Everyday Faith for Her: Bible Study and Real Life Christianity for Women

Thought to share? Send me a text...

Have you ever been so focused on understanding why something happened—or so afraid of what others might think—that you missed what God was doing right in front of you?

In John 9, Jesus encounters a man who has been blind from birth, and one extraordinary healing produces four very different reactions. Some are skeptical. Some are determined to prove Jesus wrong. Some stay silent because they're afraid. And one man becomes increasingly confident in what he knows to be true: “I was blind, and now I see.”

When life doesn't make sense, we often want an explanation. When God transforms someone, we may want proof. And when following Jesus could cost us acceptance, comfort, or relationships, fear can tempt us to stay silent. But what if instead of asking only “Why did this happen?” we began asking “What can I learn, and what can God do in this?”

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How the four different reactions to Jesus in John 9 can reveal how you respond when God works in unexpected ways.
• Why always needing to be right can keep you from recognizing the truth that's directly in front of you.
• How choosing the light and standing in what you know to be true can loosen fear's grip on your life.

Play this episode to explore John 9 and discover how choosing the light over fear can help you see God's work more clearly and walk with greater courage in your faith.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

Have you ever believed you were walking in freedom with Christ—only to realize fear, shame, or hidden struggles still had a hold on you?

In John 8, Jesus has a challenging conversation with people who believe their history and knowledge of God mean they already understand Him. But Jesus pushes them deeper, revealing the difference between simply knowing about God and experiencing the freedom that comes from knowing and following Him.

That same challenge applies to us. We can know we’re forgiven and have eternal life while still allowing fear, shame, secrets, and lies to keep parts of our lives captive. Jesus invites us to bring those things into the light and discover the freedom found in His truth.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How Jesus connects truth, discipleship, and genuine spiritual freedom in John 8.
• Why fear, shame, secrets, and lies can continue holding us captive—and what happens when we bring them into the light.
• How moving from simply knowing about Jesus to experiencing and living His truth can lead to deeper freedom.

Play this episode to discover how the truth of Jesus can help you bring darkness into the light and walk more fully in the freedom He offers.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

What if the change you’re trying so hard to make isn’t really about changing your behavior—but changing your heart?

It’s easy to focus on what we or others are doing wrong. We make resolutions, try harder, carry guilt over past choices, and sometimes judge the choices of those around us. But Jesus shows us another way.

In this episode, Betsy explores John 8 and the powerful encounter between Jesus and the woman caught in adultery. Through a story filled with judgment, shame, forgiveness, and grace, we discover that Jesus isn’t interested in simply modifying our behavior. He invites us into the kind of heart change that transforms how we live.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why lasting behavior change begins with transformation of the heart
• How Jesus responds to sin and shame with both truth and forgiveness
• What it means to leave judgment behind and walk in the light that leads to life

Press play to discover how Jesus meets us in our shame, calls us into the light, and offers the forgiveness that can transform our hearts and the way we live.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

What if one simple word could help you stay connected to God and focused on what He wants to do in your life this year?

A new year often brings pressure to set resolutions, establish goals, and figure out what needs to change. But instead of creating another list of things to accomplish, what if you asked God to give you one word to help guide your spiritual journey?

In this episode, Betsy shares the spiritual practice of choosing a “word of the year” and walks you through a simple process of reflection, prayer, and discernment to discover a word that can bring greater intention to the year ahead.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• A five-step process for discerning a meaningful, God-centered word for your year
• How to use prayer and Scripture to give your word a strong spiritual foundation
• Practical ways to keep your word visible so it continues to encourage, challenge, and refocus you throughout the year

Play the episode and discover how one intentional word can help you seek God’s direction and walk into the year ahead with renewed focus and purpose.

(for word lists - just google 'word of the year lists' and  you'll discover many)

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

Are you spiritually thirsty without even realizing it?

We know our bodies need water every day, yet it can be surprisingly easy to approach our spiritual lives differently—taking one big “gulp” of God on Sunday and wondering why we feel spiritually dry by the middle of the week.

In this episode, Betsy walks through John 7 and the Feast of Tabernacles to uncover the powerful context behind Jesus’ invitation: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me.”

When Jesus spoke those words, He wasn’t using a random metaphor. The people around Him had spent days remembering God’s provision in the wilderness and participating in rituals centered around water, restoration, and God’s promise of new life. Against that backdrop, Jesus declared that He was the source of the living water they were longing for.

As we look toward a new year, His invitation remains just as relevant. Spiritual hydration isn’t meant to happen once a week. It becomes part of our daily rhythm through Scripture, prayer, trust, and an ongoing reliance on Jesus.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the Feast of Tabernacles makes Jesus’ declaration about living water even more powerful.
• How to recognize spiritual dehydration and develop daily rhythms that keep you connected to Jesus.
• What it means to move beyond simply being spiritually filled and allow God’s love, hope, joy, and peace to overflow into the lives of others.

Press play and discover how to trade spiritual dryness for the sustaining, overflowing living water Jesus offers every day.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

Are you following Jesus for who He is—or mostly seeking Him for what He can give you?

In John 6, a crowd goes searching for Jesus after witnessing the miraculous feeding of thousands. They want more signs, more bread, and more proof. But Jesus redirects their attention from what He can provide to who He is: the Bread of Life.

