Dwell Differently Natalie Abbott & Vera Schmitz

“God invites us to participate in what we’re seeing there in Ezekiel 36 and 37. It’s not that we’re making this heart of stone into a heart of flesh—God’s the actor. It’s not that we’re making these dry bones come alive—God’s doing that. But he invites us to be a part of that. That is an incredible privilege and it’s exciting.” — Mike Grenier
If you're honest, do you ever feel like you should want to share the gospel more than you do, or that you just don't quite know how to talk about Jesus in a natural way? If so, you’ll love this conversation with Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, and Mike Grenier as they talk about the implications our verse has on how we think about evangelism, and the 4 practical steps Mike offers for sharing your faith:
Don’t be afraid to share with people what you’re really enjoying about your faith and why Jesus is beautiful.Ask questions. Be really interested in people as people, not as projects.Don’t underestimate the impact of real-life hospitality.Don’t be afraid to take risks. Don’t wait. God’s at work and he can take imperfect words and do great things with them.Let’s bring the hope of the gospel to the people in our lives who, like us, need someone to tell them about the God who gives new hearts and new spirits!

This month’s memory verse: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26

Today's guest: Mike Grenier is an IT Manager with TE Connectivity. He and his wife, Emily, and their three kids live in Harrisburg, PA, where they're members of Community Evangelical Free Church. Mike serves in various ways at his church, and loves to help those unfamiliar with the Christian faith grapple with the big questions of life and introduce them to Jesus.
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Ezekiel 36:26 Deep Dive // This Verse Has Been Following Me AroundFree Devotional ResourcesSign up for our email list!Support the show

“When you get to the end of yourself and you’re truly honest with yourself, and then you hear this, and you hear that God comes right then with the promises, ‘I’ll give you a new heart and put my spirit in you,’ that is so good.” — Vera Schmitz

We can be tempted to think we just need to be “cleaned up” before coming to Jesus, but our verse this month helps us see the amazing truth about a God who does far more than just clean things up—he brings dead things to life. Join Vera Schmitz and Natalie Abbott, sisters and co-founders of Dwell Differently, as they talk about the deep hope of Ezekiel 36:26. Hear Vera’s salvation story, what to do when you feel like your heart is stone cold, and the beauty of the gospel that is on offer for all!
This month’s memory verse: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26

Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about Dwell Differently’s monthly kit with temporary tattoos or stickers, a display card, a key tag, and more to help you know and dwell on God’s Word.

Get our weekly devotional email: Dive deeper into this month’s verse.

Did you love today’s episode?: We’d love to hear about it! Would you leave a rating or review in your podcast player to help others find the show?

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Ezekiel 36:26 Teaching EpisodeFree Devotional ResourcesSign up for our email list!Support the show

"The very thing that we most deeply need as human beings we can’t actually do for ourselves. It’s the work of God in us.” — Natalie Abbott
What do you do when you find yourself not caring spiritually, when your heart feels cold toward God? What does it look like to have a heart that is soft toward the Lord? Join Natalie Abbott and Nicole Zasowski as they dig into how Ezekiel 36:26 continues to impact the lives of God’s people. They share practical hope for what to do when our hearts feel calloused, how to grab hold of what is true in times of struggle, and personal stories of God’s transforming work in their lives. We were so encouraged by this conversation and know you will be too!


This month’s memory verse: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26

Today's guest: Nicole Zasowski is a licensed marriage and family therapist, sought-after speaker, and author of What If It's Wonderful?  and From Lost to Found. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and three young children. Nicole would love to connect with you on her website: www.nicolezasowski.com or on Instagram: @nicolezasowski. 


Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about Dwell Differently’s monthly kit with temporary tattoos or stickers, a display card, a key tag, and more to help you know and dwell on God’s Word.

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Learn more about Nicole Zasowski and her resources.Follow Nicole on Instagram.Grab your FREE Dwell Differently digital kit for Mark 9:24b!

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“God has given us his own Spirit, and that’s how as believers we are able, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to follow him and to do what is right. But so often, we don’t. And that’s where this verse has been following me around. This verse has been convicting my heart where it’s hard and convicting my spirit where it’s unwilling and not wanting to follow the Holy Spirit who is in me and to listen to his voice and his guidance.” — Natalie Abbott
Have you ever read a Bible verse that just keeps ringing in your ears in the best possible way? Join Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, as she helps us understand the context of this month’s memory verse, highlighting the depth of its beauty as we zoom out to see the big picture story of Scripture, how this verse fits into that story, and finally how this verse fits into the stories of our lives. This amazing promise that God gave Israel is good news for our hearts today as well.


This month’s memory verse: "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26

Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about Dwell Differently’s monthly kit with temporary tattoos or stickers, a display card, a key tag, and more to help you know and dwell on God’s Word.

Get our weekly devotional email: Dive deeper into this month’s verse.

Did you love today’s episode?: We’d love to hear about it! Would you leave a rating or review in your podcast player to help others find the show?

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Free Devotional ResourcesSign up for our email list!Support the show

“We have a God who first loved us…and sacrificed for us and served us, and that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing." — Jason Abbott
This month’s verse raises so many questions: Why is Jesus able to be a ransom for us? What does this verse teach us about the kingdom of God? How does our servant-King’s example impact the way we live our lives? What should I do when I know the right way to serve and love others but just don’t want to? Join Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, and her husband, Jason Abbott, as they talk about all this and more, reminding us of the absolute beauty of Jesus—the God who came to save us and to serve us.


This month’s memory verse: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." — Mark 10:45

Today's Dwell guest: Dr. Jason Abbott is married to Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently. They have a big family of seven and spend a lot of time running around Jefferson City, Missouri, together. Jason has been in pastoral ministry for the past 20 years in the Evangelical Free Church of America. He’s currently the Senior Pastor at Central Church of Jefferson City, Missouri. 


Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about Dwell Differently’s monthly kit with temporary tattoos or stickers, a display card, a key tag, and more to help you know and dwell on God’s Word.

Get our weekly devotional email: Dive deeper into this month’s verse.

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“If we make Christ greater, then we are thinking of ourselves less…I just want my life to be about Christ…it’s Christ above all, Christ greatest, Christ more. That’s what I want. And so I think that if that is true of me, then service out of that is easier and also I stop vying for position and rank and approval.” — Vera Schmitz

Do you tend to keep a scorecard when it comes to serving others? Our verse this month, Mark 10:45, helps us reframe what serving like Jesus really means—especially when we come face to face with our self-serving tendencies. Tune in as Natalie Abbott and Vera Schmitz, sisters and co-founders of Dwell Differently, talk through the implications of this verse, what genuine humility really looks like, and how to truly live our lives in a way that echoes John the Baptist’s words in John 3:30: “He [Jesus] must become greater; I must become less.”

This month’s memory verse: "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." — Mark 10:45

Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about Dwell Differently’s monthly kit with temporary tattoos or stickers, a display card, a key tag, and more to help you know and dwell on God’s Word.

Get our weekly devotional email: Dive deeper into this month’s verse.

Did you love today’s episode?: We’d love to hear about it! Would you leave a rating or review in your podcast player to help others find the show?

Links from today's show:
Free Devotional ResourcesSign up for our email list!Immanuel by Beautiful Eulogy

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