Do you ever struggle to trust God when life is hard and nothing looks like the plan you hoped for? In this episode, Andy Lee unpacks Jeremiah 29:11 and shows what this familiar verse really means for believers in difficult seasons.

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Have you ever felt like difficult circumstances have interrupted your life and stolen your sense of peace? In this solo episode, Angela discusses Psalm 27:4 and how dwelling with the Lord, gazing on His beauty, and seeking Him can help us trust God when pain, limitations, and unanswered questions remain. You’ll be encouraged to remember that God is good, present, and worthy of your trust—even in a season you would not have chosen.

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When chronic pain, unwanted rest, and unanswered questions disrupt life, it can be difficult to know how to trust God and find peace. In this solo episode, Angela reflects on Psalm 27:4 and David’s one desire: to dwell with the Lord, gaze on His beauty, and seek Him.

Angela shares why our bodies matter to God and how seeking Him in His Word helps us remember His goodness in hard seasons. This episode is an invitation to bring your real struggles to God, dwell with Him daily, and find peace as you learn to trust Him in the middle of circumstances that have not changed.

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If this episode encouraged you to trust God in difficult circumstances, I would love to keep walking with you. Subscribe to the Life as Worship newsletter for a monthly Scripture-rooted devotional, reflection questions, practical tools for everyday worship, and occasional resources to keep you grounded in God’s truth. Subscribe and get the FREE 10-Minute Thought Filter at http://eepurl.com/h3Nafz.

Have you ever wondered whether your gifts, calling, and contribution truly matter in God’s kingdom? In this episode, Jamie Hulker walks us through Genesis 1:26–28 to show that God created both men and women in His image and entrusted them to serve His purposes together. You’ll be encouraged to use the gifts God has given you and to live out your calling as an act of worship.

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Angela sits down with author, teacher, and Here for You ministry director Jamie Hulker to explore Genesis 1:26–28. Jamie shares how a closer look at this familiar passage changed her understanding of identity, calling, spiritual gifts, and the way men and women serve God together. As they discuss God’s image bearers, spiritual fruitfulness, and the significant roles women play throughout Scripture, Jamie offers hope for anyone wondering whether their contribution matters. This conversation will encourage you to use your God-given gifts for His glory and for the good of others.

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If this episode reminded you that your gifts and calling matter to God, I’d love to keep walking with you. Subscribe to the Life as Worship newsletter for a monthly Scripture-rooted devotional, reflection questions, practical tools for everyday worship, and occasional resources to keep you grounded in God’s truth. Subscribe and get the FREE 10-Minute Thought Filter at http://eepurl.com/h3Nafz.

Are you standing at the edge of a new season — an empty nest, a new job, a child starting kindergarten or heading off to college, or caring for aging parents — and feeling more afraid than excited? In this first regular solo episode, Angela shares how Isaiah 43:19 has been speaking to her own life this month and what it means to trust God when everything feels like it's changing. You'll walk away with permission to stop looking back and start watching for the new thing God is already doing.

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In her first regular solo episode, Angela opens up about the season she's walking through right now — she just moved her youngest into college and is stepping into empty nesting. She shares the verse God keeps bringing back to her heart lately: Isaiah 43:18-19.

Angela unpacks the context behind this promise, written to an Israel caught between turmoil and comfort, and shows how it speaks directly into today's new seasons — kids starting school, career changes, caregiving for aging parents, or even personal struggles like unforgiveness or addiction. Whatever season you're facing, this episode is an invitation to stop clinging to the past and trust that God is doing something new and making a way for you too.

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If Isaiah 43 reminded you that God really is doing something new in your season, I'd love for you to join the Life as Worship newsletter. Each month you'll get a Scripture-rooted devotional, reflection questions to help you process and apply God's Word, and practical tools like the free 10-Minute Thought Filter to help you live a life of worship in everyday life. Sign up here: http://eepurl.com/h3Nafz. And if this episode encouraged you, I'd love it if you'd rate the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Do you ever feel lonely, overlooked, or pushed to the edges—and wonder where God is in the middle of it? In this episode, we walk through the Judah and Tamar story in Genesis 38 and see how God met a desperate, misunderstood woman and brought breakthrough and redemption out of a very messy situation. As we unpack Judah’s transformation and Tamar’s place in Jesus’ family line, you’ll be invited to trust God’s redemption in your own story and to notice the lonely and overlooked people around you.

