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Sleep better and Stress Less— with Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. We hope this biblical sleep meditation, narrated by Tyler Boss, helps your body relax and your mind rest on the truth found in scripture. As you rest, travel over oceans and across continents in this peaceful story. Be blessed as you journey through scenes of God’s goodness and grace.

For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for better sleep is right here: https://abide.com/peace

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A Prayer for Listening to Our Children with Love by Rachael Hartzell

Think about the power of listening well. In this episode by, Rachael Hartzell, we look at Proverbs 18:13–14 as a foundation, we explore how impatience and inattentiveness can unintentionally crush the spirit of those we love, and how God’s example of patient, joyful listening invites us to do better.God delights in listening to His children, and we are called to mirror that same attentive love in our homes.

Reference: Proverbs 18:13-14

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, it can be so easy for me to choose impatience and careless words when I’m not in the mood to listen to my child. In those moments when I am weary and my patience is thin, please strengthen me to respond and listen with the loving gentleness and patience that I find in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

LINKS:

5 Promises of God to Build Faith 

Connect with Rachael Hartzell

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Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week, we’ll hear from husband and wife team Jason and Erica Redman. After Jason’s twenty-one years as a Navy SEAL—including surviving severe combat injuries in Iraq—and Erica’s steadfast role as caregiver, entrepreneur, and mother of three, the couple has learned to face life’s toughest battles together. 

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Scott Payne, a retired law enforcement officer who spent twenty-eight years serving his community, including twenty-three years with the FBI. Specializing in undercover work, Scott infiltrated gangs, drug cartels, and domestic terrorist groups, constantly stepping into roles far from his true self. Today, he shares how those experiences tested him and shaped who he would become.

Links, Products, and Resources Mentioned:

Jesus Calling Podcast

Jesus Calling

Jesus Always

Jesus Listens

Past interview: Tom and Pam Banwart

Upcoming interview: John Kasich

Jesus Listens: Prayers for Every Season

Jason and Erica Redman

Mission: Invincible Marriage

Navy SEAL

Al-Qaeda

www.jasonredman.com

Scott Payne

South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Code Name Pale Horse: How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis

*Signed/personalized copies of Scott’s book can be procured from Union Ave Book in Knoxville, TN: https://unionavebooks.com/book/9781668032909-1

Interview Quotes:

“I think you go into a marriage and you say ‘for better or worse, until death do us part,’ but there are a lot of marriages that get put to that test that break.” - Jason Redman

“Marriage is continually communicating, continually updating your goals and what your priorities are and how you support each other and how we address the problems we’re facing together, whether those are financial or personal or whatever external things.” - Jason Redman

“That night on the battlefield, I think there was no doubt I was dying. I prayed in that moment, ‘Lord, please let me go home to my wife and kids again,’ and I think that was a miracle moment.” - Jason Redman

“Jesus is perfect, but it’s really guided me in my job to offer those second chances—third, fourth, fifth chances, twentieth chances.” - Scott Payne

“It’s a calling—you take an oath—and in my mind, and the way I see it is, yo

In the midst of life’s busyness, God invites us to step away into a quiet place and rest in His presence. Mark 6:31 shows that even Jesus, fully God and fully man, sought moments of stillness—sometimes with those He loved. Welcoming quiet allows our souls to recalibrate, hear God’s voice, and find true peace amid the noise of daily life.

Highlights

• Jesus modeled the need for quiet and rest, inviting His followers to join Him.

• Quiet time isn’t just physical rest; it’s a soul-level invitation to be with God.

• Embracing stillness allows us to hear God’s tender voice, not our inner critic.

• Scripture encourages us to stop striving: Psalm 46:10, Psalm 131:2, and Jeremiah 31:3.

• Quiet helps us develop contentment, security, and joy in God’s presence.

• Practical steps: switch off distractions, focus inward, and allow God to fill your mind and heart.

• Regular quiet cultivates a deeper connection with God and His peace.

Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide

Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas!

