How do you hold onto your faith when it seems like God has disappeared? Whether in struggle, illness, death, or failure, the presence of pain is often so overwhelming it can drown out God’s voice. On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, I visit with Michele Cushatt who offers hope and faith for times when life is so hard we can’t always feel God’s presence.




A three-time head and neck cancer survivor, Michele is a (reluctant) expert of trauma, pain and the deep human need for authentic connection. Michele shares her story on the podcast and also helps us with the following questions:





* Why doesn’t God take away the pain?
* What do you do on the days when the emotional and/or physical pain feels devastating?
* How do you deal with the doubts about your faith that often accompany relentless pain?
* How do you deal with the fairness issue–when it seems like everyone else has great lives and you’re stuck with this hard life?
* What final advice do you have for the person who is suffering?

Relentless, by Michele Cushatt
Michele also discusses these questions and more in her new book, Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves. Like the Old Testament story of Joshua’s altar of twelve stones, Relentless delivers twelve key biblical stories that demonstrate God’s unfailing presence.
Each chapter offers an invitation to identify a “stone” in your own life as tangible evidence of God’s nearness. With the turn of the last page, you will have discovered twelve markers of your own, an altar of memory to carry you through questions and losses, even ones yet to come.
Where to Find Michele Cushatt Online








WEBSITE: michelecushatt.com
SPEAKING: http://www.michelecushatt.com/speaking/
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/michelecushatt/
TWITTER: twitter.com/michelecushatt
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/michelecushatt









How to Listen to the Christian Habits Podcast:


How to Hold Onto Your Faith When Life Is Hard with Michele Cushatt

Do you ever feel like you can’t change no matter how hard you try? On the Christian Habits Podcast, we’ll talk about biblical transformation through the renewing of the mind. This is a practical, hands-on podcast that will help you break free from the things that control you: things like bad habits, idolatry, overeating, and negative emotions such as worry, insecurity, anger, and stress. We’ll also talk about how to develop a close relationship with God as we develop the habit of going to Him for help with life.

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Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something? I know I do! With so much going on in our world and lives, it’s easy to give into to worry and anxiety. On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, we’ll talk about letting go of anxiety by walking through Lesson 15 from my new Philippians Bible Study together.
Each lesson in the Philippians Bible study is on a different topic, but since Philippians is all about finding joy in difficult circumstances it’s the perfect book of the Bible to go to for help.

On the podcast, we’ll talk about five different options we can take when anxiety hits, and which options are most helpful. If you’d like to download a copy of Lesson 15, click here:
Free Downloadable Bible Study Lesson: Lesson 15 Philippians Bible Study by Barb Raveling.
In the podcast episode, I mentioned that I would include an image of how I diagramed Philippians 4:8-9. Here’s an image of that diagram:

Online Philippians Bible Study
I’d also like to invite you to our online Philippians Bible study, which begins May 15. We’ll be covering the following lessons in that Bible study.
Wednesday mornings classes: 9 am PST, 10 am MST, 11 am CST, 12 pm EST

* May 15 – Lesson 2: Loving When It’s Hard to Love
* May 29 – Lesson 6: People Pleasing, Self-Pleasing, and God-Pleasing
* June 12 – Lesson 15: Letting Go of Anxiety

Tuesday evenings classes: 5 pm PST, 6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, 8 pm EST

* May 21 – Lesson 4: Letting Go of Idols
* June 4  – Lesson 11: Finding Your Identity in Christ
* June 18 – Lesson 16: Learning to Be Content

Click here for more info on the study and to sign up for it: Philippians Online Bible Study
Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

* How to Diagram Scripture – YouTube video
* How to Diagram Scripture – Blog Post/Podcast
* Option Charts (Scroll down to Charts to find info on option charts._
* Philippians Bible Study
* Philippians Online Bible Study Sign Up Page

How to Listen to the Podcast:

To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

 
 

Letting Go of Anxiety with God’s Help

Do you ever feel like you want to change, but you can’t seem to make it happen? Do you long to be closer to God?
So often we change as soon as we become Christians, then go for years and years without any growth. In the Closer to God Bible Study Series, you’ll have a chance to study the Bible in a way that will help you visibly grow as you go to God for help with life.

Today, I’m excited to announce the second book in the Closer to God Bible Study Series: Philippians!!
Philippians is one of my favorite books of the Bible. One of the main themes of the book is finding contentment in all circumstances. This is interesting because Paul wrote the book from prison.
I picture him sitting in prison, possibly bored, anxious, or maybe even thinking of the unfairness of it all. I imagine him talking to God and learning how to be content in this difficult situation. Seeing it all from a biblical perspective, letting go, and embracing God in the midst of it.
Then he writes his letter to the Philippians and encourages them to rejoice always, dwell on the good, and learn to be content in all situations, just as he was doing in prison!
Thankfully, we get to benefit from Paul’s hard-won wisdom in this book. I’ll be sharing more about my Philippians Bible study and also the Closer to God Bible Study Series on my podcast interview today.
If you don’t have time to listen to the podcast …
You can find out more about the study here: Philippians Bible Study.
What We Discussed on the Podcast

* Why I wrote a study over a book of the Bible rather than a specific topic
* How this series was birthed to solve a problem in my own life
* The significance of the name of the series
* How this study is different than many others
* Who this book is geared towards and different ways to approach the study
* How my passion to see the church (and myself) mature and become more Christ-like continues to drive me to write and teach others

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

* My new Philippians Bible Study
* My Closer to God Bible Study Series
* How to Diagram Scripture – YouTube
* Friendship Counseling by Kevin Huggins
* Novel Marketing Podcast with Thomas Umstattd Jr.