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Angela sits down with pastor and mentor Leslie Schonfeld, family life pastor at Lake Point Community Church, to explore the surprising story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis 38. Starting in Matthew 1, Leslie noticed the five women in Jesus’ genealogy and was especially drawn to Tamar, whose desperate choices were made inside a culture that gave her almost no options. Together they trace Judah’s sin, Tamar’s courage, and the moment of repentance that marks Judah’s heart-change—then connect it to how God still redeems lonely and overlooked people today. You’ll come away with fresh hope for your own story and simple, practical ways to notice and walk with the “one on the outskirts” in your everyday life.

Episode Highlights:

Why Leslie started with Matthew 1, noticed the five women in Jesus’ genealogy, and zeroed in on Tamar’s name.

A concise retelling of Judah and Tamar’s story and why Tamar’s shocking choices made sense in her cultural context.

How Judah’s confession, “She is more right than I,” marks a turning point of conviction, repentance, and breakthrough.

Practical ways to notice lonely and overlooked people and offer safe, listening spaces—whether that’s in church, at the coffee shop, or through curious DMs on social media.

Great Quotes

“Tamar’s story reminds me to look for the lonely person, the one who feels rejected or abandoned, and to walk alongside them so they don’t have to turn to desperation.”

“Judah’s words, ‘She is more right than I,’ are a come-to-Jesus moment before there was Jesus.”

“Introverts often see people more than anyone else because they know what it’s like to be on the edges. We aren’t asking you to be the life of the party; notice the one person.”

Resources Mentioned:

Genesis 38 – Judah and Tamar’s story of sin, desperation, and God’s surprising redemption.

Matthew 1:1–17 – Jesus’ genealogy that includes Tamar among the five women named.

Ruth 4 – The blessing that mentions Tamar and Perez, pointing to God’s ongoing work through their family line.

Dragonfly Ministry – Leslie Schonfeld’s website with resources on intergenerational ministry and her upcoming book on the five women in Jesus’ genealogy.

Related Episodes:

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If this conversation on Judah and Tamar helped you see God’s heart for the lonely and overlooked, I’d love to keep walking with you beyond this episode. Subscribe to the Life as Worship newsletter for monthly biblical encouragement, reflection questions, practical tools for everyday worship, and a FREE 10-Minute Thought Filter when you sign up at eepurl.com/h3Nafz.

Do you feel like you have to keep performing for God—working hard, staying “productive,” and never resting—just to stay in His good graces? In this episode on Psalm 40:1–3, we explore how God meets us in the pit of performance and perfectionism, lifts us out of the “mud and mire,” and sets our feet on the solid ground of His covenant love. With guest Angie Baughman, we talk about what it looks like to move from exhausting striving to steady, grace-filled obedience.

Angela sits down with licensed pastor, Bible teacher, and Steady On Ministries founder, Angie Baughman, to talk about Psalm 40 and God’s rescue from the pit of performance. Angie shares how childhood abuse and later rejection shaped a belief that productivity equals acceptance—even with God—and how the Lord used this passage to expose and heal that lie.

Together they unpack what it means to wait patiently on the Lord, be lifted out of the “mud and mire” of striving, and walk forward as God steadies each step, even when old patterns try to pull us back. Listeners will be encouraged to recognize their own “performance mud,” remember God’s faithfulness, and receive His invitation to rest in who He says they are.

How the Book of Psalms, Israel’s “hymnbook,” gives us permission to bring rollercoaster emotions honestly to God.

Angie’s story of equating productivity with acceptance and how that belief became a heavy, exhausting “pit of despair.”

What Psalm 40:1–3 teaches about waiting on the Lord, being lifted from the mud and mire, and standing on the solid ground of God’s character instead of our performance.

Why God’s pruning—asking us to lay down good things—can actually free us from overextension and create space for joy, rest, and deeper fruit.

Practical ways to remember God’s faithfulness (past experiences, others’ stories, and Scripture) when you feel yourself slipping back into performance mode.

“I accepted a role of productivity for acceptance. It was exhausting, and I could never do enough to think that I was enough.”

