{"id":314007,"date":"2025-04-14T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-14T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce\/"},"modified":"2025-06-17T11:02:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T15:02:47","slug":"you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce\/","title":{"rendered":"You Are Redeemed: Nana Dolce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This episode features Nana Dolce, a beloved teacher and author, who discusses her 40-day devotional called &#8220;You Are Redeemed&#8221; that takes women through the Book of Exodus. Nana reflects on her life journey, her experiences with adoption, and the importance of understanding God\u2019s redemption story. She shares deeply personal stories about her son, Kian, who was adopted as an embryo through the National Embryo Donation Center. Kian was frozen for 20 years before being adopted by Nana and her husband Eric. This miraculous story is deeply tied to Nana\u2019s perspective on God&#8217;s redemption and care for the seemingly unseen and forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>Nana also recounts the emotional meeting between Kian and his genetic mother and grandfather, who met him for the first time after years of waiting. The story touches on the miraculous nature of God\u2019s work in preserving life even in seemingly impossible situations. She connects this narrative to her devotional, which explores the themes of God&#8217;s plan for redemption through the Exodus story. Nana highlights the story of Moses and the Israelites&#8217; journey from slavery to freedom, emphasizing that God\u2019s plan for His people has always been to dwell with them.<\/p>\n<p>The episode also explores the deep theological insights of God\u2019s love, presence, and redemption. Nana\u2019s book reveals how the Book of Exodus is not just a historical account but a foreshadowing of a greater redemption found in Jesus Christ. Through personal stories and reflections, Nana emphasizes that God sees, hears, and knows the pain of His people, drawing parallels to the experience of Jesus, who suffered deeply for humanity. The episode concludes with a call to those feeling unseen or forgotten to know that God\u2019s love is constant, and He is always with them, even in their pain. Nana\u2019s devotional aims to reassure readers that God&#8217;s redemption story is for everyone, and it will ultimately lead to a time of eternal dwelling with God.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>God has a special place in his heart for the unseen. Author Nana Dolce explains how God&#8217;s redemption has greater meaning after her story of adoption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":314008,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/49fddb86-55ea-4e3b-ab90-b2ab011324d9\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:25:19","filesize":"23.23M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2025-04-14 07:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2818,2822],"tags":[],"podcast_series":[10973],"cwp_profile":[9843],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-314007","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adoption-and-orphans","category-growing-in-your-faith","podcast_series-you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce","cwp_profile-nana-dolce","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2025\/04\/image.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/314007\/you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/314007\/you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"LkUbjiM4Jx\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce\/\">You Are Redeemed: Nana Dolce<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/you-are-redeemed-nana-dolce\/embed\/#?secret=LkUbjiM4Jx\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;You Are Redeemed: Nana Dolce&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"LkUbjiM4Jx\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2025\/04\/image.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"God has a special place in his heart for the unseen. Author Nana Dolce explains how God's redemption has greater meaning after her story of adoption.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/nanadolce.org\/\">Learn more about Nana Dolce at her website<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/you-are-redeemed\/\">Recieve Nana's new devotional <\/a><em><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/you-are-redeemed\/\">You Are Redeemed<\/a> <\/em>for a donation of any amount.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/content-offers\/unseen\/\">Get encouragement when you feel unseen.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<ul>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2025-04-14.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae with Dave and Ann Wilson - Web Version Transcript<\/p>\n<p>This content has been generated by an artificial intelligence language model. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided will most likely not be entirely error-free or up-to-date. We recommend independently verifying the content with the originally-released audio. This transcript is provided for your personal use and general information purposes only. References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the use or interpretation of this content.<\/p>\n<p>You Are Redeemed<\/p>\n<p>Guest:Nana Dolce<\/p>\n<p>From the series:You Are Redeemed (Day 1 of 3)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:April 14, 2025<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Before creation, God's plan was to dwell with His people. We know that the fall happened, and this distance took place; but it did not take God's intention away. His plan has always been to dwell with His people, and He sent His Son to redeem\/to purchase us so that He can dwell with His people.