Have you ever felt completely invisible, like no one notices your struggle? Discover how God met Hagar in the desert and why He sees, knows, and loves you right where you are.

Have you ever felt completely invisible, like your struggles go unnoticed and no one is coming to help?

Many of us carry heavy burdens in silence, wondering if anyone sees what we're going through. We show up, we serve, we keep going, but deep down, we feel overlooked and forgotten.

The truth is, feeling unseen can make you question your worth and even God's care for you. But Scripture reveals a God who goes looking for the forgotten, calls them by name, and meets them right where they are.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. The powerful story of Hagar, a forgotten slave girl who gave God a name no one else in Scripture ever gave Him
2. Why being seen by God doesn't always change your circumstances, but always changes you
3. How to experience God's presence in your loneliest, most invisible moments
4. You are not invisible. You are seen, known, and loved by El Roi—the God who sees.

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

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Tired, discouraged, and tempted to give up? In this episode, discover how fixing your eyes on Jesus gives you strength to keep running your race, one faithful step at a time.

Have you ever felt so worn out that taking even one more step in your faith felt impossible?

Maybe you've been faithfully serving, parenting, working, or walking with God for a long time, and now the weariness has caught up with you. The distance ahead feels overwhelming. The energy is gone. And you're wondering if it's okay to just stop.

In this episode, we look at the story of Shawn Thomas, a lifelong runner whose serious illness left him bedridden for nearly a year. When he finally began to recover, even walking to the mailbox was exhausting. But instead of giving up, he made a choice: slow down, shorten the stride, and focus on one step at a time. That became his picture of Hebrews 12:1–2—the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint, and perseverance often looks like "just take the next step."

Through his story and the encouragement of Hebrews 12, you'll see that finishing the race doesn't require superhuman strength. It requires fixing your eyes on Jesus, stripping off the weights that slow you down, and trusting Him with the finish line, one faithful step at a time.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Why the Christian life is described as a marathon requiring endurance, not a sprint requiring speed
2. How fixing your eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects your faith, gives you strength when you're depleted
3. Practical ways to strip off the weights and sins that trip you up and slow you down

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

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Feeling pressure to "be strong" and hide your grief? In this episode, discover how God draws near to the brokenhearted and why bringing Him your tears is an act of faith, not weakness.

Have you ever felt like you had to hold it together, even when you were falling apart inside?

Maybe you've been taught that strong faith means smiling through the pain, that crying is a sign of weakness, or that you need to "be strong" for everyone around you. Over time, that pressure to perform can leave you carrying grief you've never fully processed, pushing down tears that need to be released.

In this episode, we look at the heartbreaking story of Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman, who lost his 5‑year‑old daughter, Maria, in a tragic accident at home. Instead of putting on a brave face for the cameras and fans, he and his family walked straight into their grief, crying, questioning, and learning to meet God in the middle of the ache. Through his example and Psalm 34:18, you'll see that God doesn't stand at a distance when you're broken—He draws near.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Why the pressure to "be strong" often keeps us from the honest grief God invites us to bring to Him
2. How Psalm 34:18 promises that God is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed
3. The difference between pretending everything is fine and bringing your tears to God as an act of faith

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

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Struggling with secret habits and temptations no one else knows about? In this episode, learn how God faithfully provides a way out of every temptation, and why you never have to fight your private battles alone.

Have you ever felt like your biggest spiritual battles happen when no one is watching?

It's easy to look put together in public, at church, at work, with friends, while quietly wrestling with things you've never told anyone. Over time, those secret struggles start to feel heavier, and you wonder if you're the only one fighting this hard or if God has somehow run out of patience with you.

In this episode, we look at 1 Corinthians 10:13 and the story of Billy Graham's "Modesto Manifesto," a set of guardrails he and his team created in 1948 to protect themselves from the temptations that had destroyed other ministers. You'll see that God doesn't just forgive sin after the fact; He actively provides a way out before you fall, if you're willing to look for the door and walk through it.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL LEARN:

1. Why the temptations you face are not unique to you, and how that truth brings both comfort and hope
2. How God's "way out" often shows up in practical boundaries and humble choices made long before the heat of the moment
3. The power of bringing your secret struggle into the light with one safe, trusted person

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

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Ever feel like your job or daily chores don’t “count” spiritually? In this episode, discover how every task, seen or unseen, can become worship when you do it for the Lord, not for applause.

Have you ever wondered if what you do from 9 to 5 really matters to God, or if He only cares about what happens at church?

It’s easy to treat your job, housework, or daily responsibilities as just “getting through the day,” while thinking worship only happens when you’re singing or reading your Bible. Over time, that divide can make most of your life feel spiritually empty, even if you’re working hard and doing good things.

In this episode, we’ll look at the story of accountant Phillip Gallson, who turned an ordinary desk job into a lifelong ministry by treating every client and every tax return as service to Christ. Through his example and Colossians 3:23–24, you’ll learn how to see your own work, no matter how “ordinary” it feels, as part of your worship, done for the Lord rather than for people.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

1. Why God cares deeply about how you show up in your job, chores, and everyday responsibilities
2. How Colossians 3:23–24 reframes your work as worship when you remember who your true Boss is
3. Simple ways to approach even your most routine tasks as offerings to Jesus, not just items on a to‑do list

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

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Struggling to love people who criticize, drain, or oppose you? In this episode, learn how Jesus’ call to love your enemies and pray for them can transform how you respond to the hardest people in your life.

Is there someone in your life who makes it really hard to live out your faith, someone who pushes your buttons, criticizes you, or seems determined to misunderstand you?

