As summer comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate all that God has done in our lives and community these past few months. From answered prayers and unexpected blessings to the power of authentic community, this season has been full of reminders of God’s faithfulness.

In this final summer episode of Second Helpings, we talk about:

• Where we’ve seen God at work this summer
• The beauty of community and doing life together
• Lessons learned through answered (and unanswered) prayers
• What it looks like to carry gratitude and intentionality into a new season

We’re so thankful for the ways God has moved, and we’re expectant for what’s ahead as we step into the fall.

Doubt isn’t always the opposite of faith — sometimes, it’s part of it. In this episode of 2nd Helpings, Alexis and Ashley open up about their own seasons of questioning and why doubt doesn’t disqualify you from following Jesus.

They talk about:

• Biblical examples of people who had healthy doubt in their faith
• How to tell the difference between healthy questioning and unhealthy spiraling
• Practical ways to bring your doubts to God instead of hiding them

📝 Reflection Prompt:
What’s one doubt or question you’ve been keeping from God? What would it look like to bring it to Him honestly this week?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
Talk to God about one specific area of doubt. Be brutally honest, and then ask Him to reveal Himself in that area — even if it’s in small ways.

Your doubts don’t scare God. He’s not offended by your questions — He’s inviting you to bring them to Him.

Papers, group projects, work shifts, friendships, family drama, wondering what you’re doing with your life — college can feel like a nonstop juggling act. And somewhere between the late nights, coffee runs, and endless to-do lists, stress, overwhelm, and anxiety sneak in and take over.

In this episode of 2nd Helpings, Becca and Jayden talk honestly about the seasons when everything feels like “too much,” and how to keep from falling apart when your brain (and planner) are maxed out.

We’ll chat about:

• Small ways to slow down when your schedule is out of control
• What it really means to give your worries to God (and not take them right back)
• Practical ways to reset when you’re running on empty

📝 Reflection Prompt:
Where is stress showing up in your life right now — and what’s one thing you could release this week?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
Pause throughout your day and ask, “God, where am I at right now?” Pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, and body. Notice what spikes your stress or throws you off, and invite God to show you the root — whether it’s something to lean into or something to let go.

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This week on 2nd Helpings, Becca is joined by guest host Alexis as they open up about seasons of loneliness and transition.

Whether you're starting over, stepping into something new, or simply letting go of what was, transitions can feel really lonely. The routines shift, the people change, and the unknowns stack up. And in the midst of that, it’s easy to wonder: God, where are You in this?

In this episode, we talk through:

• The sting of feeling disconnected from friends, community, or routine
• The temptation to isolate when you feel like no one understands
• Where God meets us in the messy, quiet, lonely middle
• How to stay rooted in truth when everything else feels up in the air

📝 Reflection Prompt:
Where have you felt lonely or lost in a recent transition — and how might God be inviting you to draw near, not pull away?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
Reach out to someone you suspect might feel alone right now. Offer to grab coffee or lunch and have intentional conversation with them.

Your loneliness doesn’t disqualify your faith. God is near — even when life feels unfamiliar.

This week on 2nd Helpings, Becca and Lori, with special guest Isaac, dive into one of the hardest parts of the Christian walk — waiting — and how to do it well.

Whether you’re waiting for a job, a relationship, healing, direction, or breakthrough, it’s easy to feel stuck, forgotten, or frustrated when life isn’t moving at the pace you hoped for. But Scripture shows us that waiting isn’t passive — it’s deeply spiritual.

Together, we talk through:

• What it looks like to wait with faith instead of frustration
• How to deal with the disappointment of unmet expectations
• Biblical reminders that waiting has always been part of God’s story
• Why God does some of His best work in the waiting
• Practical ways to shift from anxious waiting to intentional trust

📝 Reflection Prompt:
Where are you in a waiting season right now, and how is God inviting you to wait differently?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
Ask God, “How can I wait well?”
Then take one small action this week that reflects hope, trust, or obedience while you wait.

Waiting well doesn’t mean pretending it’s easy — it means choosing to trust that God is present, good, and always at work… even in the quiet.

This week on 2nd Helpings, Becca and Lori dive into the all-too-familiar trap of comparison, especially as a young adult, when it seems like everyone else is moving faster, further, or ahead of you.

Using the story of Rachel and Leah in Genesis 29–30, they explore how comparison shows up in Scripture and in our own lives today — and how it distorts the truth of our worth, identity, and trust in God’s timing.