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I'm Dave Wilson.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:And I'm Ann Wilson. And you can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com. This is FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Today, we have one of my favorite teachers with us.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:You don't say that about me every day. Oh! You're not talking about me.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:You are one of my favorite teachers.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:But we have one of my favorite women teachers with us today. Nana Dolce is back with us in studio. Nana, we love having you with us.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:We do; we both do.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:And I love being here. Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:I had this weird thing come to my mind\u2014and things that come to my mind shouldn't always be said out loud\u2014but I had [tune from The Beatles, Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye] \u201cNa-na-na-na, na-na-na-na na Dolce.\u201d Have you heard that before? I'm sure you've heard that before.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Oh, nice! I've heard that\u2014\"Na-na-na-na\u201d\u2014I hear that; no one's ever connected it to my last name until now.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Ohhhh!<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Well, I think\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana:I like it.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:There you go: [singing] \u201cDolce.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann:But will Eric like it?\u2014that's the question.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Tell them what Eric's doing right now.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:I am in the studio with you all; and just around the corner, in the green room, Eric is with Kian Immanuel Dolce.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:The last time you were here, he was with you.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:He was.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:But he was in womb, not out of womb<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yes, he was in womb. I had the joy of sharing Kian's story with you all about a year ago, I think; Eric was with me. We told the incredible story of how Kian was frozen, as an embryo, for 20 years. So yeah, his\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave:What a miracle! This is incredible even.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:You guys adopted the embryo through an organization called\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nana:We did; we did. It's called National Embryo Donation Center. They're a faith-based organization. Their hope is to redeem. There are about a million frozen embryos in the U.S. alone. Our hope is that these little people would be adopted into wombs; and then, into homes; and would live and not be given to science or not be discarded. Kian's bio mom and dad donated him in hopes that someone would adopt him and raise him as their son. It is our honor to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:And tell us what you did yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yesterday, Kian met his genetic mother and grandfather for the first time.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Whoa.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yeah; Kian\u2019s story is just amazing. Last time I was here, I mentioned how I was looking for a Scripture during this whole process. This is very different to give birth to your adopted child. I wanted the Lord just to ground my feet in a passage; and He sent me to Psalm 1:39 [paraphrase] that talks about: \u201cI knitted you in your mom\u2019s womb.\u201d But there's a part of the Psalm that says that: \u201cEven before my body was formed, You knew my unformed substance. And in Your book was every word of my story already written.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>God is writing an amazing story. Kian's genetic mom is not parenting any children. They created five embryos, and they transferred the first two to her. She was pregnant with twin girls. Sadly, they were born premature; and they passed away. Those girls were born on August 11. Exactly<\/p>\n<p>20 years later, Kian was born on August 11.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Gives me chills.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Who could write that? Wow!<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Who could write that?\u2014the greatest Author.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:She's seeing a visible picture of what her twins could have looked like, possibly. But to see Kian in the flesh must have felt incredibly miraculous to her, and her father as well.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:She called it a miracle.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:She did?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:She did.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:And Kian, what's it mean?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Kian means \u201cthe ancient one or the enduring one.\u201d Of course, Immanuel means \u201cGod with us.\u201d We like to say \u201cOur little enduring Kean is with us because the Ancient of Days was with him and preserved him all those years, frozen\u2014cryopreserved, I think, is what they call it\u2014but there was still life; there was still life. And now, he\u2019s born.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:It\u2019s like he's 21 years old.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:It really is.