Abiding Free | Biblical Truth & Encouragement

Do you see living on mission for Christ as the greatest adventure in this life?

Thank you for joining us for another week of the Abiding Free Podcast. Today we are so grateful to share our conversation with our friend Kanita Rutley. Kanita is a missiologist, humanitarian, speaker, bible teacher, and vocal artist, and today we will be talking about the adventure of living a missional life.

While Kanita has traveled and shared the word of God worldwide, it’s a fallacy to believe that you must travel far to be the hands and feet of Christ. In this episode, Kanita speaks with conviction as she shares her wisdom about the urgency to share the gospel both near and far. 

If you have ever wondered how to start living out the life that God is calling you to, this episode will surely point you in the right direction. We pray that it blesses you and inspires you to pres into a life on mission.

Episode Highlights: 

• A brief introduction to Kanita Rutley.
• Kanita’s background and what led her to a missional life.
• Why choosing comfort keeps us from God’s call on our lives.
• The importance of keeping the salvation of others in the forefront of our minds.
• How to be in God’s hands and fight right where we are.

Find more on Kanita Rutley

• The Mission of God
• The Gospel Comes with a House Key
• She Saves A Nation
• Follow Kanita on Instagram

Find More on Abiding Free:

• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

What would it be like if you were inconvenienced in your day? Would you view it as a blessing or a point of stress? 

Today, Kristin and Shannon are talking about this very topic: divine interruptions. When Kristin started praying a big prayer for divine interruptions, God heard her cry. She was open and willing to the work of God, even in the least expected moments. 

As you’ll hear in today’s episode, divine interruptions are rarely convenient, and often they require laying down our agendas; but isn’t that what we are called to anyway?

Friends, it’s ok to want more. If you’ve been feeling restless, perhaps this is precisely what your soul is seeking.

As you listen today, we hope you’ll be encouraged to pray for your own divine interruptions. 

God wants to take our mundane moments and use them to invite us into the work He wants to do. He is doing this work all around us and looking for open-handed people ready for this adventure.

Are you willing?

Episode Highlights: 

• What are divine interruptions?
• Why saying yes to divine interruptions is obedience to God’s will.
• Kristin shares stories of her divine interruptions.
• The impact of divine interruptions.

Find More on Abiding Free:

• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

Often, some of the most impactful things we do in life will be born from the trials we go through.

Jessica Ash is a wellness and hormone educator, and the above statement was certainly the case for her. Jessica was raised in the church, and as she grew older, she found herself with a handful of ailments that left her feeling hopeless and like a shell of herself.

But the beautiful thing is that Jessica chose not to stay in that place. Today, Jessica not only lives free from all of her prior diagnoses, but she educates and helps thousands of women cure the ailments they are living with. 

As we share this amazing conversation with Jessica, we dive into the science behind it all, but more importantly, we talk about how faith and health tie together. This is a topic we have been so excited to cover, and we could not think of a better person to dive into this conversation with.

We pray it blesses you and brings you one step closer to walking in true freedom. 

Welcome back to abiding free.

Episode Highlights: 

• A background on Jessica and what led her to this industry.
• Undernourishment: What it is and why women are dealing with it.
• How faith and health tie together.
• What self-love is as a Christ follower.
• The importance of continually checking your heart.

Find more on Guest:

• Jessica Ash Wellness Website
• Work with Jess
• Instagram: @jessicaashwellness

Find More on Abiding Free:

• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

When it comes to differences within the church, do you feel confident in when to stand firm and when to back down?

There’s no doubt that there has been an uprise in polarizing beliefs both culturally and within the church. At some point, each of us can probably think of a time the differing opinions have impacted one of our relationships. As culture rapidly changes, and things that use to be considered taboo and now being considered normal, it can often feel like our heads are on a swivel.

As Christians, we are commanded to love others, but we are also commanded to stand firm on what the bible says. What are we to do when these two things collide?

Today on the show Kristin and Shannon are diving into just that. Kristin and Shannon discuss a tier system that can be helpful in determining when to stand firm, why context matters, and why it’s essential to approach whatever we do in love.

The more culture changes, the grayer our world is becoming. We hope this episode brings you clarity and peace when determining where to stand firm and how to love others who are different than us.

Episode Highlights: 

• How to determine what beliefs and practices are worth speaking up about.
• The tier system to help us determine this.
• Why Context Matters
• When to stand firm, when to let things go, and why it’s essential to know the difference.

Find More on Abiding Free:

• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]
• Triage in the Trenches: When Do Second-Tier Issues Divide? | Desiring God

How do you feel when you think about your prayer life?

Today’s topic will bring joy, peace, and familiarity, but for some, it can also bring stress, discomfort, and anxiety. The topic we are covering today is prayer, and Bob Allums is one of the most wonderful people to be sharing on this topic today.

Bob is the Director of A Praying Life. He has taught over 100 prayer seminars over the world. He has made a massive impact on the prayer lives of others all over the world, and anyone who has worked, worshipped, or been in the same room with Bob knows his contagious laugh.

