Be Still: A Walking with Purpose Podcast

By Walking with PurposeReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Be Still: A Walking with Purpose Podcast episodes

October 19Episode 18: Finding Supreme Treasure in Jesus: When Knowing Him Becomes Worth More than Everything Else
Philippians 3:8 + Salvation by Allegiance Alone by Matthew Bates
We spend our lives surrounded by things competing to become our greatest treasure: success, comfort, reputation, relationships, possessions, even the desire for life to turn out the way we hoped.
But St. Paul offers another way: “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
In this final episode of Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa asks what it means not merely to believe in Jesus but to belong to Him.
A recent conversation with new friends leads Lisa to a surprisingly difficult question: Why believe in a personal God? She reflects on the ways God has made Himself known through creation, answered prayer, Scripture, inexplicable peace, and ultimately through Jesus Himself. The Incarnation reveals a God who does not remain distant. He comes close because He desires to be known.
Drawing from Matthew Bates’ exploration of the Greek word pistis, Lisa considers faith through the lens of allegiance: mental agreement, professed loyalty, and embodied faithfulness to Jesus as King. If Jesus is Lord, He doesn’t simply get a place in our lives while we decide whether He is doing a satisfactory job of making them better. He gets our allegiance.
But what slowly erodes that allegiance? Isolation. Listening to lies about God and ourselves. Closing the door on God’s voice while opening the door to doubt. Self-pity. Making comfort one of our highest goals. Filling our lives so completely that we have little room left for prayer.
The question becomes deeply practical: Does the way I actually live reveal that Jesus is my supreme treasure?
Our calendars, attention, money, fears, habits, and choices all reveal something about what we value most.
Spiritual maturity does not mean we never become distracted or start chasing the wrong things. It means we keep returning. We keep recalibrating. We keep learning to receive the good gifts of this life without asking them to give us what only Jesus can give.
Because the treasure is not simply faith, Christianity, or even spiritual maturity. The treasure is Jesus.
Key Scripture
Philippians 3:8. I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Journaling Questions
Where am I being tempted to look for something that only Jesus can give me? If I looked honestly at my calendar, my attention, my spending, and the things I worry about most, what would they tell me about what I currently treasure?
Where is my allegiance to Jesus being undermined right now? What voice am I listening to more than His?
Where am I asking Jesus to make my life comfortable instead of asking Him to make me faithful?
Is there an area of my life where I am waiting to decide whether I trust Jesus based on how He handles something I care deeply about?
What would embodied loyalty to Jesus look like for me right now—not in theory, but in one concrete choice?
If Jesus really is my supreme treasure, what am I afraid to place in His hands?
Show Mentions
With 740 Bible study programs worldwide, we've got a community for you. Walking with Purpose parish programs allow you to grow in your faith in the context of community and help your local church feel more like home. Find a group here.
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
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26 min
October 12Episode 17: The Next Loving Thing: When It Feels Like One Thing after Another
Matthew 14:16–20 + Foster by Claire Keegan
How do we keep growing when following Jesus has become familiar? How do we remain faithful when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected?
In this six-episode series of the Be Still podcast, Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa explores the ways God may be asking us to keep growing—not simply so we can follow Jesus faithfully for most of our lives, but so we can finish well.
Because life can test our faith in ways we never anticipated. When our hearts break, our stories take unexpected turns, and God doesn’t give us the answers we want, what happens to our faith? Through Scripture, great books, and honest reflection, Lisa explores what it means to grow in faith, embrace spiritual maturity, and remain faithful to Jesus through every season of life.
What happens when one thing after another has left us depleted—and then love asks something more of us?
In this episode, Lisa explores what it means to remain available to love when we feel we have reached the end of ourselves. Drawing from Matthew 14—the feeding of the five thousand in the immediate aftermath of John the Baptist's death—and Claire Keegan's Foster, she considers the quiet, often hidden self-forgetfulness that marks a mature life with Christ.
Jesus doesn't ask the disciples to produce what they don't have. He asks them to place what they do have—five loaves and two fish—into His hands. Spiritual maturity isn't becoming a person with inexhaustible resources. It is the increasing freedom to love from within our own poverty, trusting that what feels insufficient can become something more when surrendered to Christ.
