Grace Enough Podcast

By Amber CullumReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Grace Enough Podcast episodes

March 14, 2023Jeff & Terra Mattson | Become the Leader You Would Follow, 212
Jeff & Terra Mattson join Amber to discuss their book, Shrinking the Integrity Gap between What Leaders Preach and Live. They dive into how unresolved trauma impacts a leader, the gap between our values and habits, and some healthy tips for shrinking the gap.
Questions Discussed During Become the Leader You Would Follow:
The two of you have invested more than two decades in leadership coaching and trauma-informed therapy. Share a little of what you've found to be the root issues contributing to many of the leadership crises.
What's some of the impact and dangers you've seen from slapping Bible verses on wounds of the past like Band-aids?
What is trauma-informed therapy?
What is the integrity gap?
What does unresolved trauma look like and how can a leader know if it is impacting his/her integrity?
Jeff, you share a number of ministry stories in "Shrinking the Integrity Gap: Between What Leaders Preach and Live" that would leave many confused, angry, and at worst closing the door on Christianity. Share a little about one of those experiences, how they impacted what you do today, and what the result could have been had you not dealt with the trauma?
So often, the unresolved conflict and trauma in a leaders life actually causes it to implode. Why do you think we're so reluctant to just share that and seek help or just humbly admit?
If a leader is listening and wants to process their story, but are afraid because it puts their job on the line. What's the step forward for them?
What are some of the gap similarities you see in Christian and non-Christian leaders?
SHOW NOTES cont.Resources Mentioned:
Book: Shrinking the Integrity Gap Between What Leaders Preach and Live by Jeff & Terra Mattson
Related Episodes:
211: Joanne J. Jung & Richard Langer | Follow Jesus to Become a Better Leader
210: Wendy Alsup | Clinging to God When Your Church Falls Apart

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52 min
March 07, 2023Joanne J. Jung & Richard Langer | Following Jesus to Become A Better Leader, 211
Joanne J. Jung, Richard Langer, and Amber discuss our never changing call to follow Jesus and how to pursue that in a world that views following as weakness. They also discuss the West's obsession with leadership.
Questions Discussed During Follow Jesus to Become a Better Leader:
In chapter 1 of The Call to Follow you compare leadership to money and I loved it! At one point you write, " And leadership is like money. Leadership, too, is an instrumental good. It helps get things done. But it is not an intrinsic good-it is not to be pursued for its own sake." Will one of you dive into how leadership is like money?
Historically, what seemed to be the tipping point for Christian culture's current obsession with leadership language? Or has it always been this way?
While culture says you must be a leader to be successful, the Bible speaks much about being a faithful follower of Yahweh, of Jesus. Expound on the language the Bible uses as it pertains to leadership and followership.
What is the difference between the "followership stereotype" and "Biblical followership"?
How do you think our churches, organizations, and non-profits would change if leaders began teaching and training more on followership and less about leadership?
What advice about followership would you give to people in leadership?
In a world, where the prevalent messaging is to be EXTRAORDINARY, end with a few practices that can help us be ordinary faithful followers of Jesus?
SHOW NOTES cont.Resources Mentioned:
Book: The Call to Follow by Joanne J. Jung and Richard Langer
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39 min
February 28, 2023Wendy Alsup | Clinging to God When Your Church Falls Apart, 210
Wendy Alsup and Amber discuss her time as deacon of women’s theology at Mars Hill Church, how and why she was able to continue clinging to Jesus in the midst of suffering, and what a good Jesus hermeneutic has to do with it.
Questions Discussed During Clinging to God When Your Church Falls Apart:
You served as a Deacon in charge of Women’s Theology and Training at Mars Hill in Seattle. Share your experience of stepping into that role and the ways you were able to serve women during that season
With the success of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast, many now have a more robust view of power struggles and abuse in the church. Were you able to continue teaching and serving women practical theology on a weekly basis, while behind the scenes the staff was “blowing up”? Expound on that a bit.
You eventually left. What was that process like for you both emotionally and spiritually?
What I love about your story is you didn’t walk away from God or the Bible despite being deeply wounded by God’s people. At one point you said, “A lot of people had problems with Mark Driscoll and just wrote off the Bible: ‘Well, if that’s what the Bible teacher says, obviously, there’s something wrong with the Bible.’ But I believed in the Bible a long time before I ever got to know Mark Driscoll, and I’m going to believe in it now. So I don’t think the problem’s with the Bible.” Talk to us about what you think made a difference in your clinging to God and His Word vs. friends, colleagues, strangers who walk away.
I think having written books like, Practical Theology for Women and The Gospel-Centered Woman helped to ground you in truth of God’s character and what He says about His people, but not everyone has the foundation. Speak directly to the wounded soul, particularly the one who’s been wounded by those in a position of spiritual authority.
In “I Forgive You,” you weave some of your own personal journey of forgiveness in with the story of Joseph and how we witness him forgive. What hope do we find in Joseph’s story?
How can we apply some of those same principles to the people we need to forgive?
SHOW NOTES cont.
Resources Mentioned:
Book: I Forgive You: Finding Peace and Moving Forward When Life Really Hurts by Wendy Alsup
Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast
Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast: Ep. 7 State of Emergency
Book: Companions in Suffering: Comfort for Times of Loss and Loneliness by Wendy Alsup and Trillia Newbell
Book: Practical Theology for Women by Wendy Alsup
ALL of Wendy’s books
The Gospel Coalition: Why I’m Going Back to Church After My Divorce by Wendy Alsup
Theology for Women Etsy Shop
Related Episodes:
106: Scot McKnight & Laura Barringer | Church Culture: Goodness vs. Abuse of Power
187: Wade Mullen | Power, Image Management, & the Church
73: Bethany Allen | Pastor of Spiritual Formation & Leadership Development

