In this episode of Bold Faith Now, Missy Eversole sits down with Bible professor and author Dr. Jeff Leonard to explore the tension many believers experience: a sincere faith alongside seasons when God feels distant.

Drawing from Scripture, personal experience, and the themes of his book Seekers in the Hands of an Elusive God, Jeff explains why God's seeming hiddenness is not a flaw in our faith journey; it may actually be an invitation to seek Him more deeply.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• God's elusiveness is not abandonment. It can protect us from reducing Him to something small or controllable.

• Seeking strengthens faith. The most enduring faith is often formed in the desert, not in comfort.

• Scripture remains our surest guide. When feelings fluctuate, God's Word steadies our understanding of who He is.

• God reveals Himself in unexpected places. Nature, solitude, suffering, joy, and even mortality can draw us toward Him.

If you've ever wondered where God is in the darkness, this conversation offers both perspective and hope.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Dr. Jeff Leonard

Book: Seekers in the Hands of an Elusive God: Embracing Hope in the Seasons of Darkness

Website: BiblicalExplorations.com

Connect with Missy:

Download the March Scripture Journaling prompts (Boldness and Courage) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

What does it mean to live with bold faith when antisemitism is no longer hidden but openly celebrated?

In today's episode of Bold Faith Now, Missy Eversole sits down with author, Bible teacher, and Jewish believer Olivier Melnick to unpack the spiritual roots of antisemitism and why it is accelerating in our time. Drawing on Scripture, history, and current events, Olivier explains why antisemitism is not just political or cultural but also deeply spiritual.

This conversation will help you understand what's happening in Israel, on college campuses, online, and how Christians can respond with truth, courage, and compassion.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• What antisemitism really is and why it is irrational and satanic

• Why October 7 marked a turning point in global hatred toward Jews

• How biblical prophecy (Ezekiel 36, Zechariah 12) shapes our understanding of Israel today

• Practical ways Christians can stand with Jewish people and live out bold faith.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Olivier:

• shalominmessiah.com

• YouTube: Shalom in Messiah

Connect with Missy:

Download the February Scripture Journaling prompts (Love theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

What happens when a culture obsessed with convenience, science, and personal freedom begins to lose its spiritual foundation?

In this episode of the Bold Faith Now Podcast, Missy Eversole talks with author and researcher Joshua Spatha about why faith still matters in an increasingly confused culture. They explore the breakdown of biblical worldview in the modern West, the dangers of convenience-driven Christianity, and why true spiritual renewal begins with discipleship, accountability, and personal responsibility.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Why faith and science were never meant to be separated

• How convenience weakens discipleship

• Why revival begins with individuals, not institutions

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Joshua:

• https://mperspective.org

Connect with Missy:

Download the February Scripture Journaling prompts (Love theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

What does it look like to help teens find real joy in a digitally anxious world?

Teens are more connected than ever, and yet anxiety, distraction, and joylessness are rising.

In this episode of Bold Faith Now, Missy Eversole talks with longtime youth ministry leader Dr. Dave Rahn, co-author with Ebonie Davis, of Grit and Joy: Help for Bewildered Families of Teens, about what's really happening to teens in a digitally anxious world—and how parents and leaders can help.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Why teens struggle with phone addiction and anxiety

• What "nomophobia" reveals about fear and attachment

• How social media shapes identity and undermines joy

• Why biblical grit and Sabbath rhythms matter

If you love a teen or serve the next generation, this conversation offers hope, clarity, and practical wisdom rooted in Christ.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Dr. Rahn:

• Fresh Catch 2.0 with Dave Rahn & David Dean Grit and Joy: Help for the Bewildered Families of Teens by Dave Rahn & Ebony Davis (D6 Family Publishers)

Connect with Missy:

Download the February Scripture Journaling prompts (Love theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

What happens when colleges stop educating and start shaping beliefs?

In this episode of the Bold Faith Now podcast, Missy Eversole talks with Dr. Corey Miller, President and CEO of Ratio Christi and author of "The Progressive Miseducation of America," about how colleges and universities are undermining biblical worldview.

In this conversation, they discuss:

• Why colleges and universities are actively shaping belief, not just providing education

• How the biblical worldview is being replaced by secular and ideological frameworks

• Why Christian students are often unprepared for the philosophical pressures of college

• What parents, churches, and Christian leaders can do to respond faithfully and wisely

This conversation equips parents, pastors, and Christian leaders to understand better what students face on campus and how to respond with wisdom, discernment, and bold faith.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Dr. Miller:

• Ratio Christi: https://ratiochristi.org

• The Progressive Miseducation of America — free introduction and first chapter: https://ratiochristi.org/the-progressive-miseducation-of-america/

Connect with Missy:

Free Resource for Parents

https://missyeversole.com/blog/5-bible-verses-to-pray-over-adult-children/

Download the February Scripture Journaling prompts (Love theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

What happens when the culture's confusion about gender identity collides with God's unchanging truth?

In today's episode, Missy sits down with Denise Shick, founder and executive director of Help 4 Families Ministries and Living Stones Ministries. Denise shares her deeply personal story of growing up with a father who identified as transgender, how that experience shaped her childhood, and how God redeemed her pain to equip her to minister to families walking through similar struggles today.