Often the road to sainthood isn't dramatic. It is simply doing the next loving thing—making the meal, staying gentle, listening again, noticing the person in front of us—without needing anyone else to know what it cost.
Perhaps the question isn't whether we have enough. Perhaps it is what we will do with the little we have.
In this episode, Lisa explores:
What Matthew 14 reveals when we read the feeding of the five thousand in the context of John the Baptist's death
Why Jesus' own need for solitude shows that self-forgetfulness is not the same as ignoring our limits
What the five loaves and two fish teach us about generosity in a mindset of scarcity
Why spiritual maturity isn't having more to give but learning where to bring our insufficiency
How Claire Keegan's Foster portrays love through quiet, ordinary acts of attention
What the Kinsellas teach us about remaining available to another person's needs while carrying wounds of our own
The difference between self-forgetfulness and self-erasure
Why some of our holiest acts of love may be the ones no one else notices
How ordinary, costly faithfulness becomes a hidden road to sainthood
What it means to simply do the next loving thing
Journaling Questions
When I reach the point of feeling depleted—emotionally, physically, or spiritually—where do I instinctively go for relief? Do I turn toward Christ, or do I numb myself through scrolling, shopping, food, busyness, entertainment, or some other escape? Which of these actually restore me and which leave me emptier?
Think of one situation right now where you find yourself saying, “I don't have enough for this.” What, specifically, are your “five loaves and two fish”—the small amount of patience, energy, time, courage, or love you actually do have? Instead of asking yourself to manufacture more, what would it look like to deliberately place that little bit in Jesus' hands before you act?
When I am overwhelmed, whose needs become easiest for me not to see? Is there someone in front of me right now whom I have begun to experience primarily as one more demand? What might change if, before responding to that person, I asked Jesus simply, “What is the next loving thing?”
Key Scripture
Matthew 14:16–20. Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over.
Show Mentions
Just in! Back by popular demand, the Walking with Purpose Advent devotional, House of Gold: A Journey into Advent by Caitlin Bean and Laura Phelps is in our shop. House of Gold invites you to reflect on five beautiful Marian titles, each revealing the Blessed Mother’s sacred role in drawing us closer to Jesus and making His love known.
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
24 min
October 05Episode 16: Staying Teachable: The Humility to Keep Learning
How do we keep growing when following Jesus has become familiar? How do we remain faithful when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected?
In this six-episode series of the Be Still podcast, Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa explores the ways God may be asking us to keep growing—not simply so we can follow Jesus faithfully for most of our lives, but so we can finish well.
Because life can test our faith in ways we never anticipated. When our hearts break, our stories take unexpected turns, and God doesn’t give us the answers we want, what happens to our faith? Through Scripture, great books, and honest reflection, Lisa explores what it means to grow in faith, embrace spiritual maturity, and remain faithful to Jesus through every season of life.
What happens when experience quietly turns into certainty—and we stop believing we have anything left to learn?
In this episode, Lisa explores the humility required to remain teachable as we grow older. Drawing from James 1:19, the story of Joseph, and the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas, she considers the subtle ways experience and expertise can make us quicker to speak, defend, and correct—and slower to listen.
Spiritual maturity doesn't mean questioning everything we believe. It means holding tightly to what God has revealed while remaining humble about how much we still have to learn. Because no matter how long we've followed Jesus, we remain disciples—and a disciple is a learner.
Perhaps one of the simplest and most important prayers we can continue to pray is: Lord, keep me teachable.
In this episode, Lisa explores:
Why being sincere, intelligent, and experienced doesn't mean we can't be wrong
How the “expert hat” can quietly crowd out curiosity
What James means by being “quick to hear, slow to speak”
The difference between being deeply rooted and being rigid
Why defensiveness may reveal an area where we've stopped listening
How changing seasons invite us to become beginners again
What Joseph's story teaches us about interpreting our lives too quickly
Why our teachability matters to the people coming behind us
What St. Thomas Aquinas teaches us about remaining a beginner before God
Journaling Questions
Who or what tends to make me defensive, irritated, or quick to explain myself? What might that reaction be revealing about where I have stopped being curious?