It’s easy to respond the way the world does: avoid them, talk about them, clap back, or quietly cancel them in your heart. Over time, that reaction doesn’t just harden you toward them, it hardens you toward God’s heart, too.

In this episode, we look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:44 and the powerful real-life example of Daryl Davis, a Black blues musician who chose to sit down and befriend members of the Ku Klux Klan. You’ll see that loving difficult people doesn’t mean approving of their behavior or ignoring evil; it means reflecting the radical love you’ve received in Christ by praying for them, seeing them as image-bearers, and letting God deal with their hearts, and yours.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why Jesus’ command to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” is both costly and freeing
• How reacting in anger, sarcasm, or silent bitterness slowly shapes your heart away from God’s love
• Practical ways to start praying for and relating to one difficult person in your life with Christlike grace

Share This Episode:

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Connect with Bart

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

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Tired of starting each year with big resolutions and the same old anxiety? In this New Year’s episode, learn why beginning with surrender to God’s lead is better than any plan you could write on your own.

Do you ever feel pressure to map out the whole year, set goals, fix yourself, and make sure nothing goes “off plan”?

We rush into January depending on our own understanding: detailed five‑year plans, tight control, and a quiet fear that if we don’t get everything right, we’ll miss God’s will. Then life shifts, plans change, and we’re left anxious, wondering if we’ve blown it before the year even gets going.

In this New Year’s Day episode, you’ll hear how Hudson Taylor walked away from a stable medical career plan to follow God’s call to China, trusting Proverbs 3:5–6 more than his own script for success. You’ll see that the best way to begin the year isn’t with “Here’s what I’ll do for You, God,” but with “Lord, I’m Yours. Show me which path to take.” Starting with surrender doesn’t make the year predictable, but it does make it anchored—in God’s wisdom, not just your own.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why resolutions built only on your own understanding leave you stressed when plans change
• How Proverbs 3:5–6 invites you to trust God’s character more than your ability to control the future
• A simple way to start this year with open‑handed surrender, asking God to direct your steps day by day

Share This Episode:

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Connect with Bart

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Feeling pressure to hide your faith and just blend in? In this episode, learn how Daniel’s quiet, consistent prayer life can give you courage to stand firm in a compromising culture.

Have you ever been in a meeting, classroom, or group chat and felt that quiet pressure to stay silent about your faith so you don’t stand out?

Maybe you’re not denying Jesus outright, but you’ve learned how to “go along to get along,” laughing at what everyone laughs at, staying quiet when you know you should speak, and keeping your convictions safely tucked away. Over time, that kind of compromise can dull your courage and make your faith feel more like a private hobby than a living relationship.

In this episode, we look at Daniel’s choice to keep praying “as usual” even when it was illegal, and Coach Joe Kennedy’s quiet decision to keep kneeling at the 50‑yard line after games. You’ll see that their public courage didn’t come out of nowhere; it grew from small, consistent habits of obedience in private. And you’ll discover how building similar rhythms with God can strengthen you to stand firm when the pressure is on.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Daniel 6:10 reveals the connection between daily prayer and public courage
• Why hoping you’ll be bold “in the big moments” doesn’t work if you ignore God in the small, hidden ones
• Simple, practical ways to start an “as usual” habit with God that prepares you to stand firm at work, school, and online
• When pressure comes, you don’t have to invent courage on the spot, you can draw from a life that’s already rooted in quiet, consistent obedience.

Share This Episode:

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Connect with Bart

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Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Ever blown it in a way everyone could see and wondered if God is done with you? In this episode, discover how Jesus restores and recommissions public failures like Peter, and like you.

Have you ever failed so publicly that you wondered if you’d permanently disqualified yourself from being used by God?

When your sin, meltdown, or bad decision is out in the open, it’s easy to believe the lie that you’re now “damaged goods,” forgiven maybe, but benched for good. Shame whispers that your worst chapter is the headline of your life, and that God has moved on to someone more reliable.

In this episode, we look at Chuck Colson’s Watergate downfall and Peter’s denial of Jesus in John 21 to see a different story—one where Jesus doesn’t just forgive fallen people, He restores them and sends them back out with a renewed, humbler calling. You’ll be encouraged to believe that your failure can become, in God’s hands, the very place He shows His grace most clearly.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Jesus’ threefold question to Peter, “Do you love Me?”, gently rewrote Peter’s three denials
• Why your worst, most public failure doesn’t cancel God’s call on your life
• A simple way to bring your own failure to Jesus and ask, “How do You want to use me now?”

Share This Episode:

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Connect with Bart

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Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Life not going how you planned? In this episode, see how God can weave even painful detours, like Joseph’s and Louis Zamperini’s, into His good purposes for your story.

Have you ever looked at your life and thought, “This is not the story I was planning to live”?

You had dreams, timelines, and expectations about your career, family, ministry, or health, and then something unexpected hit. A door closed, a crisis came, a war you didn’t choose showed up on your doorstep, and now you’re on a road you never wanted, wondering where God is in all of it.

In this episode, we walk through the story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic runner, war hero, prisoner of war, and how God met him after unthinkable trauma, along with Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20. You’ll see that while none of the evil or pain is “good,” God can still weave even those detours into a bigger redemptive purpose in ways you may not see yet, but can trust by faith.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL LEARN:

• How Joseph’s declaration, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good,” speaks into your own unexpected chapters
• Why detours and delays don’t mean God has abandoned you or your calling
• A practical way to bring one painful detour before God and ask Him to weave it into His good purposes for your life
• When your plans fall apart, God’s purposes don’t, and He knows how to redeem even the roads you never would have chosen.

Share this Episode:

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Connect with Bart

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Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.