This conversation dives into the cultural rise of gender ideology, the emotional and spiritual wounds that often lie beneath gender confusion, the impact on families, and why the church must respond with both clarity and compassion rooted in Scripture.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• How Denise's childhood experience shaped her understanding of identity, grief, and God's design.

• Why the transgender movement has accelerated so dramatically in the last decade.

• The dangers and misconceptions surrounding medical transitions—especially among minors.

• How parents and churches can protect children and respond with biblical truth.

• The crucial need for the church to support those who detransition.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Denise:

Help 4 Families Ministries: https://help4families.org

Living Stones Ministries: via the same website

Book: Out of the Darkness and Into the Light: Winning the Battle of Gender Identity (Available on Amazon)

Connect with Missy:

Download the January Scripture Journaling prompts (Renewal theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

Have you ever struggled to forgive—whether someone else, yourself, or even God?

In today's conversation, Missy sits down with Micah E. Davis, pastor and author of Three Strikes and You're Forgiven, to unpack one of the hardest commands Jesus gives us: forgive. Micah shares his deeply personal story of betrayal, loss, generational wounds, and redemption, and how God led him on a transformative journey of forgiveness toward his father, mentors, and even himself.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Why forgiveness feels unfair and costly—and why choosing not to forgive costs us even more.

• What Jesus' restoration of Peter teaches us about repentance, mercy, and forgiving ourselves.

• The hidden dangers of unresolved wounds: bitterness, isolation, identity distortion, and spiritual paralysis.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Micah:

Micah E. Davis Website: MicahEDavis.comSanctuary Church (Indianapolis): SanctuaryIndy.comBook: Three Strikes and You're Forgiven — available on Amazon

Connect with Missy:

Download the January Scripture Journaling prompts (Renewal theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

What do you do when the place that's supposed to be safest, your church or ministry, becomes the source of your deepest wounds?

In this episode of Bold Faith Now, Missy talks with Anna Vaughn, author of Caught in the Crossfire, about spiritual abuse: what it is, how it shows up in churches and ministries, and how God gently leads us from victimhood into healing and freedom. Anna shares her own story of ministry burnout, panic attacks, and manipulation, and how the Lord met her through counseling, inner healing, and the hard work of forgiveness.

If you've been hurt by a leader, confused by church culture, or wondered if what you're experiencing "counts" as spiritual abuse, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• What spiritual abuse is and how it often hides behind religious language, twisted scripture, and "doing ministry for God."

• Red-flag warning signs: isolation, fear, manipulation, "we're the only ones doing it right," and being discouraged from asking honest questions or seeking outside help.

• Anna's journey from victim to victor—how God used counseling, boundaries, and forgiveness to bring deep healing and restore her calling.

• Why forgiveness doesn't mean pretending it didn't happen or giving your abuser continued access.

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Anna:

Website & ministry: stirredupministries.comBook: Caught in the Crossfire (look for it wherever you normally buy books)

Connect with Missy:

Download the January Scripture Journaling prompts (Renewal theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

In today's conversation, Athena Dean Holtz joins Missy to unpack the themes of her new book, "No Longer Hidden: You Cannot Resist What You Do Not Recognize." Drawing from decades of ministry, deep personal wounds, and God's restoring work, Athena helps listeners understand how the enemy operates and how believers can stand firm in Christ with courage, clarity, and unity.

Whether you've faced betrayal, spiritual confusion, church hurt, or the struggle to forgive, this episode offers biblical truth and practical tools to help you walk in freedom.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Why recognizing the enemy's schemes is essential for spiritual warfare

• How unforgiveness gives the enemy a foothold

• What it means to "armor up" daily

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Athena:

Website: https://athenaholtzspeaks.com

Book: "No Longer Hidden: You Cannot Resist What You Do Not Recognize" Available through Redemption Press and Amazon.

Publisher Website: https://redemption-press.com

Connect with Missy:

Download the January Scripture Journaling prompts (Renewal theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.

Have you ever noticed how the days between Christmas and the New Year feel a little different?

This in-between week often holds a quiet pause—a space between reflection and resolution, rest and responsibility. In today's episode, Missy invites listeners to breathe, reflect, and consider how staying rooted in God's Word can gently shape the year ahead.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• What it truly means to be the "blessed person" who delights in God's Word

• Five simple, sustainable ways to stay rooted in Scripture

• How themed monthly journaling prompts can support spiritual renewal

• Why "rooted" is Missy's word for 2026, and how it will weave through the podcast this year.

Download the January Scripture Journaling prompts (Renewal theme) at https://missyeversole.com/resources/

Remember to live boldly for Jesus and let your light shine bright for Him!

Connect with Missy:

For more encouragement and resources, visit MissyEversole.com and subscribe to the Bold Faith Now newsletter.

Website: Missy Eversole

Facebook: MissyEversoleAuthor

Instagram: missyeversole_author

Disclaimer: The views expressed by guests on the podcast may differ from my own Christian beliefs. While I aim for diverse discussions, I do not endorse my guests' religious views. Listeners should approach content with an open mind, embracing diverse perspectives to foster dialogue and understanding.

Click here to view my What I Believe Statement.