When was the last time I genuinely changed my mind, admitted I was wrong, or realized I had more to learn? What made that possible—and where might God be inviting me to have that same openness today?
Key Scripture
James 1:19. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.
Show Mentions
If your parish does not have a Walking with Purpose program, there’s still time for a fall launch. Join us on Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 12:30 pm ET OR 7:30 pm ET for a Learn about Walking with Purpose event. In just 25 minutes, you will discover how easy it is to launch a WWP parish program, find meaningful community, and deepen your own relationship with the Lord. Register today!
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
23 min
September 28Episode 15: Seeing Suffering Differently
Romans 5:3–5 + This Is Happiness by Niall Williams
How do we keep growing when following Jesus has become familiar? How do we remain faithful when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected?
In this six-episode series of the Be Still podcast, Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa explores the ways God may be asking us to keep growing—not simply so we can follow Jesus faithfully for most of our lives, but so we can finish well.
Because life can test our faith in ways we never anticipated. When our hearts break, our stories take unexpected turns, and God doesn’t give us the answers we want, what happens to our faith? Through Scripture, great books, and honest reflection, Lisa explores what it means to grow in faith, embrace spiritual maturity, and remain faithful to Jesus through every season of life.
What if spiritual maturity changes not only what we pray in suffering, but also how we understand suffering itself?
In this episode, Lisa explores what it means to suffer differently as a Christian. Drawing from Romans 5, the Catholic understanding of redemptive suffering, and personal experience of what feels like unanswered prayer, she considers how suffering can produce endurance, character, and hope—and how the pain we would never have chosen can become an offering when it is united to Christ.
Perhaps the goal isn’t to stop asking God to remove our suffering. Perhaps it’s learning to remain anchored in His goodness while we wait—and discovering that even here, nothing has to be wasted. Our suffering can become prayer. It can become intercession. In the hands of Jesus, it can even become part of the answer.
In this episode, Lisa explores:
Why Christianity calls us neither to obsess over suffering nor simply grit our teeth and “offer it up”
What Romans 5 teaches us about the progression from suffering to endurance to character to hope
Why hope is like an anchor that doesn’t stop the rocking but keeps us from drifting
What the Catholic teaching on redemptive suffering means in the midst of real pain
How suffering united to Christ can become a powerful form of prayer and intercession
What it means to “make this suffering count”
How spiritual maturity helps us remain faithful when God doesn’t answer our prayers as we expected
Journaling Questions
When life starts rocking, where am I most tempted to drift? What does that reveal about where I have been placing my security?
If I could “make this suffering count,” what prayer would I most want to unite to it and place before the Father?
Key Scripture
Romans 5:3–5. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Show Mentions
Flourish 2027: Beholding His Beauty, The Transforming Power of Fixing Our Eyes on Christ, A Women’s Conference, Columbus, OH, April 9-11, 2027. Early bird registration discount through September 30, 2026.
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
24 min
September 21Episode 14: Growing Older with Grace: The Beauty of Bearing Fruit
2 Corinthians 4:16–18 + Heart of Vines by Lisa Brenninkmeyer and Katie Brenninkmeyer
How do we keep growing when following Jesus has become familiar? How do we remain faithful when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected?
In this six-episode series of the Be Still podcast, Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa explores the ways God may be asking us to keep growing—not simply so we can follow Jesus faithfully for most of our lives, but so we can finish well.
Because life can test our faith in ways we never anticipated. When our hearts break, our stories take unexpected turns, and God doesn’t give us the answers we want, what happens to our faith? Through Scripture, great books, and honest reflection, Lisa explores what it means to grow in faith, embrace spiritual maturity, and remain faithful to Jesus through every season of life.
What does it mean to grow older with grace in a culture that keeps telling us to resist aging at all costs?
In this episode, Lisa reflects on St. Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:16: “Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day.” Through a conversation with her daughter about body image and a story from Heart of Vines, she considers what our bodies are actually for—and how knowing their purpose can change the way we experience aging.