Full Transcript Below:

Welcoming the Quiet  

By Cindi McMenamin

Bible Reading:

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31 NIV)

Jesus said these words to His followers after a busy day in ministry. Perhaps He felt drained from all the demands and expectations placed upon Him from crowds of people who wanted something from Him. Perhaps He felt burdened at all there was to do, and so many people to help that He needed to get away to a quiet place with His Father in heaven. And certainly, He knew His followers could use some rest and respite as well. And that’s why He invited them to come with Him to the quiet to get some rest. 

If Jesus, being fully God, yet fully man, could sense His need to go away to a quiet place, then we should sense our need for the stillness and quiet as well. And I find it interesting that Jesus, while there were times He got away by Himself to be with God, in this particular verse, He invited those He loved to come away with Him. Part of Jesus’ rest and refueling was to be with those He loved—in the quiet. 

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

Do you ever sense the need to get away from it all to a quiet place where you can get some rest? Perhaps you sense that every day. But that is more than just your body’s way of saying “get some rest” or your mind’s way of saying, I need a vacation. I believe it’s our soul’s way of saying “God’s been waiting. Get away with Him.” I believe it’s Jesus’ way of sayi

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We want to hear from you! Submit your Thanksgiving Prayer or a short note of thanks! 

Your submissions could be featured on Your Daily Prayer as we lead up to Thanksgiving Day. Thank you again for your continued support—we can’t wait to hear from you! https://tinyurl.com/322k4xau

Loneliness can sting deeply — especially when it comes from people we expected to care. In our daily prayer and devotional, we think about how, sometimes, friends don’t check in, family seems distant, or those you serve overlook your heart entirely. It’s easy to wonder: Is it me? Am I expecting too much? Do they even care at all?

In this vulnerable reflection, Kelly Balarie reminds us that Jesus Himself knew what it was like to feel unseen and misunderstood. Even His own brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:5). Yet, Jesus never wavered in His confidence of the Father’s love. He trusted that even when people misunderstood or dismissed Him, God still cared deeply and had a perfect plan.

When others seem indifferent, it doesn’t mean we’re unloved or forgotten. God’s care is steadfast — not dependent on human approval or attention. He sees the pain that others overlook and tenderly calls us to fix our eyes on Him.

Let’s also use these moments to examine our hearts. Are we seeking people’s validation more than God’s affirmation? When our worth is rooted in His care, the emptiness caused by others’ neglect begins to fade. The same God who cared for Jesus cares for you — fully, faithfully, and forever.

Today's Bible Reading:
“For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” – John 7:5, NIV

Takeaway Truths

• Feeling unseen by people doesn’t mean you’re forgotten by God.

• Jesus understands what it’s like to feel misunderstood — He’s been there too.

• God’s care for you is perfect, personal, and unwavering.

Let’s Pray

Father,

Thank You that You care for me, even when it feels like no one else does. You see my heart and know my struggles. Help me not to seek validation from others, but to rest securely in Your love.

Forgive me for the times I’ve let pride or insecurity cloud my view of You. Give me eyes to see Your goodness and grace at work in my life. Strengthen me to walk in humility, peace, and trust, knowing that You have a good plan for me.

When I feel overlooked, remind me that You never miss a moment of my life. You are with me, for me, and working through me.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Related Scriptures

• Psalm 27:10 —

Please visit https://www.biblestudyheadquarters.com/ for more tools and resources to help you grow in faith.

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If you enjoy the show and want to buy John a coffee, please click here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/johnstange

.

The "Desire Jesus One Year Devotional" can be found here:  https://amzn.to/41v1DKh

.

To email John Stange directly, please send your message to [email protected].

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Waiting rarely feels easy — especially when the pace of life doesn’t match our hopes or expectations. For Amanda Idleman, foster parenting has meant living in this tension daily. Her nightly prayer and devotional reflects on her family’s journey toward adopting their daughter, which has been filled with both joy and frustration, as the timeline of her heart often collided with the slow-moving process of the system.

Maybe you’ve been there too — in a long, uncertain season where you’ve prayed the same prayer over and over, asking God to move faster. You’ve pleaded for change, for breakthrough, for resolution. Yet the waiting continues.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Even when our plans are delayed or derailed, God’s timing is still perfect. He never wastes our waiting. In the pause, He is working — strengthening our faith, deepening our trust, and providing new mercies every morning.

