Believe & Speak Podcast Archives

Episode 61

The book of Proverbs is filled with wise sayings. Today we focus on two verses that speak of the benefits of loving and worshiping God. There is no reason to cower in fear when you stand in awe of God. Proverbs 14:26 says that confidence and strength flood our hearts when we live in awe…

Episode 60

Back in Episode 11 of the Believe & Speak podcast, I mentioned that Christian followers of Jesus have been adopted into God’s family. Therefore, believers have the right to claim the promises God gave to Jacob and to Israel. Jacob was a patriarch of God’s “family,” the nation of Israel. Because we belong to that…

Episode 59

This week’s episode was inspired last Saturday during a small group study of my book. I’m taking a few 20- to 30-something-year-old women through my new book, Longing to Belong: Discovering the Joy of Acceptance, and last week we were discussing the chapter called “I Am Not Invisible”, which includes a character profile of Rahab,…

Episode 58

This episode was inspired by the fact that my firstborn is celebrating her birthday today. She just turned 29—the age I was when she was born. But she (and her wonderful husband) have already given me two beautiful granddaughters, and they’re expecting their third child in July. I’m blessed to have multiple generations of family…

Episode 57

I’ve often heard professional athletes say their favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13. They credit God for the “against all odds” strength that he provided so they could pull off a “come from behind” victory. But Paul, the author of Philippians, is not crediting God for his physical strength. Verse 13 in the NIV says,…

Episode 56

I was recently challenged to bring a message of hope to those who might be despairing to the point of death. To be honest, I feel ill-equipped to redirect the thoughts of someone who considers suicide a better alternative to living. But I know that I know that there’s life-giving power in believing and speaking…

Episode 55

Lyrics from a song that was popular more than 30 years ago have run through my head several times this week. Written by Twila Paris, the song, “The Warrior is a Child” is about being weary from incessant spiritual battles. If you’re worn out from warring against spiritual forces of evil, this week’s episode offers…

Episode 54

In light of the fact that this is the first episode of my podcast for the new year, I can’t help but highlight Isaiah 43:19, a Bible verse that speaks of our God doing a new thing. God brought the theme of this verse into my life early last year when the Covid-19 pandemic changed…

Episode 53

For the past three weeks, I’ve been reading from The Gospel of Luke in honor of Christmas. I started by sharing the prequel to the beloved Christmas story, and I’ll end by reading about what happened when Jesus was 8 days old—the day Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to present their newborn…

Episode 52

The year 2020 will not go down in the history books as a year marked by peace and good will toward men. Even now, I see images in my mind’s eye of the unrest and anger that swept America this year. But the angels promised peace and good will at Jesus’s birth. The promise of…