Perhaps growing older with grace isn’t about giving up on caring for ourselves. Perhaps it’s about shifting our attention from preservation to transformation—measuring our lives less by what time is taking away and more by the fruit God is still inviting us to bear.
In this episode, Lisa explores:
The pressure women feel to resist the natural signs of aging
What 2 Corinthians 4 teaches us about the outer self and the inner self
The difference between preservation and transformation
How our understanding of the purpose of our bodies shapes the way we experience aging
What a conversation about body image revealed about the messages we pass on to younger women
The wisdom, perspective, freedom, and fruitfulness that can come with age
Why some kinds of fruit can only grow with time
How to ask not simply, “How am I aging?” but “What am I becoming as I age?”
Journaling Questions
What am I becoming as I age? Am I becoming more peaceful or more anxious? More generous or more self-protective? More interested in other people or more preoccupied with myself? Am I quicker to forgive? Slower to judge? More willing to listen? Less concerned with being noticed?
Do the people closest to me experience more of the fruit of the Spirit in me than they did ten years ago? What fruit can I bear in this season of my life that I could not have borne when I was younger?
Key Scripture
2 Corinthians 4:16–18. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed every day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, because we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Show Mentions
Abriendo tu corazón. This translated Spanish version of our most popular Bible study, Opening Your Heart, is now available in our shop.
Viviendo en el amor del Padre. This translated Spanish version of our popular Bible study, Living in the Father's Love, is now available in our shop.
Lisa Brenninkmeyer and Katie Brenninkmeyer, Heart of Vines: An Invitation to Escape the Life that is Slowly Killing You
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
23 min
September 14Episode 13: What I Know in the Dark
John 21:18–22 + Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark by James K. A. Smith
How do we keep growing when following Jesus has become familiar? How do we remain faithful when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected?
In this six-episode series of the Be Still podcast, Still Becoming: Six Conversations about Spiritual Maturity, Lisa explores the ways God may be asking us to keep growing—not simply so we can follow Jesus faithfully for most of our lives, but so we can finish well.
Because life can test our faith in ways we never anticipated. When our hearts break, our stories take unexpected turns, and God doesn’t give us the answers we want, what happens to our faith? Through Scripture, great books, and honest reflection, Lisa explores what it means to grow in faith, embrace spiritual maturity, and remain faithful to Jesus through every season of life.
In this episode, Lisa reflects on the humility of admitting how much we don’t know, while remaining faithful to what God has already made clear. Drawing from John 21, T. S. Eliot’s East Coker, and James K. A. Smith’s Make Your Home in This Luminous Dark, she considers Jesus’ words to Peter: “What is that to you? Follow me!”
Perhaps spiritual maturity isn’t about finally having all the answers. Perhaps it’s learning to live with unanswered questions without allowing them to become excuses for disobedience—and continuing to take the next faithful step.
In this episode, Lisa explores:
Why disappointment can tempt us to stop pursuing spiritual growth
The freedom and humility of saying, “I don’t know”
The difference between what God hasn’t explained and what He has made clear
What Peter’s encounter with Jesus in John 21 teaches us about growing older
How comparison distracts us from the particular road God has given us
What it means to keep following Jesus when He leads us somewhere we would not have chosen
Journaling Questions
Where in my life am I waiting for God to explain Himself before I’m willing to fully trust or obey Him?
What has God already made clear to me that He is asking me to do—and what would it look like to take the next faithful step?
Key Scripture
John 21:18–22. “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you girded yourself and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish to go.” (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw following them the disciple whom Jesus loved, who had lain close to his breast at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!”
Show Mention
To further our mission, Walking with Purpose donates Bible studies and devotionals to ministries serving women and girls who are incarcerated, homeless, facing crisis pregnancies, or living in underserved communities. We believe that every woman, regardless of her circumstances, should have access to the life-changing wisdom found in God's Word. Learn more or request free materials for your organization on our website.