“You don’t have to do anything to be acceptable to God. This is about identity, covenant love, and trusting that you are who He says you are.”

“The enemy knows he can’t unsave us, so he works to unsatisfy us—keeping us busy, isolated, and stuck in the mud and mire of performance.”

“He doesn’t prune us to punish us; He asks us to lay things down because He has something better—more joy, more rest, more freedom.”

Psalm 40:1–3 – God lifts us from the pit of despair and sets our feet on a rock.

Lamentations 3:21–23 – Remembering God’s steadfast love and new mercies in hard seasons.

Steady On Ministries and Steady On University – Angie’s ministry and online community helping women grow in biblical knowledge and spiritual confidence.

Step-By-Step Starter Kit – A free resource introducing Angie’s slow, word-by-word Bible study method (linked through livesteadyon.com and her bio).

Angie’s website – livesteadyon.com for her teaching, podcast, and resources.

Delighting In God And Receiving The Desires Of Our Hearts – A conversation with Maureen Miller in Psalm 37:4 about how delighting in God reshapes our desires and frees us from chasing lesser things.

God’s Boundaries, Calling, And Hope In Every Season – Exploring Psalm 16:5–8 with Kate Battistelli, focusing on how God’s good boundaries and calling bring security and peace in every season.

God Gives Us All We Need…Can We Live Like It Is True? – with Susie Crosby Reflecting on God’s provision and sufficiency, and what it looks like to trust that He truly gives us all we need instead of living from scarcity or striving.

If you’re tired of living in the pit of performance and want regular reminders to rest in God’s love, I’d love to invite you to the Life as Worship newsletter. Each month you’ll receive a Scripture-based devotional, reflection questions, and practical tools to help you worship God with your everyday life—not just your productivity.

Do you ever feel like Proverbs 31 is a heavy grading scale for “good Christian women,” especially if your story includes singleness, infertility, divorce, widowhood, or a life that looks very different from the checklist? In this episode, author and Bible teacher Lauren Crews helps us see Proverbs 31 as a song of blessing and strength over God’s people, so women can lay down shame and live as the beloved, strong, and precious women God already says they are—and so the men who love them can better join God in speaking that blessing instead of pressure.

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Episode Highlights

How seeing Proverbs as wisdom, not guarantees, releases us from treating Proverbs 31 like a performance checklist that fuels shame and exhaustion.

Why Proverbs 31 was originally used as a heroic hymn over women, meant to bless and honor them rather than measure them against an impossible standard.

A hopeful picture of marriage as two partners yoked together under Christ, each bringing different strengths instead of one always leading and the other always shrinking back.

How Jesus’ costly love—pictured in the language of bride‑price and jewels—assures every believer that they are more precious than rubies, no matter their marital status or family story.

Practical encouragement for women in all seasons (single, married, divorced, widowed, childless, or parenting) to pursue holiness, lean into God’s strength, and make His name known in everyday life.

Great Quotes

“Proverbs 31 was never meant to be a report card for women; it’s a song God sings over His people, calling us strong, sacrificial, and precious in His sight.”

“You may not feel like the so‑called perfect Proverbs 31 woman, but rest assured—you are the Proverbs 31 woman when you belong to Christ. No perfection required.”

“Whether you’re single, married, widowed, or divorced, Proverbs 31 is an invitation to live from the strength and dignity God has already given you, not a burden you have to carry alone.”

Resources Mentioned

Proverbs 31:10–31 – A poetic celebration of a strong, capable, reverent woman whose life reflects God’s wisdom and care.

Strength of a Woman: Why You Are Proverbs 31 – Lauren’s book that helps women celebrate the blessing God sings over them in this passage, with stories of “unlikely” Proverbs 31 women.

Companion devotional to Strength of a Woman – A shorter, day‑by‑day resource for women who want simple, focused reflections on Proverbs 31.

Word Made Flesh: Echoes of Faith in the Hebrew Alphabet – Lauren’s study showing how Scripture’s word‑pictures point to Jesus, designed with questions for personal or group study.

Lauren’s website – laurencrews.com, for her books, speaking information, and additional Bible resources.