As Bob dives into the topic and intricacies of prayer, our prayer for you is that the weight around your prayer life lifts off of you. God is writing a beautiful story, and we get to be a part of that. When we enter into prayer, we are entering into that story with Him. And when we willingly step into what He has planned, we become one step closer to abiding in true freedom.

Welcome back to Abiding Free.

Episode Highlights: 

• How to handle unanswered prayers.
• Struggles everyone faces with prayer life.
• A practical view of prayer.
• Why Jesus began His day early.

Find more on Guest:

• "A Praying Life" book: A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World: Miller, Paul E., Powlison, David: 0722814890676: Amazon.com: Books
• See Jesus Website

Find More on Abiding Free:

• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

We have access to more people than ever before, yet studies show we are lonelier than ever. Why are we so lonely?

The above is a question Kristin and Shannon have spent a lot of time delving into, and if you have wondered something similar, know you’re not alone.

As culture changes rapidly and social media spreads like wildfire, connection seems to have become a lost art. 

Today on Abiding Free,  Kristin and Shannon share what they have discovered as they dove into this topic. You’ll hear their thoughts on connection and social media, why isolation can be a problem, where to turn in moments of loneliness, and how to connect with others genuinely.

People are lonelier than ever, but it doesn’t have to stay this way. We pray that this episode removes the chains of loneliness that bond you and brings you one step closer to abiding in true freedom.

Episode Highlights: 

• An explanation of loneliness.
• Where loneliness comes from.
• Followers of Jesus who have experienced loneliness.
• Why isolation can be a problem.
• What to do in moments of loneliness.
• The importance of living life with others.

Find More on Abiding Free:

• Find Your People by Jennie Allen
• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

We can spend our whole lives trying to understand the love of God and never fully grasp it in our limited minds. Paul tells us in the book of Ephesians that it is a love that "surpasses knowledge" (3:19).  In this episode we will see a depiction of God's love that should take our breath away! This is a passage in Zephaniah that describes an ecstatic love and delight poured out from a perfect God onto a sinful people. God's love doesn't always make sense. The only explanation is complete and utter mercy and grace. 

We are in the last episode of our Zephaniah series and if there ever was a climax to a book of the Bible, this is it! Come and join us on this epic conclusion to a book that displays God's justice and love, and ultimately, a picture of the cross. 

• Zephaniah Bible Study: Hidden In Him: A Refuge in the Day of Trouble: Nave, Kristin: 9798826207604: Amazon.com: Books
• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

Last week we followed the tragic scene of the continued rebellion of the people. God's kindness hadn't led them to repentance, and neither had His judgement. And yet even amid this tragedy, we saw His love; God continued to work for His people.

This week we turn a corner as we follow the journey of the prophecy through Zephaniah, and we learn that restoration is coming to a remnant of people. And that remnant of people are those that have been hidden in God, hidden in His righteousness. And today, that is the same promise for those of us in Christ. We can be hidden in Him on the coming day of judgement, but also in the everyday struggles. 

Thank you for continuing on this journey through Zephaniah, come step into the beauty of restoration today!

• Zephaniah Bible Study: Hidden In Him: A Refuge in the Day of Trouble: Nave, Kristin: 9798826207604: Amazon.com: Books
• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

We are continuing on in our journey of Zephaniah, and this week we will see in Chapter 3 an incredible picture of a God who longs for His people to draw near to Him. 

God is not in need, He is not lonely, and WE are the ones, just like Judah, who rebel and turn away and choose to go against His ways. And yet He longs for us to draw near to Him! This is an incomprehensible kind of love! It should make us raise our hands and say, who is this incredible God?

We will also step into a deeper picture of God's judgement and learn more of the purpose of it, and in fact, we will also talk about why we should celebrate His judgement. Part of God's justice and judgement is bringing in what we can call a "holy tough love" for His people. And this week is also building up to our last two weeks of this series during which we will see one of the most beautiful pictures of God's love in the entire Bible.

Don't miss this week as we follow along and learn from this incredible book!

• Zephaniah Bible Study: Hidden In Him: A Refuge in the Day of Trouble: Nave, Kristin: 9798826207604: Amazon.com: Books
• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]

We pray and hope that the story of Zephaniah is captivating you, drawing you in, teaching you more about God, and also showing you how to go deeper in your walk or to reflect on your own life.

We are in week three of our 6-week Zephaniah devotional series.  In weeks one and two we had to swallow the difficult news that God was bringing judgement to the nations and His people. But here in week three we learn through the book of Zephaniah that God made a promise to His people in spite of the coming day of judgement and trouble. Some would be hidden in God on that day, some would be preserved despite what was coming. But who? And how?

Tune in to find out who was hidden on the day of trouble, and also, how even today WE can also be hidden in God through whatever comes our way.

We are so glad you are joining us on this journey through the book of Zephaniah!

• Zephaniah Bible Study: Hidden In Him: A Refuge in the Day of Trouble: Nave, Kristin: 9798826207604: Amazon.com: Books
• Instagram: @abidingfree
• Follow us on Facebook
• Check out our Website HERE
• Contact: [email protected]