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
19 min
September 07Episode 12: When You Think God Owes You: Learning to Receive Everything as Gift
Luke 17:7–10 (The Parable of the Unworthy Servants) + The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Jesus could have taught in lectures, but instead, He told stories. His listeners were captivated by stories about fathers and sons, widows and judges, banquets and vineyards, lost coins, unexpected neighbors, and servants waiting in the night. At first glance, the parables in the Gospel of Luke seem simple. But beneath these familiar stories lies a deeper invitation—not merely to understand the symbolism of the parables, but to be transformed by them.
In this series of the Be Still podcast, Every Good Story Whispers the Gospel, Lisa journeys through some of the most beloved parables in the Gospel of Luke. Each episode pairs Scripture with a memorable work of literature, exploring how great stories help us recognize ourselves in Jesus' teaching and encounter the heart of God in a fresh way.
Together we'll discover that the parables are not just stories Jesus told long ago. They are stories that continue to tell the truth about us—and about the God who is still seeking, forgiving, inviting, and restoring His people today.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, After everything I've done ... surely I deserve something in return?
In this episode of Be Still, Lisa explores one of Jesus' most surprising parables—The Parable of the Unworthy Servants (Luke 17:7–10)—alongside the beloved classic The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
At first glance, Jesus' words seem unsettling. Why doesn't the master thank the servant? Is Jesus saying our faithfulness doesn't matter?
Not at all.
Instead, Jesus gently exposes something that quietly takes root in every human heart: the temptation to keep score with God. We begin to believe that our sacrifices, prayers, and faithful service have somehow earned us a particular outcome. But Jesus offers us something far better than a transactional relationship. He invites us into the freedom of receiving everything as gift.
Through Mary Lennox's remarkable transformation—from a demanding child who expects the world to serve her to a joyful gardener who delights in tending life—we discover that lasting joy isn't found in being served but in serving with gratitude.
Drawing on the wisdom of Pastor Jon Tyson, Tim Keller, and the apostle Paul's question, "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Corinthians 4:7), this episode is an invitation to lay down the hidden ledger we've been carrying and rediscover the freedom of God's grace.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why entitlement often disguises itself as disappointment or self-pity.
What Jesus really means by the Parable of the Unworthy Servants.
How The Secret Garden beautifully illustrates the joy of tending what God has entrusted to us.
Why everything we have is ultimately a gift.
How gratitude frees us from the exhausting burden of keeping score.
Journaling Questions
Where have I been quietly keeping score with God?
Is there an area of my life where disappointment, resentment, or self-pity has revealed an expectation that God owes me something? Ask Jesus to show you the difference between faithful service and hidden entitlement.
What gifts has God already placed in my hands, and how is He inviting me to tend them today?
Instead of focusing on what is missing or what you wish were different, take time to thank God for the people, opportunities, and responsibilities He has entrusted to you. How might gratitude change the way you care for them this week?
Key Scripture
Luke 17:7–10. “Will any one of you, who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep, say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and gird yourself and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterward you shall eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
Show Mentions
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Praying From the Heart: Guided Prayer Journal
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
20 min
August 31Episode 11: When You're Certain You're Right: Learning the Humility to See Clearly
Luke 18:9–14 (The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector) + Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Jesus could have taught in lectures, but instead, He told stories. His listeners were captivated by stories about fathers and sons, widows and judges, banquets and vineyards, lost coins, unexpected neighbors, and servants waiting in the night. At first glance, the parables in the Gospel of Luke seem simple. But beneath these familiar stories lies a deeper invitation—not merely to understand the symbolism of the parables, but to be transformed by them.
In this series of the Be Still podcast, Every Good Story Whispers the Gospel, Lisa journeys through some of the most beloved parables in the Gospel of Luke. Each episode pairs Scripture with a memorable work of literature, exploring how great stories help us recognize ourselves in Jesus' teaching and encounter the heart of God in a fresh way.
Together we'll discover that the parables are not just stories Jesus told long ago. They are stories that continue to tell the truth about us—and about the God who is still seeking, forgiving, inviting, and restoring His people today.
How often are we convinced that we've judged a person—or a situation—correctly?