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Wow!<\/p>\n<p>Ann:To think that God has known him even before he was formed\u2014in that little frozen embryo and before\u2014is pretty miraculous. And what a good reminder for all of us that God knows all of us. He knows our future; He's never forgotten one part of us.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:He's writing a story for all of us with all our lives.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:I know we're going to talk about this a little bit; but it does make me think: \u201cA lot of us\/a lot of people feel unseen. Even what we're going to talk about today\u2014in Moses in Exodus\u2014there's some of that as well.\u201d I just want to give a call out: we have a place where you can go, at FamilyLife, if you feel unseen; and get resources and know that God sees you. It's FamilyLife.com\/Unseen. As we jump into this today, just know you can go there; and know that God sees you. We'll help you know that.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Sometimes, we just need to be reminded that God sees us.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:So what is You Are Redeemed? Tell us what this project is.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yes; You Are Redeemed is a 40-day devotional. It's an eight week\u2014five days out of the week\u201440 total devotional that is written specifically for women. It walks women through the book of Exodus\/through the story of Exodus.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Why Exodus this time? Because you are definitely a Bible scholar; you love God's Word. Why Exodus?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:The project is called Gospel Truths for Women. What it is\u2014it's a devotional series that walks women through a specific book of the Bible\u2014so when I was asked to be part of this project, I went instantly to the book of Exodus. It is such\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave:You got to pick it?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:I did.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Oh, wow.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yeah. I got to propose what it is that I would want to do, and it was Exodus for me. It's an epic narrative. If you tell the story of Exodus, you cannot tell it\u2014just think of a dramatic epic movie, with an incredible soundtrack behind it\u2014that's what I think of.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:If you're older, you might remember the movie, The Ten Commandments with Charleston Heston; that was an epic movie.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:We are dating ourselves. It's interesting\u2014we both went the same middle school, three years apart\u2014I was out of that middle school by the time Ann got there. But we both had the same choir teacher, Mr. Wilford.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Yes, yes!<\/p>\n<p>Dave:I don't know when we were dating\u2014at some point\u2014I just went [singing The Exodus Song with a deep voice], \u201cThis land\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave &amp;amp; Ann:\u2014\"is mine, God gave this land to me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave:I\u2019m like, \u201cYou sing that song?\u201d It was because Mr. Wilford, that's all he knew.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Well, we sang it like that because that's how he sang it.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:That's how he sang it. But when I was at that middle school\u2014not a church-going kid; not a believer\u2014I did not even know where that song [came from] and what it was about. And it's about this epic; you picked the right book. I would either pick Genesis or Exodus.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Wait; wait; No, I would not have picked Exodus. Why did you pick it?<\/p>\n<p>Dave:What do mean? Why not?<\/p>\n<p>Ann:I mean, it is epic; but why? There has to be a personal reason why you<\/p>\n<p>wanted to do it.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Sure; sure. Well, two reasons. One: I teach a course for women at RTS [Reformed Theological Seminary], and we study Exodus.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Tell us what you teach, because it's really fascinating.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:It's called Women's Teaching Lab. It's for women's ministry leaders and women who teach the Bible locally in the DC area; it's a fall and a spring course. What it does is: it equips women; it gives them eyes to see the Scriptures, and it gives them tools to dig into it. For the most part, these women are teaching other women; or maybe, they're teaching children. We want them to give their women and their children good stuff; we want them to give them the riches of God's Word. I think it's wonderful to train women to do that work well.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:And we need to train men the same way.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yes, we do.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:But we don't always get the opportunities as much as men, especially having babies and being busy.<\/p>\n<p>But why Exodus?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:We study Exodus in that RTS course, and so I felt comfortable taking on the project.<\/p>\n<p>But the other reason is that the book of Exodus is such a beautiful picture of redemption. And so the title of the book is: You Are Redeemed: Devotions for Living a Whole New Life. It's a beautiful gem that foreshadows a greater redemption to come. But I think that the Author\u2014we talked about God being an Author\u2014when you look at the story of Exodus, He's pointing forward to something that's going to blow our minds. It's so well-captured and illustrated in the story of Israel's redemption.