Related Episodes

Rooted In God’s Love: How Ephesians 3:17–19 Shapes Your Everyday Worship with Cynthia L. Simmons

Permissible And Beneficial: How God Is Calling Us To Live In Freedom with Brandice Gardner

God’s Faithfulness: How To Trace His Covenant Love In Our Lives with Jennifer Tirrell 

Trading Fear for Being Upheld in God's Hands with Kelly Hall

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Do you ever wonder how you’re supposed to trust God’s goodness when life feels completely shattered—especially in seasons of deep grief, chronic illness, or long unanswered questions?

In this Life as Worship episode, Angela talks with former hospice and hospital chaplain Charleen Burghardt about Lamentations 3:21–24 and how to find real hope in the middle of deep grief.

What Lamentations is: five poetic laments that honestly name tears, devastation, and spiritual confusion after Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed.

The pivot in Lamentations 3: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope”—shifting from circumstances to God’s character.

The meaning of hesed, God’s steadfast covenant love that never ceases and cannot be broken by our failures or circumstances.

How God’s mercies being “new every morning” shows up in everyday gifts we often overlook, from breath itself to practical provision and timely help.

“The Lord is my portion”: learning to treat God Himself as enough and the center of our hope, rather than our circumstances or achievements.

Charleen’s journey through rare disease, disability, counseling, and calling—how God used her pain to shape her ministry to grieving and suffering people.

“In the middle of all this devastation, the writer of Lamentations stops and says, ‘This I call to mind’—he changes his viewpoint to gaze on God’s character, not his circumstances.”

“We don’t have any experience on earth with love that never ceases. God’s steadfast love is unbreakable, unconditional, and forever.”

“I had to take my ‘why’ and put it on the back burner, and instead look at who God is. As I did that, I began to see His mercies—the things I would have missed before.”

“You never think about breathing until you can’t. Even the simple ability to breathe is one of God’s mercies that are new every morning.”

“It wasn’t a switch I flipped. It was moment by moment, day by day—often with counseling and help—but underneath it all was this truth: great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:21–24 

Hymn: “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” – A classic hymn Charleen clung to in years of medical and caregiving challenges, celebrating God’s unchanging compassion and new mercies.

Where Hope Rises: 60 Devotions for Walking Through Grief With God – Charleen’s book offering short, hope-filled devotions for those grieving and needing something gentle and manageable to read.

Charleen’s email – [email protected] – for connecting, sharing stories, or asking about grief resources.

Finding Strength in Grief: Quiet Confidence in God with Raewyn Elsegood 

Sowing Tears and Reaping Joy with Kristi Lowe

God's Comfort in Suffering: Voices in the Wilderness with Hadassah Treu

If Lamentations 3 and Charleen’s story reminded you that God’s steadfast love and new mercies are still real even in the darkest seasons, I’d love to keep walking with you.

Do you ever wonder if God really has a specific path for your life—or how to find joy in His presence when life feels anything but joyful?

In this Life as Worship episode, Angela talks with pastor’s wife and Bible teacher Debbie Ashley about Psalm 16:11: “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand."

Debbie shares why Psalm 16 has become a deeply personal “I psalm” for her, showing a God who sets loving guardrails, gives specific direction, and cares for our whole selves—heart, mind, and body.

She explains how this verse has anchored her through decades of ministry and how, in God’s presence, there can be real joy even when circumstances are confusing or painful.

Why the Psalms are a “multi‑faceted songbook” that give us language for both the highs and lows of life.

How Psalm 16 models a deeply personal relationship with God—“You have assigned me my portion and my cup.”

What it means for God to “make known the path of life” in practical, everyday decisions.

Why God’s boundaries and guardrails are for our good, even when we’d prefer another path.

How slowing down to be intentionally in God’s presence (through Scripture, prayer, or a quiet walk) helps us actually experience “fullness of joy.”

The hope of “eternal pleasures at Your right hand,” especially when we walk through death and loss, like Angela’s story with her dad and Psalm 23.

“This is an ‘I psalm.’ It’s not just ‘God, be with us’; it’s ‘You have assigned me my portion and my cup.’ It’s so personal.”

“My body also will rest secure because You will not abandon me. God cares about our physical beings as well as our hearts and minds.”

“You make known to me the path of life. I can’t tell you how many times in thirty years of ministry I haven’t known what to do, and this verse has been the anchor that got me through.”