In this episode of Be Still, Lisa explores one of Jesus' most searching parables, The Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9–14), alongside Jane Austen's beloved classic, Pride and Prejudice. While Mr. Darcy's pride is obvious, Elizabeth Bennet's is far more subtle. Her confidence in her own discernment blinds her to the truth until she utters one of literature's most profound confessions: Till this moment I never knew myself.
Through Elizabeth's journey, we'll discover that pride doesn't always look like thinking we're better than others. Sometimes it looks like believing our own judgments are beyond question.
Jesus invites us into a different way. The tax collector doesn't defend himself or compare himself to anyone else. He simply comes before God with open hands and an honest heart: God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
As we behold Christ, we begin to see ourselves—not through the distorted lenses of pride or shame, but through His eyes of mercy.
In this episode you'll discover:
Why Elizabeth Bennet's pride is harder to recognize than Mr. Darcy's.
How certainty can quietly keep us from hearing God's voice.
What the Pharisee and the tax collector teach us about true humility.
Why the goal of the Christian life isn't greater self-awareness but greater God-awareness.
How beholding Jesus transforms the way we see ourselves and others.
Journaling Questions
Lord, show me what is true.
As you pray those words, is there a person, a situation, or even a belief about yourself that Jesus is inviting you to see differently?
Ask the Lord to help you behold His beauty. As you spend a few moments in silence, what changes when your attention shifts from yourself to Him?
Key Scripture
Luke 18:9–14. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
Show Mentions
Flourish 2027: Beholding His Beauty, The Transforming Power of Fixing Our Eyes on Christ, A Women’s Conference, Columbus, OH, April 9-11, 2027. Early bird registration through September 30, 2026. Registration opens September 1, 2026.
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
17 min
August 24Episode 10: When God Seems Slow: The Difference Between Surrender and Resignation
Luke 18:1–8 (The Parable of the Persistent Widow) + A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Jesus could have taught in lectures, but instead, He told stories. His listeners were captivated by stories about fathers and sons, widows and judges, banquets and vineyards, lost coins, unexpected neighbors, and servants waiting in the night. At first glance, the parables in the Gospel of Luke seem simple. But beneath these familiar stories lies a deeper invitation—not merely to understand the symbolism of the parables, but to be transformed by them.
In this series of the Be Still podcast, Every Good Story Whispers the Gospel, Lisa journeys through some of the most beloved parables in the Gospel of Luke. Each episode pairs Scripture with a memorable work of literature, exploring how great stories help us recognize ourselves in Jesus' teaching and encounter the heart of God in a fresh way.
Together we'll discover that the parables are not just stories Jesus told long ago. They are stories that continue to tell the truth about us—and about the God who is still seeking, forgiving, inviting, and restoring His people today.
"And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Luke 18:1
What do you do when you've prayed for something for years—and nothing seems to change?
In this episode, Lisa reflects on Jesus' parable of the Persistent Widow alongside Amor Towles's beloved novel A Gentleman in Moscow. Confined to a single hotel for decades, Count Alexander Rostov refuses to allow his circumstances to shrink his soul. Instead of surrendering to bitterness or resignation, he discovers that a rich and meaningful life can flourish even within unexpected limitations.
Together, Scripture and story remind us that the greatest danger in seasons of waiting isn't unanswered prayer—it's losing heart.
God invites us to keep asking, to keep hoping, and to keep trusting that His apparent silence is never the same as His absence. Because persistence in prayer doesn't change God's heart—it keeps our hearts turned toward the God whose heart has never changed toward us.
In this episode, we explore:
Why resignation is different from surrender
Jesus' invitation to "pray always and not lose heart"
What the Persistent Widow teaches us about hope in seasons of waiting
How Count Rostov models a life that grows instead of shrinks within limitations
Why spiritual growth is formed through both suffering and prayer
How God's delays can become places where faith is strengthened rather than abandoned
Journaling Questions
Where am I tempted to let my circumstances make my world smaller? How might God be inviting me to notice opportunities for love, beauty, or faithfulness right where I am?
What prayer have I quietly stopped expecting God to answer? What has resignation been whispering to me about God?