<\/p>\n<p>Those were my two reasons; I wanted to tell that story of redemption.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:One of the things I'm thinking, as our listeners are listening: \u201cThis would be something that as, a mom goes through\u201d\u2014I'm guessing we, men, are off limits. We can't; I'm sure I can read it; we could grab it, and it'd be awesome\u2014\"but as a mom goes through this, this is something she could then transfer down to her kids, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Absolutely; it is. When you're writing a book, publishers and other people tell you: \u201cIf you are on the elevator with someone, how could you quickly just summarize the main thing?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave:The elevator speech, yes.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:And so for that mom, for that college student\u2014for whomever it is who\u2019s reading this\u2014I want to convince them: \u201cWhen you hear that God loves you, He really loves you. His plan, from the beginning, was to dwell with you. You don't want to live with someone you don't love. From the very beginning, before creation, God's plan was to dwell with His people. We know that the fall happened, and this distance took place; but it did not take God's intention away. His plan has always been to dwell with His people, and He sent His Son to redeem\/to purchase us so that He can dwell with His people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>God intends to dwell with His people; we see it from the beginning of Scripture. We definitely see it in the book of Exodus. He rescues this group of enslaved people, not just to send them into the desert to be free, but He redeems them for Himself and tabernacles so that He can dwell with them. It's a small picture of what's going to happen. Revelation 21:3 says that the place of God and man will be together; we will dwell with Him. That's already happened in Christ\u2014the Spirit is with us\u2014but we're going to see the fullness of it.<\/p>\n<p>I want these sisters, reading this book, to believe that He loves you so much that the whole plan of redemption is to bring you to a place where you are with Him; and you are dwelling with Him, and He's dwelling with you.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Did that have anything to do with you naming Kian his middle name, Immanuel?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Oh, I can\u2019t say that I was connecting it to Exodus.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Okay.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:I wanted to name Kian Immanuel because God was with him, this little frozen embryo. When Eric and I went to adopt Kian, we purposefully wanted to adopt embryos who were not as likely to be chosen. If you want a chance at a baby, you want to choose maybe an embryo that's relatively younger; you want to choose an embryo that maybe you think might be more likely to live and to be born into the world.<\/p>\n<p>But when we went, we were interested in a minority embryo who had been waiting for a very long time. There were two embryos we adopted. We named one of them Zion, because he went home to be with the Lord in Zion. But God sent us Kian, the enduring one. God was with him, so we named him Immanuel.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Isn\u2019t that so true that God chooses the unlikely?\u2014those who are passed by and feel like they aren't seen or nobody would choose? God does; He chooses us.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:He does.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:I think that's beautiful that you guys did that intentionally.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Walk us through a little bit\u2014I don't know how much we can cover; there's a lot of chapters in the Exodus, not as many as Genesis\u2014but you start your study with \u201cGod Remembers\u201d the first week. I don't know if that's where you want to start, but take us on a journey; there's nobody better.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:And let me say to our listeners: \u201cThis is an easy study and devotional to go through in that it's five days a week of study. Each day begins with Scripture reading in Exodus; I like that the Scripture's in there. And you also have an illustration that ties to it. I just like that you always tie the Old Testament with the New Testament\u2014you draw them together\u2014and it makes sense why both are so important.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Absolutely. Reading through this devotional, you'll get a good sense of the story of the Exodus itself, which is wonderful. But I didn't want to leave you there; I wanted you to see a greater redemption. I wanted you to see someone greater than Moses; and I wanted to take you from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion, which is a far greater mountain because there we see a far greater covenant.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:And I love your questions that you bring into it at the end of each one. You're asking pertinent questions that help us to grow and see all of that, and even apply it in our own lives.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:And as simple as this sounds, I don't think the majority of people have any connection with Genesis and Exodus to Jesus. You know what I'm saying? If you would walk up to the average person, and say, \u201cWhen did God first tell us that a Savior was going to come?\u201d They say, \u201cOh, the book of Gospel of Matthew, maybe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Actually, in Genesis; the first three chapters.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yeah; so true!