How Can Choosing Rhythms of Joy Strengthen and Heal Our Souls?
Does joy ever feel risky, like a lovely bonus to an otherwise painful reality, or like something only available when we experience something worth celebrating? What if we make joy not only a regular practice but a powerful weapon in our journey to increased wholeness and emotional freedom? In this episode, counselor, author, and Bible study writer Nicole Zasowski shares how joy impacts our brains, our sense of wellbeing and our trust in Christ. Resource Referenced: Daring Joy - Bible Study Book with Video Access: What Six Women in the Bible Teach Us About the Power of Celebration When It Feels Risky, Complicated, and Even Impossible by Nicole Zasowski. Key topics covered: Choosing empowered boundaries Why it can be hard for certain identity truths to feel true How we can steward our pain well How to establish rhythms of joy that increase our resiliency, strength, and enhance our relationships. Discussion/Reflective Questions: What resonated with you most in this episode? When has it felt daring to choose or embrace joy? How might setting "boundaries" in an attempt to change someone else's behavior relinquish your power? Consider one of your more challenging relationships. What might an empowered boundary look like in that situation? What might it look like in your life and season to institute a rhythm of joy? What are your thoughts regarding how Nicole defines joy? What is one action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode? Find Nicole Zasowski: On her website On Instagram On Facebook Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group (Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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29:48
Silence Your Inner Critic and Live Your Best Life
We've all got an inner critic who, when listened to, can hinder, if not shatter, our confidence, increase our shame, and challenge our ability to accurately hear the voice of God. In this episode, author and speaker Will "Joy" Acuff shares some practical ways we can decrease our negative self-talk, increase our self-compassion, and learn to recognize when our loving Father is calling us out of shame and into a deeper experience of His grace. Resource referenced: No Elevator to Everest: Shift from Survive to Thrive through Spirit-Led Self-Awareness by Will Acuff What part of today’s conversation resonated most deeply with where you are right now? What’s one small step you could take toward Spirit-led self-awareness this week? Are there any “old messages” from your inner critic you’ve been rehearsing? What might God want to speak over you instead? How might your imagination be part of your spiritual renewal? What would it look like to get curious instead of critical? Who in your life needs to hear this message today—and how can you share it with grace? How have stress and busyness shaped your view of God—and what might change if you gave yourself permission to slow down and simply be with Him? Find Will Acuff: On his website On Instagram Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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29:15
Divine Wisdom for Today's Challenges: Increasing Our Sensitivity to God's Voice
One of the most encouraging truths in Scripture is God's promise to speak to and guide His children. But how can we know when whether or not the nudge we perceive truly comes from God, and how should we respond to periods of divine silence? Can we "miss" His will? In this episode, Reverend Jessica VanRoekel joins Jennifer Slattery to discuss these questions and more, speaking comfort and encouragement for those struggling to discern God's voice while offering suggestions as to how to increase one's spiritual sensitivity. Discussion/Reflective Questions: What resonated with you most in this episode? How can maintaining a pure heart help one hear God more clearly? When have you heard God speak during a time of worship? Jessica emphasized the importance of practice in hearing God's voice. What are some ways you currently practice hearing from God? Jessica and Jennifer also suggested that God often repeats Himself to help us recognize His verse. When has this been true for you? What is one action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode? Find Jessica VanRoekel: On her website On Instagram On Facebook Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group (Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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34:00
Encountering God Through Doubt: A Journey of Faith Amid Fear and Confusion
Have you ever feared your doubts, especially if they relate to your faith? How about a reassuring reminder that you aren’t alone. What if your doubt holds potential to create the faith you’re worried may be slipping away? Niki Hardy invites you to experience rest in the middle of your fear, doubt, anger, or confusion. Resource referenced: God, Can We Chat? A Daringly Honest Guide to Growing Closer to God, One Doubt at a Time Discussion/Reflective Questions: What resonates with you most in this episode? When have you had a time when you have struggled with questions that were building up in a challenging time you were experiencing? Have you ever been ashamed of your doubts? Why? How do you personally know if you are hearing God’s voice? Have you ever wallowed in doubt? Describe how it felt, if you have. When you think about bringing your doubts to God, what anxiety or fears do you struggle with? What is what action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode? Find Niki Harding: On her website On Instagram On Facebook On her podcast Chemo Chair Prayers Find Carol McCracken: On her website On Facebook On Instagram Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
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34:20
Reviving Hearts: How God’s Light is Changing the Face of Incarceration and Trauma
Sometimes, when we look at our world, it seems as if evil is winning. Such thinking has the potential to sideline us and leave us feeling defeated. Scripture, however, assures us of three unshakable truths: All the forces of darkness combined will not and cannot extinguish God's light, His children bring His light with them into every encounter, and He will empower the willing heart to dramatically impact our world for generations to come. In this episode, join host Jennifer Slattery as she talks with Dr. Romney Ruder, president of Lifeline Global Ministries, who God is using, along with his ministry, to radically transform some of the "hardest" hearts in the United States while breaking generational patterns of trauma and incarceration that leave wounded children at significant risk for future incarceration. What if the next revival breaks out in our prisons? How might this change at risk families and youth, our communities, and our nation? (Scroll down for discussion questions.) Find out more about Lifeline Global Ministries, including how to get involved on their website. Follow them on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group (Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.) Discussion/Reflective Questions: What resonated with you most in this episode? How familiar are you with prison ministries? Did anything Dr. Ruder shared surprise you, and if so, how? What does the impact the gospel is having in United States' prisons reveal regarding God's heart? How can engaging in ministry to the broken help increase one's sense of hope in today's challenging climate? How can engaging in ministry in such places increase one's intimacy with Christ? How might God be inviting you, your family, and/or your faith community to join Him in what He is doing to transform families broken by generational sin, dysfunction, and incarceration? What is one action step He might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Life is too short and God has too much for us to do for any of us to live enslaved. Jesus promised His followers would experience filled to overflowing life, a life characterized by joy, peace, and spiritual and emotional vitality. And yet, we daily make decisions based on fear, not faith. In Faith Over Fear, author and speaker Jennifer Slattery helps us see different areas of life where fear has a foothold, and how our identity as children of God can help us move from fear to faithful, bold living.
This podcast covers topics like:
⭐️ How to Overcome Fear⭐️ Biblical Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety⭐️ Powerful Steps to Fight Anxiety⭐️ Finding God Faithful in Hard Seasons⭐️ Courage to Wait on God
Jesus has more planned for us than we could imagine and He’s fully committed to perfecting that which concerns us. Fear holds us back, but His perfect love has the power to cast out all fear!
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