“God isn’t just the guide at the front of the hike; He’s the One who is with us in the moment. In Your presence is fullness of joy.”

“There’s never a time you are without His direction, without His presence, or without access to His joy—even if you don’t feel it in the moment.”

Psalm 16:11 

Psalm 23

A Place for Simplicity – Debbie’s website, where she helps women make God’s Word accessible in everyday life (aplaceforsimplicity.com).

Debbie’s books – Two books available via her site and Amazon; she invites listeners to email her for more details.

Strength When Sorrow Wearies Our Souls with Jackie Freeman – Finding God’s sustaining strength when sorrow and weariness feel overwhelming.

God’s Creative Process for Rebuilding with Dawn Mann Sanders – How God gently rebuilds our lives after loss, disruption, or disappointment.

Joyful Surrender in Suffering: Living Romans 12:12 with Sheila Preston Fitzgerald – Learning to rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, and stay devoted to prayer in hard seasons.

If Psalm 16:11 and Debbie’s story reminded you that God really does have a path for your life and offers fullness of joy in His presence, I’d love to keep walking with you.

Subscribe to the Life as Worship newsletter for a weekly devotion, small group discussion questions, and a 10‑minute thought filter to help you stop spiraling thoughts—plus a link to that thought filter download to keep you rooted in God’s truth: https://eepurl.com/h3Nafz.

Do you ever feel like you have to clean yourself up before you come to God—or like your inner critic and body‑image struggles get the final word on who you are?

In this Life as Worship episode, Angela talks with educator and author Elizabeth May Bennett about Psalm 139:1–4 and the stunning truth that God has searched our hearts and knows everything about us—our actions, thoughts, and even our words before we speak them.

Why the Book of Psalms feels like “the Facebook of the ancient world”—raw emotions, honest prayers, and a God who meets us in all of it.

What Psalm 139:1–4 reveals about God’s omniscience: He searches our hearts, knows our movements and thoughts, and understands our words before we speak.

How being fully known by God can feel scary at first, yet becomes deeply comforting when we remember His character and the cross.

Elizabeth’s long battle with body image and identity, and how God used a “Remember who you are” moment from The Lion King to remind her that His image and presence define her.

Practical ways to “flip the script” on the inner critic: bringing honest thoughts to God, receiving what He says about us, and letting that overflow into kindness toward others.

“To me, reading Scripture is just like being at the gym and standing right underneath one of those fluorescent lights. It shines the light and really examines your heart.”

“When I was younger, I tried to kind of clean myself up before I’d pray. Now I don’t feel like I’m hiding anything, because if God already knows what I’m thinking, why would I pretend?”

“God really spoke to me through that Lion King scene—‘Remember who you are.’ It was like He said, ‘Elizabeth, you’ve forgotten who you are because you’ve forgotten Me. I live inside of you.’”

“I’ve been so hard and critical on myself that it’s turned outward. The more I learn to love myself in my vulnerable places, the easier it is to love others in theirs.”

“We think, ‘I’ve got to work for my identity or my value,’ but God is saying, ‘You think you know who you are, but you really don’t. I’m going to tell you who you are—beloved, chosen, valued, accepted.’”

Psalm 139:1–4 – God searches and knows us completely: our actions, thoughts, paths, and words before they’re on our tongues.

The Journey to Find My Divine Design – Elizabeth’s book inviting readers to embrace their God‑given identity, remember who they are in Christ, and walk in their purpose. - Amazon Affiliate Link. I earn money for qualifying purchases.

Elizabeth’s website – elizabethmaybennett.com, for more about her writing and speaking.

YouTube channel: divine design.me – where Elizabeth shares faith‑based content and lighthearted parody videos.

God’s Covenant: A Thousand Generations – Seeing how God’s faithful character and promises shape our identity and obedience today.

Permissible and Beneficial: How God Is Calling Us to Live In Freedom – Learning to live out who we are in Christ instead of being defined by rules, comparison, or performance.

Be Strong and Courageous: Finding Courage When You’re Afraid – Finding courage to live as God’s beloved child when fear and insecurity feel loud.

If Psalm 139 and Elizabeth’s story reminded you that God really does know you and still delights to call you His, I’d love to keep walking with you.