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    181
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
  • Show Website
    Small Steps with God