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48 min
February 21, 2023Laura Acuna | Hope for the Diet Weary Soul, 209
JOIN Still Becoming Lenten 2023 Study
Laura Acuna and Amber discuss her 50 year journey with diet culture, overcoming shame, and the work she continues both personally and through her 31 Day Devotional Still Becoming: Hope, Help and Healing for the Diet Weary Soul.
Questions Discussed During Hope for the Diet Weary Soul:
Take us back to Laura as an 11 year old girl and share your experience with weight gain and the ideas that were formed in your brain surrounding body image and eating.
What were some of the formational things you started to believe about your appearance? How did it impact your brain?
From that point forward began a 50 year battle of what you term disordered thinking about food and eating habits. What were some of the thoughts you had regarding food and dieting and how did it impact your eating?
So many of us have looked in the mirror and said horrible things about our bodies, only to wake up and say "I'm not going to do that anymore. I am made in the image of God and my body is good," only to repeat the cycle again and again. Was this true for you? When did your thinking begin to shift?
With that said, in your new devotional Still Becoming you write, "Disordered thinking leads to disordered eating-and when one is addressed the other follows?" Will you expound on that and maybe share a few practical tips to help us shift our thinking?
Why Still Becoming? And how will the devotional help the diet weary soul?
Where is the line when you cross into disordered thinking, disordered eating versus this is something that is part of taking care of your body?
Often a woman's self-image goes far beyond issues with eating and exercise, but includes trauma and abuse, infertility, physical injury, and others. How do you encourage women to find rest and healing by focusing on what God has called good?
Let's close with something I am SUPER passionate about and that is our culture's negative view of a woman's aging body. As Christians, how can we resist falling for this toxic and impossible standard of skinny, wrinkle free, and pigmented hair is the most beautiful?
SHOW NOTES cont.Resources Mentioned:
JOIN Still Becoming Lenten 2023 Study
Book: Still Becoming: Hope, Help and Healing for the Diet Weary Soul by Laura Acuna
Still Becoming Small Group Discussion Guide
Related Episodes:
116: David & Krista Dunham | Eating Disorder Recovery
114: Heather Creekmore | Body Image
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34 min
February 14, 2023Lori Ann Wood | Divine Detour & Heart Health, 208
Lori Ann Wood was young and healthy when she ended up in critical care with a heart failure diagnosis and only a few months to live. We discuss that season of her life, the healing and reoccurrence she experienced and how the family of God interceded on her behalf when she had no words.
Questions Discussed During Divine Detour & Heart Health:
You experienced a near death health incident in 2015. Will you share that experience with us?
You spent 16 months at the Cleveland Clinic, what was day to day life like for you?
How would you encourage people now to be proactive in their treatment of heart disease?
What shifted in your walk with Jesus, as you’re walking through this experience?
Tell us about your heart ejection fraction being restored.
You are releasing a book Divine Detour: The Path You Didn’t Choose Can Lead to the Faith You’ve Always Wanted, where you explore the questions of worry, doubt and fear. Pick one and explain in a little more detail how your personal wrestling impacted the writing of the book and what you hoped those reading would take away.
When your world was falling apart you learned questions didn’t destroy your faith, but strengthened it. Why are questions so important in our faith journeys with Jesus?
Let’s close with encouragement for anyone listening who may be walking through their own desert.
SHOW NOTES cont.
Related Episodes:
191: Marcy Gregg | Life After Losing Your Memory
172: Christiana Custodio | When God Changed His Mind
162: Erica Baldwin | Invisible Illness Warrior
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38 min
February 07, 2023Carlos Whittaker | How to Human, 207
Carlos Whittaker and Amber discuss his new book, How to Human and how he practices being curious up close, walking with people, and being more of a human and less of an opinion.
Questions Discussed During How to Human:
You grew up a preacher’s kid, share a little bit of your early faith journey with us and the influence your parents have had and continue to have in your walk with Jesus.
You’ve raised over 2 million dollars on Venmo alone for people in need. Take us back and share how it all began?
Of all the people you have been able to help is there a moment or a story that was particularly impactful to your journey with Jesus that you can share and why?
The subtitle of your new book is Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us. What are the three ways and how do they helps us share life beyond what distracts, divides and disconnects us?
When you’re in a tense situation how do you break the tension?
Recently in your IG stories you said something that deeply resonated with people. You made it into an image, as almost a 2023 motto. I am going to say the phrases and I would like for you to share a little about what they look like in your day to day life of loving others.
Being curious up close over judging from a distance
Walking with people over standing on issues
Being more of a human and less of an opinion
I asked a dear friend, “What would you ask Carlos if you sat down with him?” Her response, “I love the relationship he has with his children. I would like to know more about cultivating that type of relationship.” Any encouragement, advice or insight you would give regarding cultivating a close relationship with our kids?
SHOW NOTES cont.

