{"podcast":{"title":"Iowa City Church Podcast","slug":"iowa-city-church-podcast-343089","podcast_index_feed_id":343089,"rss_url":"https://iowacitychurch.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"http://iowacitychurch.libsyn.com/website","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/f/5/5/a/f55a23ca9f8c6766/logo_yellow1.jpg","author":"Tom Steele","episode_count":100,"summary":"The Iowa City Church Podcast brings you the weekly sermons from our teaching team. We know life can feel confusing, overwhelming, and at times just plain hard. That's why we believe the best way to navigate life is by following King Jesus. Each episode is grounded in the Bible as our final authority and is designed to encourage, challenge, and guide you as you follow Him. Our hope is that these messages strengthen your faith and help you take your next step as a disciple—wherever you are on the journey.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-21T16:18:37.640798+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iowa-city-church-podcast-343089"},"episode":{"title":"1. See Christmas With Fresh Eyes","slug":"1-see-christmas-with-fresh-eyes","published_at":"2025-12-17T23:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iowa-city-church-podcast-343089/1-see-christmas-with-fresh-eyes","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iowa-city-church-podcast-343089","url":"https://iowacitychurch.libsyn.com/1-see-christmas-with-fresh-eyes","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/iowacitychurch/1._Fresh_Eyes.mp3?dest-id=1291523","summary":"In this sermon we're launching a brand-new Christmas series called Seeing Christmas with Fresh Eyes , and we're kicking it off by looking at a story we think we already know—Mary's. We've heard the Christmas story so many times that we forget how shocking, unexpected, and downright messy it really was. But when we pause and look again with fresh eyes, we discover a God who writes stories differently than we would… and a God we can trust even when our own lives take sharp, unexpected turns. Mary's encounter with the angel wasn't calm or polished—it was confusing, frightening, and full of consequences she didn't choose. Yet in the middle of her questions, she anchored herself to one unshakeable truth: \"For no word from God will ever fail.\" And with remarkable faith, she prayed, \"I am the Lord's servant. May Your word to me be fulfilled.\" Her response reminds us that when life feels unpredictable or overwhelming, we can hold tightly to what God has spoken over us—His promises, His character, and His unfailing love.","meta_description":"In this sermon we're launching a brand-new Christmas series called Seeing Christmas with Fresh Eyes , and we're kicking it off by looking at a story we th…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1904,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/iowa-city-church-podcast-343089/episodes/1-see-christmas-with-fresh-eyes/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/iowa-city-church-podcast-343089/1-see-christmas-with-fresh-eyes.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}