How to Listen to the Podcast


To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 



Closer to God Bible Studies with Barb Raveling

In today’s culture, there is a mental health crisis. So many are looking for answers, yet much of the advice given does not provide sustainable relief. However, we know that the only way to true and lasting peace is to know the Prince of Peace! On the Christian Habits Podcast today (links below), my guest, Christopher Cook discusses this very topic and his new book Healing What You Can’t Erase.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

* The culture’s current mental health crisis
* Common advice that simply doesn’t work
* “Anxiety is just an alarm.” What does this statement mean?
* What is true peace?
* What are practical ways to fix our focus on Jesus?
* How the process of transformation happens
* Christopher’s S.E.E.D. strategy for dealing with intrusive thoughts

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

* Healing What You Can’t Erase by Christopher Cook
* Pre-Order Bonuses for Christopher’s new book
* Win Today podcast with Christopher Cook
* Philippians Bible Study by Barb Raveling – pre-order today!
* James Bible Study

About Christopher Cook
Christopher Cook is a leadership coach, author, and podcast host focused on transformation and wholeness. With an aptitude for strategy and execution, his ability to unearth clarity out of complexity drives his mission to help individuals and organizations thrive in their true identity. His work has appeared in outlets such as SUCCESS Magazine, and he has spent over a decade coaching leaders in both the marketplace and non-profit sectors. His weekly podcast, Win Today with Christopher Cook, equips wellness-minded listeners to move beyond the limitations of self-help, and instead, toward an integrated life of wholeness from the inside out. Pulling from his own experiences with adversity and personal transformation, these efforts, embodied by his passion for mental health, emotional health, and spiritual maturity, along with his educational credentials in business administration, leadership, and ministry, have led to helping people experience healing and transformation in their spirit, mind, and body.
How to Listen to the Podcast


To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 



Healing What You Can’t Erase with Christopher Cook

Do you ever feel distant from God? Do you long to be close to Him? In today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast we’ll talk about 14 practical things you can do to get closer to God.

14 Practical Ways to Get Closer to God
The more intentional we are about our relationships, the better those relationships will be. Let’s look at some practical things we can do to get closer to God. I’ll give a short list here and then go into more depth in the podcast.

Find something you enjoy doing with Him. If you dread your quiet time, you won’t want to do them. In the past, I didn’t feel like doing quiet times because I thought they were boring. I found something I enjoyed doing, though, and all of a sudden I wanted to do my quiet times. Some of the ideas we talk about on the podcast are truth journaling, Scripture meditation, the Examen app, topical Bible studies, and any of these renewing of the mind activities. Don’t worry about beginning with something simple, as you can always progress later to more Bible reading, etc. The key in the beginning is to establish the habit.
Meet with God each day during the time of day that you’re most alert. The advice we usually hear on this topic is to have your quiet time as soon as you wake up. That works for me and for many others, but it doesn’t work for everyone. If you’re a person who has more energy or self-control later in the day, it may be better to schedule your devotional time for that time of day. If you struggle with discipline in quiet times like I did for twenty years, try journaling through these questions and Bible verses.
Do a “closeness check” at the beginning of your time together. In the past, I used to begin each quiet time with a closeness check. I’d ask, “Am I feeling close to God?” If the answer was no, I’d think back to the previous day to see if there was anything I needed to talk to God about. I’d confess any sin that I needed to confess (often heart sin such as bad attitudes) and work through anything I needed to work through with Him. We’ll talk more about the reasons for not feeling close (sin, idolatry, and not accepting what you need to accept) in the podcast and what you can do about it.
Believe that He loves you. Have you ever been in a relationship in which the person actually loved you, but for some reason you felt like they didn’t love you? When this happens to us, it makes us not trust that person or feel close to them. The same thing happens when we feel like God doesn’t love us. If you feel like He doesn’t love you right now, try praying through the following Bible verses and picture God doing the things He says He’ll do in those verses. The first couple of times I tried this, it was transformative: Insecurity Bible verses, 1 John 1:9.
Work on letting go of your idols and sin. When we feel like we have to have certain things to be happy, it interferes with our relationship with God. So does sin. It’s impossible to completely get rid of sin and idols, but the more progress we make in those areas, the closer we’ll feel to God. Here are a couple of posts/blog series that will help: <a href="https://barbraveling.com/2013/05/26/how-to-break-free-from-idolatry/"...

14 Practical Ways to Get Closer to God

Do you find yourself simply going through the motions in your Christian walk? Do you long for a deeply intentional and powerful relationship with God? If so, you will inspired and challenged by this episode of The Christian Habits Podcast (links below). My guest today, John Mark Comer, talks about a whole-life, immersive approach to your faith found in his new book, Practicing the Way.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

* The difference a Christian and an apprentice of Jesus
* How fierce intentionality in your walk with Jesus changes everything
* The keystone habits of a practicing Christian
* One powerful way to overcome temptation and sin
* What a Rule of Life is and why the ancients practiced it
* The practice of contemplative prayer

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

* Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer
* The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry 
* Live No Lies 

About John Mark Comer
John Mark Comer is the New York Times bestselling author of seven books including The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry and Live No Lies as well as being a pastor, teacher, and founder of Practicing the Way. His latest book is Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. (a WaterBrook hardcover; on sale 1/16/24). 
After serving as the lead pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, for nearly two decades, John Mark and his family now reside in Los Angeles, where he serves as a teacher in residence on discipleship and spiritual formation at Vintage Church LA. His podcasts, John Mark Comer Teachings and Rule of Life, have been ranked on top religion and spirituality podcast charts in the US and UK. For more information visit johnmarkcomer.com and find him on Instagram .
How to Listen to the Podcast


To listen or subscribe on Google Podcasts: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here 
To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 



How to Hold Onto Your Faith When Life Is Hard with Michele Cushatt

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