Resources Mentioned:
Book: How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond What Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us by Carlos Whittaker
Related Episodes:
176: Andy Crouch | Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World
123: Rebecca Pippert | Share the Faith You Live

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40 min
January 31, 2023Dr. Michelle Bengtson | Battling Depression, 206
Dr. Michelle Bengtson and Amber discuss her journey with depression, the role Scripture played in her healing, the impact social media exposure has on our mental health, and the difference between feeling depressed and clinically depression.
Questions Discussed During Battling Depression:
You are a Neuropsychologist and you have walked through depression. When did depression first become a part of your story and what did treatment look like for you early on?
Do you think that the goal of treatment for depression should be complete healing?
When you talk about the spiritual dimension of depression, you say believing lies is a part of that. Share a few of the common lies that accompany depression, their impact on our brain, and practices we use to replace the lies with truth.
Do you feel like depression is happening more and more in our world today?
What are contributing factors in our daily life in the Western world, with the way our society has developed, that you see as particularly affecting people’s susceptibility to depression?
How would you describe the difference between feeling down vs. clinical depression where I need to seek professional help?
If someone is listening and your answer was confirmation that they are indeed depressed, what would you like to say to them in closing?
Show Notes cont.Resources Mentioned:
Book: Today is Going to Be a Good Day
Book: Hope Prevails
Bible Study: Hope Prevails Bible Study
Book: Breaking Anxiety’s Grip
Related Episodes:
205: Ed Welch | Psychiatric Diagnosis and God’s Word
204: Caris Snider | Battling Anxiety
166: Lori Wildenberg | Helping Children with Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation

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42 min
January 24, 2023Ed Welch | Psychiatric Diagnosis & God's Word, 205
Ed Welch and Amber discuss coming at those living with a psychiatric diagnosis from broader category of "in this world you will have trouble" and how instances of suffering in the Bible can be applied to mental health. They also discuss, the place medication holds in the life of the sufferer and how Jesus speaks into the pain.
Questions Discussed During Psychiatric Diagnosis & God's Word:
You have been counseling for over 40 years and on staff with CCEF for the same amount of time. What are some shifts you've witnessed in regards to how Christians talk about, interact, and treat psychiatric diagnoses or mental illnesses?
When it comes to talking about it from a pulpit, are there biblical examples that can be used to call it what it is, even though that's not necessarily the exact "words" that may be written in the word?
In your newest book, I Have a Psychiatric diagnosis: What Does the Bible say?, You begin by bridging the divide between the psychological world and the spiritual world. Why do people often draw a line between the two? And how do you help people to bridge the divide?
What do you mean by we are embodied souls?
As someone who lives with depression I found your description of the physical body experiencing weakness, yet being able to be strengthened--in some cases with medication, incredibly helpful. So much so I read the chapter to my husband. Will you share that with our listeners to help remove some of the stigma around those who take medication, while also helping those who suffer not view medication as the CURE?
When does anxiety move beyond "normal" to something more serious?
How does trauma need to be treated a bit differently?
You end addressing narcissism. How is narcissism different from the others and how do we even begin to interact with those living with narcissism in a life-giving way?
Show Notes cont. Resources Mentioned:
Book: I Have a Psychiatric Diagnosis: What Does the Bible Say by Ed Welch
A Small Book for the Anxious Heart by Ed Welch
Depression: Looking Up From the Stubborn Darkness by Ed Welch
Other books by Ed Welch
Related Episodes:
204: Caris Snider | Battling Anxiety
166: Lori Wildenberg | Helping Children with Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation
171: Nicole Zasowski | Courage to Celebrate