Amanda’s story reminds us that peace isn’t found in getting what we want, when we want it. True peace comes from trusting the One who knows the end from the beginning. Every season has purpose — even the slow, uncertain ones.

When we surrender our timeline to God’s, we discover that His delays are not denials. They’re invitations to believe that His goodness remains constant, even when the outcome hasn’t arrived yet.

TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

• God’s timing is perfect, even when it doesn’t match ours.

• Seasons of waiting are opportunities for faith to grow and for trust to deepen.

• Peace comes from resting in God’s grace, not in our circumstances.

• Every season — even the hard ones — has purpose and divine timing.

• God’s faithfulness sustains us while we wait for His promises to unfold.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Ecclesiastes 3:1

• 2 Timothy 2:13

• Deuteronomy 7:9

• Numbers 23:19

YOUR EVENING PRAYER

“Sin’s power is disconnection.”

That's one of the essential ideas that runs through what therapist and author Chuck DeGroat talks about in this episode. A longtime pastor and counselor, Chuck isn't just commenting on burnout and addiction from afar—he's actually lived it. In fact, he opens up about his own journey of breaking down in his early forties, when his body and soul finally gave out after years of religious workaholism. That collapse became the doorway into healing what was broken within. That also happens to be the topic of his latest book, Healing What's Within.

In this conversation, Chuck unpacks what he calls homing: the Spirit’s invitation to return to the worth, belonging, and purpose we were made for. We talk about addiction not as the problem, but as the attempted solution to disconnection. Chuck even explains why true recovery isn’t about behavior modification, but about reconnection—to God, to self, and to others.

We also discuss why repentance must be specific, how trauma fragments our stories, and what it means to offer empathy to our unhealed parts rather than shame.

This is a deeply pastoral, psychological, and hopeful episode for anyone who’s ever wondered, Why do I do what I don’t want to do—and how do I find my way home?

We explore:

— The three essential questions from Genesis that still heal today: “Where are you?”, “Who told you?”, and “Have you eaten?”
— How addiction is an attempted solution to pain and disconnection
— Why every human is, at some level, an addict
— The myth of purity and how God still uses broken people
— What true repentance looks like: specific, reparative, and relational
— “Faux-nerability” vs. authentic vulnerability
— Why trauma isn’t what happens to us, but what happens inside us
— The four needs every child has: to be safe, seen, soothed, and secure
— The danger of coping mechanisms that look holy, like workaholism
— How to come home to yourself through curiosity, connection, and grace

Website: chuckdegroat.net

Explore one of Chuck's Soul Care Intensives

Chuck's blog: "Sit With Chuck"

Book: Healing What's Within

Follow Jon: @jonseidl

Order Jon's new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic.

Get daily motivation: www.theveritasdaily.com

Support the Show: https://www.jonseidl.com/

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Today’s Bible Verse:
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak." — Isaiah 40:28–29

When we feel like a burden — too inconsistent, too broken, too tired — Isaiah 40 reminds us that God never grows weary of us. His strength doesn’t run out, and His patience doesn’t expire. The One who created the stars also sustains our hearts, meeting us in our weakness with endless compassion. No matter how many times we stumble or doubt, His love remains steady, and His strength is always enough to lift us again.

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Meet Today’s Host: Carol Ogle McCracken

️ Listen to more daily devotionals with Carol at Your Daily Bible Verse on LifeAudio

Carol Ogle McCracken is a dynamic Christian speaker, author, and Bible teacher known for her warmth, humor, and transparency. She brings biblical truths to life through real-world stories and relatable experiences—whether navigating alcohol recovery, parenting a child with special needs, or walking through divorce.

Today, she serves as Minister of Discipleship at her local church and shares God’s Word through women's retreats, conferences, and online devotionals. Her book, Wisdom: Where to Find It if You’ve Lost, Forgotten, or Never Had It, was released in 2020 and continues to encourage readers in their pursuit of godly wisdom.

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