Together they talk through:

• How Rachel and Leah’s story mirrors our own striving and insecurity
• What comparison steals from our confidence, joy, and peace
• How to replace “Why not me?” with “Lord, I trust You”
• Why your identity isn’t found in what you lack, but in who He is

📝 Reflection Prompt:
Where are you most tempted to compare right now — and what might God want you to see instead?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
When you notice yourself comparing, pause and pray this simple prayer:
“God, help me celebrate what You’re doing in others — and trust what You’re doing in me.”

Then reflect on all the ways God has already blessed you.

You don’t need to hustle for God’s love. He’s not holding out on you. He’s writing your story — and it’s good.

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In this heartfelt episode of 2nd Helpings, Becca and Lori talk all about transition — from job changes to unexpected endings, from prayers still unanswered to fresh starts you didn’t see coming.

As they reflect on their own recent life changes (and Russ’s send-off!), they invite us into an honest conversation about what it means to follow God through every season — the ones we celebrate and the ones we grieve.

You’ll hear about:

• Finding God in the discomfort and the “not-yet”
• How grief and joy can coexist in the same season
• Staying spiritually grounded in the middle of chaos
• The importance of obedience and reflection during big life shifts
• Why you’re never alone in your transition — Jesus walked it too

📝 Reflection Prompt:
Where in your life are you navigating a transition — and how can you invite God into it more fully?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
Make a micro transition:

• If you're a planner, do something spontaneous.
• If you’re spontaneous, plan something intentionally.
   Disrupt your normal in a small way and see what God shows you through it.

Whether you’re in the middle of a big move, wrestling with change, or waiting for your next step, this episode is for you. You are not alone. God goes before you.

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This week on 2nd Helpings, we kick off our Quarter Life Crisis series with a topic we all know too well: rejection.

Whether it’s a relationship, a job, a friendship, or a door you thought would be open by now — rejection hits hard. And if we’re not careful, it can start to shape how we see ourselves and how we see God.

In this episode, Becca and Lori get real about:

• Why rejection stings more deeply than we expect
• The difference between being rejected and being forgotten
• How we tie our identity to doors God hasn’t opened
• Practical ways to bring our disappointments to Jesus
• The truth that rejection from the world ≠ rejection from God

📝 Reflection Prompt:
Where have you experienced rejection recently — and how might God be using it to protect, redirect, or refine you?

🎯 Challenge of the Week:
Share hope with someone this week by vocalizing the nice things you see in them and think about them.

You are not what you’ve lost. You are not what didn’t work out.
You are chosen, known, and never rejected by God.

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This week on 2nd Helpings, we’re leaning into the power of prayer — what it means, why it matters, and how it connects us not just to God, but to each other.

Becca and Lori reflect on how prayer isn’t just something we do for each other — it’s something that changes us too. And in this episode, you’ll hear from our very own YAM community as they share real, vulnerable prayer requests.

Together, we talk about:

• Why prayer matters and what it reveals about our dependence on God
• The beauty of lifting up the requests of our community
• How prayer unites us in seasons of celebration and sorrow
• Making space to pray right now — not just later

📝 Reflection Prompt:
What does your prayer life say about your view of God? Where is He inviting you to pray bolder, more honest prayers?

🙏 Challenge of the Week:
Pick one prayer request from this episode and commit to praying for it every day this week. Tag a friend and pray together if you want — there’s power in united prayer.

You’re not alone. Your prayers matter. And we believe God is moving in this community. Let’s lift each other up.

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This week on 2nd Helpings, Lori is joined by special guest James to unpack the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25 — a story about preparation, expectancy, and what it means to stay ready for Jesus.

Together, they talk through:

• Why five were wise and five were foolish — and what their oil represents
• What it means to be spiritually prepared through having an authentic relationship with God
• How building trust with God makes surrender possible
• Why your faith can’t be borrowed and your oil can’t be shared
• What it looks like to keep your lamp burning in everyday life

📝 Reflection Prompt:
What does it look like for you to keep oil in your lamp right now?

🙏 Challenge of the Week:
Set aside intentional time with God this week — not out of pressure, but preparation. Ask Him to show you how to live alert and expectant.

Jesus is coming — and we don’t want to be caught running on empty. Let’s be a people who stay ready.

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