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59 min
January 17, 2023Caris Snider | Battling Anxiety, 204
Caris Snider and Amber discuss her experience with anxiety and how she is learning to shine light in the darkness for adults, tweens, teens and children through her devotional Anxiety Elephants.
Questions Discussed During Battling Anxiety:
Share a little of your early faith journey with us. When did you begin walking with Jesus?
I don't know the details of your story, but what I do know sounds eerily familiar. While mine was crying uncontrollably on the floor while my 3 year old and newborn played nearby, yours was an anxiety attack while your daughter played nearby. Take us back to that time in your life and share what life was like and how you were coping.
In addition to panic attacks, you were not eating due to the anxiety and fear, which is often a symptom of anxiety far less talked about. Will you speak to that symptom and your experience?
What drove you to finally seek help and whose help did you seek?
Seeking the help of a doctor and counselor are becoming less stigmatized, but as followers of Jesus we can still believe lies like, "I must not have enough faith" and "If I pray, this will go away." Did you believe those lies or others and how did you overcome them?
You talk a lot about the freedom that comes from speaking openly about your experience vs. hiding and I 100% agree. It is another tool we have to fight against anxiety and depression. Not constantly bemoaning our illness, but shining light into the darkness, so others can pray and encourage. How has speaking openly about your journey with anxiety brought freedom?
You've written Anxiety Elephants: A 31 day devotional to help stomp out your anxiety and now have a 90 day tween version for both girls and boys. Share a bit about your journey of writing the devotional and how you've seen God use your experience for good.
If someone purchases your book, what can they expect?
SHOW NOTES cont. Resources Mentioned:
Book: Anxiety Elephants: 31 Day Devotional to Help Stomp Out Your Anxiety by Caris Snider
Book: Anxiety Elephants for Tween Girls: 90 Day Devotional
Book: Anxiety Elephants for Tween Boys: 90 Day Devotional
Related Episodes:
63: Mazi Robinson | Managing Anxiety in the Unknown
166: Lori Wildenberg | Helping Children with Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation
171: Nicole Zasowski | Courage to Celebrate

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50 min
January 10, 2023Joni Eareckson Tada | Songs of suffering & Hymns of Hope, 203
Joni Eareckson Tada and Amber discuss how robust hymns of the faith "stokes her hope" during periods of intense pain and suffering.
Questions Discussed During Songs of Suffering & Hymns of Hope:
Having lived as a quadriplegic for over 50 years, how would you say your view of suffering and our suffering Christ has changed?
When it comes to spiritual disciplines and daily rhythms, what have been some of your anchors?
You've recently released Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls in which you write, "The song must possess enough spiritual muscle to barge into my soul and shake awake a hopeful response. It must be a hymn whose lyrics raise me onto a different plane spiritually." Flesh that out a bit for us and maybe share a few examples.
I am going to share a few Hymn titles from your book. Share the first few thoughts that come to mind when you hear the title:
It Is Well With My Soul
Where You There (When They Crucified My Lord)?
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
Standing On The Promises
When We All Get To Heaven
In the midst of breathing problems, breast cancer, and chronic pain, how do you strengthen yourself with Jesus' example in the upper room?
Let's close with the work you have and continue to do to improve the lives of those living with disabilities. You've said, "people living with disabilities need more than just smooth sidewalks, lowered drinking fountains, and exit ramps." What else do they need and how are you on the front lines of those efforts?
Show Notes cont.

Resources Mentioned:
Book: Songs of Suffering: 25 Hymns and Devotions for Weary Souls by Joni Eareckson Tada

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27 min

About Grace Enough Podcast

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Welcome to Grace Enough Podcast, where Amber Cullum and special guests fearlessly tackle challenging faith questions while unraveling the limitless grace of God. Through engaging podcast conversations, Amber dives deep into the hard truths of life and reveals the boundless grace of God through inspiring stories of men and women walking in the kingdom of God here on earth.

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Grace Enough Podcast

Grace Enough Podcast episodes

About Grace Enough Podcast