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: He gives us a signal, like: \u201cThis is the beginning. Thousands of years from this, it\u2019s going to happen. But I told you all through Exodus.\u201d Oh, my goodness. So let's go!<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yeah; yeah. I want to say that I want to believe Jesus when He told His disciples, in Luke 24 that all of these Scriptures point to Him. I want to believe that that's true. So I want to read it, looking for: \u201cOkay, Jesus, where is this pointing to You?\u201d I think we can see\u2014even in Exodus, Chapter 2\u2014there\u2019s a small place here that helps us to remember who Jesus is.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of \u201cGod Remembers\u201d\u2014at the end of Exodus, Chapter 2, verse 24, I love how Moses is writing this story; he uses three verbs here that helped me to remember Jesus\u2014Exodus 2:24: \u201cAnd God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob; and God saw the Israelites, and God knew.\u201d God heard; God saw; and God knew: \u201cThis is a group of enslaved people.\u201d We remember, from Chapter 1, that this Pharaoh was ruthless in how he really was abusing, subjugating; killing the children of Israel, ordering that their children be thrown into the Nile. They're in a terrible situation; but God is not some distant God, who's far away. He heard; He saw. And I love that He knew\u2014He knew their pain\u2014He knew what they were going through.<\/p>\n<p>When I was writing my devotional, I started out the second day of the devotional with an illustration from\u2014he is a comedian; his name is Rob Delaney\u2014he's a comedian; he makes people laugh. But he's written this very serious book about death; because he went through the horrific experience of his young son, two-year-old son, dying of a brain tumor. While his son was in cancer treatment, his sister's husband committed suicide. He says that he and his sister went through\u2014he uses the word, operatic-level of tragedy\u2014just unimaginable pain. He said, now, it's really hard for him to be in a conversation about suffering with someone who's never been through anything. He said, as soon as he shares his story, there's a look that they give of almost being scared. There's something about it that distances him from that person instantly. But when it comes to his sister, because they've shared that experience together, it's almost bonded them; they know each other a little bit more.<\/p>\n<p>In Christ, we have a Brother who's gone through an operatic-level of pain\u2014if I can use Delaney's words\u2014Jesus knows! The book of Hebrews talks about how He became like us and how He's experienced\u2014except for sin\u2014He's been through whatever you're going through that is so horrible: whether it's rejection, whether it's physical pain, whether it is false accusation,\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave:\u2014betrayal.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:\u2014betrayal. Jesus knows\u2014He knows; He hears; He sees\u2014but He's not a God who knows just because He's omniscient; He actually experienced it. There's something amazing about sitting across from a person, who knows what you're going through, because they've personally experienced it. This is our God! This is who Jesus is. That's amazing to me!<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Me too.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Yeah; I think, in many ways, it's the longing and question of every soul's heart: \u201cDoes He hear me?\u201d \u201cDoes He know me?\u201d \u201cDoes He see me? I feel alone.\u201d I think parents realize our kids sometimes feel that, and we get to be the embodiment of God's love for them. But I think it's everybody's question, and here it is in the second book of the Bible.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:As I'm looking at this, Nana, you ask in Day 2: \u201cDo you believe that Jesus knows and sympathizes with your pain today?\u201d What about the person who says, \u201cNo, I don't! I don\u2019t believe that Jesus knows or sympathizes with my pain; because I'm still in it.\u201d The Hebrew people were in it for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yeah, I think I've come to see more and more in my little Christian journey\u2014I'm pressing on in age now; I'm 43\u2014I'm pressing on a little.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Yeah, you're way up there. You\u2019re like a kid!<\/p>\n<p>Nana:But I have come to see that God's intention isn't always to get us out, immediately, from painful situations. I think it\u2019s to convince us that He is with us in that painful situation.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Me too.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:And that we can trust Him in that painful situation.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Because we think that love is removing us immediately from what we're going through, because it's so painful. But you're saying that His love is really that He remains with us.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:Yeah; He is Immanuel, the God who's with us. And remember: my big elevator speech for this book is that God wants to dwell with you. He is working right now to get you ready for the day when you are dwelling with Him. He uses those painful situations in that work of preparing us for Himself.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Can you think of a really painful situation that you needed to know that He was with you?<\/p>\n<p>Nana:I certainly can. Like I said, I've been on this road a little while now. This was an incredible painful situation; I think it's still a little tender in some ways. I grew up in a family where I think a lot of our Christianity was cultural Christianity. We're immigrants\u2014I was born in Ghana, West Africa\u2014I came to the U.S. when I was in fourth grade. Like all immigrant families: love to gather with other immigrants who speak their language, who eat their food, who know what you\u2019re going through.