This episode invites you to consider the difference between being a fan of Jesus and truly following Him. As we unpack Jesus’ challenging words in John 6, you’ll be encouraged to examine what you’re feeding your faith and whether Scripture itself has a central place in your spiritual diet.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How to recognize when you’re seeking what Jesus can do for you more than seeking Jesus Himself.
• Why Jesus’ declaration, “I am the Bread of Life,” changes how we understand spiritual satisfaction and eternal life.
• How examining your spiritual diet can help you move beyond secondhand teaching and grow deeper in God’s Word.

Play this episode to examine your spiritual diet, deepen your faith, and rediscover what it means to choose being a follower of Jesus rather than simply a fan.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

What do you do when what’s in front of you feels too big for what you have—and the storm around you makes the destination seem impossible to reach?

When life brings needs you can’t meet, circumstances you can’t control, or storms you can’t navigate on your own, it’s easy to respond like Philip and focus on everything you lack. But John 6 offers another perspective. Through the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on water, we see a Savior who provides beyond what seems possible, meets His people in the middle of the storm, and reminds them, “Don’t be afraid. I am.”

In this episode, you’ll discover:

•  Why bringing what you do have to Jesus can be the starting point for seeing God work in ways you never expected. 
•  How the feeding of the 5,000 connects to Passover, manna, and God’s history of faithfully providing for His people. 
•  How Jesus’ words in the middle of the storm can help you move from fear toward trust when life feels uncertain or overwhelming. 

Play this episode and discover how John 6 can help you trust God with what you have, recognize His presence in your storms, and remember that the One who provides is also the One who brings you safely to shore.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

Have you ever wondered what evidence there is that Jesus really is who He says He is?

In John 5, Jesus finds Himself challenged by Jewish leaders after healing a man on the Sabbath and declaring God as His Father. Rather than simply asking them to take His word for it, Jesus points to witness after witness testifying to His identity. And His words leave us with an important question today: Are we truly seeing Jesus in Scripture, or could we be so focused on gaining biblical knowledge that we're missing the One it all points to?

In this episode, we explore the powerful testimony Jesus gives about who He is and what it means for our faith.

You'll discover:

• The six witnesses Jesus points to as evidence that He truly is the Son of God.
• How Scripture—from Moses and the Old Testament through the New Testament—continually points us toward Jesus.
• Why embracing Jesus' message moves us beyond simply knowing Scripture to confidently knowing and believing the One Scripture reveals.

Play this episode to discover the evidence Jesus gives for who He is and walk away with greater confidence in the One at the center of all Scripture.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

Have you ever felt stuck in life, waiting for the right person, opportunity, feeling, or circumstance to finally move you forward?

In John 5, Jesus meets a man who had been sick for 38 years and was waiting beside the pool of Bethesda for his opportunity to be healed. But instead of helping the man reach the water, Jesus gives him a completely different invitation: stand up, pick up your mat, and walk.

Maybe you have a “pool” of your own—something you’ve convinced yourself needs to happen before your life can change. Maybe you’re waiting for a relationship, financial breakthrough, stronger faith, someone to help you, or simply the feeling that you’re finally ready. This episode challenges us to consider whether focusing on what we think needs to happen is causing us to miss Jesus standing right in front of us.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How focusing on your own version of the “pool” can keep you waiting instead of recognizing what Jesus is doing in your life.
• Why moving from stuck to moving forward can require trusting Jesus before you feel completely ready or have everything figured out.
• How picking up your “mat” can mean leaving behind familiar patterns, surrendering your plans, and stepping into the healing, forgiveness, and new life Jesus offers.

Play this episode to discover what John 5 can teach you about turning your eyes from the pool, trusting Jesus, and taking the next faith-filled step toward getting unstuck.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.

Thought to share? Send me a text...

What if some of the things you’ve believed about yourself were never true in the first place?

From an early age, people and experiences begin telling us who we are. We may hear that we’re too much, not enough, unwanted, unworthy, or defined by what has happened to us. Over time, those messages can become identities we carry—even when they aren’t who God created us to be.

In this episode, Betsy explores John 4 and Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. Her circumstances had given her plenty of reasons to live beneath shame, loneliness, and rejection, but Jesus saw beyond her history. He knew her completely, met her personally, and invited her to receive something entirely different.

Through their conversation, we see what can happen when we stop allowing our past, other people, and our circumstances to define us and begin listening to the One who created us.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How false identities can form from what others have said about us and what we’ve experienced.
• Why facing the truth about what you believe about yourself can open the door to discovering your God-given identity.
• How an encounter with Jesus transformed the Samaritan woman from someone living under shame and isolation into someone boldly leading others to Him.

Play this episode to discover what the Samaritan woman’s transformation can teach you about letting go of false identities and learning to live from who God says you truly are.

New episodes every Tuesday morning.

To connect with Betsy for speaking, resources, or curriculum head to
https://betsymarvin.com/contact-me/

For access to past podcasts and transcripts, head to
https://betsymarvin.com/podcasts/

A Christian podcast centered on Jesus, the Bible, and God explores faith through the Old Testament and New Testament, sharing Bible stories and Bible explained insights to help women of faith and Jesus followers grow in faith, strengthen their relationship with God, and know God more deeply through Bible study, women Bible study, and practical Christianity, all while encouraging spiritual growth, understanding identity in Christ, and learning to understand Bible teachings to become closer to God.