Key Scripture
Luke 18:1–8. The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Show Mentions
Are you searching for a community of faith-filled women to journey with through Bible study from the comfort of your home? We have an empty square for you! Join us for a Walking with Purpose virtual group, forming NOW!
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17 min
August 17Episode 9: The Dignity of an Examined Life
Luke 12:13–21 (The Parable of the Rich Fool) + The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Jesus could have taught in lectures, but instead, He told stories. His listeners were captivated by stories about fathers and sons, widows and judges, banquets and vineyards, lost coins, unexpected neighbors, and servants waiting in the night. At first glance, the parables in the Gospel of Luke seem simple. But beneath these familiar stories lies a deeper invitation—not merely to understand the symbolism of the parables, but to be transformed by them.
In this series of the Be Still podcast, Every Good Story Whispers the Gospel, Lisa journeys through some of the most beloved parables in the Gospel of Luke. Each episode pairs Scripture with a memorable work of literature, exploring how great stories help us recognize ourselves in Jesus' teaching and encounter the heart of God in a fresh way.
Together we'll discover that the parables are not just stories Jesus told long ago. They are stories that continue to tell the truth about us—and about the God who is still seeking, forgiving, inviting, and restoring His people today.
How often do we stop long enough to ask whether the life we're building is the one God is calling us to live?
In this episode of Be Still, Lisa pairs Kazuo Ishiguro's masterful novel The Remains of the Day with Jesus' parable of the rich fool. At first glance, these stories seem to have little in common. But together they reveal the quiet danger of living without honest self-reflection.
As Mr. Stevens looks back over a lifetime of unquestioning loyalty, and the rich fool confidently plans for an even more prosperous future, both men reveal how easy it is to settle into assumptions that never get brought before God. Their stories invite us to ask a difficult but life-giving question: Where might I have a blind spot?
Jesus leaves the parable unfinished, inviting each of us to enter the story ourselves. Rather than defending our own perspectives or seeking to justify ourselves, we are invited to become people who welcome God's loving examination of our hearts. This kind of humility is not a threat to our dignity—it is the path to becoming truly rich toward God.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Why honest self-examination is essential for spiritual growth.
What The Remains of the Day reveals about misplaced loyalty and the cost of an unquestioned life.
Why Jesus refuses to settle an inheritance dispute and instead addresses the deeper condition of the human heart.
How self-justification keeps us isolated while humility opens us to grace.
What it means to become "rich toward God."
Journaling Questions
Where have I become so comfortable in my way of seeing the world that I no longer invite Jesus to challenge me?
What gifts—my time, possessions, influence, or abilities—have I quietly begun to think of as "mine" rather than God's?
Key Scripture
Luke 12:13–21. The Parable of the Rich Fool
Presenting Sponsor
Our presenting sponsor is Verità. Verità is a Catholic women’s ministry awakening women to their dignity as beloved daughters of God through truth, beauty and grace. Verità invites you to join them on a pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi March 6–14, 2027. If your heart has been longing for more-more peace, more purpose, more intimacy with Jesus, perhaps this is your invitation. To learn more or reserve your place, visit https://lolekpilgrimage.org/2027verita or @Verita.Mission on Instagram.
Show Mentions
Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Sisters of Strength
Lisa Brenninkmeyer and Katie Brenninkmeyer, Heart of Vines: An Invitation to Escape the Life that is Slowly Killing You
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Lisa Brenninkmeyer, Heart of Vines Masterclass on our YouTube channel.
Let’s stay connected.
Don’t miss an episode. Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform.
Stay in the know. Connect with us today.
We are committed to creating content that is free and easily accessible to every woman—especially the one looking for answers but unsure of where to go. If you've enjoyed this podcast, prayerfully consider making a donation to support it and other WWP outreach programs that bring women closer to Christ.
Learn more about WWP on our website.
Our shop.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
23 min

About Be Still: A Walking with Purpose Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to Be Still: A Walking with Purpose Podcast. Walking with Purpose is a Catholic women’s apostolate helping women personally know Christ through Scripture. I’m Lisa Brenninkmeyer, and each week I’ll open the Bible with you and unpack God’s Word in a way that speaks to your real, everyday life.

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