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes, that happens within the context of church; because you're not working\u2014you get together\u2014you're there all Sunday. And so for me, growing up, a lot of church was that. I didn't really know the Bible; I didn't know the gospel; I didn't love Jesus that much. When I became a Christian, it was a little difficult for some members of my family because: \u201cWe're all Christian. We all go to church; we all read the Bible; we all pray. Why are you, all of a sudden, wanting to\u2014almost tying Christianity\u2014making it so important; defining your whole life by it?\u201d Some people began to distance themselves away from me a little bit.<\/p>\n<p>I saw that even when I married a very Christian man\u2014my now pastor, husband Eric\u2014there were some people who did not attend our wedding; some people who didn't meet my children for a long time. So when you ask: \u201c\u2026 a painful situation?\u201d\u2014that was painful; literally feeling alone for a very, very long time. There's a Scripture that says: \u201cIf mother and father forsake you, I will not forsake you; but I will take you in.\u201d The Lord took me in. We've never been without grandparent figures, auntie figures, uncle figures. I'm here with you in Orlando. My children are being cared for, right now, by an auntie from our church whom they love as if she was blood. The Lord took us in and showed how, even in that painful situation, He was with us through His people and through the church.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Because life is hard, we go through some really hard times. When my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's\u2014she's one of my best friends\u2014and so to watch her suffer, to lose who she was\u2014to grieve and mourn that\u2014I think, humanly speaking, we can say, \u201cWhat is the point, Jesus? I just don't get it. Why?\u2014she's so faithful, loving, serving; she loves You\u2014why would You take the last part of her life?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We can ask a lot of \u201cWhy?\u201d questions. I think the real question is: \u201cGod, what do You want me to know?\u201d And for me, it was the same, Nana. What I felt like He wanted me to know is: \u201cI'm still with her,\u201d and \u201cI'm still with you. And there will be a day that you'll rejoice together for all eternity.\u201d But if our hearts become bitter, it's hard to see His presence and His power in our lives.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:We did a service one time at our church that\u2014I don't know if it was on the internet or whatever, where people\u2014there was sort of this idea: you take a card or something, and you put a word\/one word that defined your life before Christ, and a word defines after Christ.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:You turn it over.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:You try to match the word. And you know what mine was? I grew up with no dad. As I thought through: \u201cWhat would my word be?\u201d It could be a lot of them, but the one that was dominant was \u201cUnseen.\u201d I didn't feel seen; he wasn't there, and he didn't come back much. And then, when I came to Christ, I realized: \u201cI'm seen. I have a Father who sees me and knows me,\u201d\u2014and all the things you just brought out of Exodus: He remembers; He hears; He knows; He sees\u2014you talk about life-changing. That's what today's been all about.<\/p>\n<p>Again, I'll say this: if you're feeling what I felt\u2014I felt that for 20 years: unseen\u2014if you're feeling that, go to FamilyLife.com\/Unseen. We'll help you know that you're seen.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:Nana, we've talked before with you on some of these topics. We've actually created a great devotional video series for people, who are just wondering, \u201cDoes God see me?\u201d Again\u2014our listeners\u2014you can still grab that series now by going to FamilyLife.com\/Unseen; and then, we'll also link it in the show notes for you to get.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Yeah; we'd also love to send you the book, You Are Redeemed by Nana. It\u2019s not really a book; is it a book or a workbook?<\/p>\n<p>Ann:It's a devotional.<\/p>\n<p>Nana:It's a devotional.<\/p>\n<p>Dave:Yeah, it's a devotional book. So any amount of donation, we'll send you: You Are Redeemed. Go to FamilyLifeToday.com; you can do it there. Or give us a call at 800-358-6329. That's 800-F as in Family, L as in Life, and the word, TODAY.<\/p>\n<p>Ann:We would love to pray for you. I would personally love to pray for you, and we even have a team at FamilyLife who can pray for you. Just go to FamilyLife.com\/PrayForMe.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve benefited from the FamilyLife Today transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs of producing them and making them available online?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2025 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife.com<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/314007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=314007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/314008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=314007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=314007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=314007"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=314007"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=314007"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=314007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}