If your feed is all wins and you feel stuck in sweatpants, there’s a wiser way to live. Why does everyone else seem ahead while I’m stuck? Is God holding out on me? Today we name the ache of comparison and learn a Jesus-centered path from envy to contentment.

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim to talk candidly about the “everyone’s doing great—except me” mindset fueled by social media highlight reels, missed opportunities, and life-stage FOMO. They ground the conversation in Scripture (Psalm 16’s “lines in pleasant places,” and 1 Timothy’s “contentment is great gain”), and wrestle with ambition vs. contentment (Calvin’s “station” meets American hustle). Along the way, they offer practical gratitude rhythms, honest friendship, and the courage to celebrate others—especially when it stings.  

Key Takeaways

• Comparison poisons joy. The endless feed breeds hustling for worth and victim thinking; naming it is step one.  
• Biblical reframing helps. Psalm 16 and 1 Timothy 6 invite us to see God’s good boundaries and pursue contentment as “great riches.”  
• Gratitude is a discipline, not a vibe. Build the muscle (à la “thousand gifts”) with small, daily reps.  
• Ambition ≠ idolatry. Hold creative drive and contentment together with humility and discernment.  
• Suffering needs presence, not platitudes. Sit near, listen long, and notice where God adds strength in the storm.  
• Celebrate others on purpose. Choosing to rejoice with a peer is a character check that loosens envy’s grip.  

Action Steps / Practical Applications

✅ 10-Minute Gratitude Walk: Phone down; tell God three specific thanks from today.  

✅ Social Feed Reset: Mute/unfollow one envy-triggering account; take a 24-hour scroll fast.  

✅ Accountability Text: Tell a friend you’re practicing gratitude and check in after two days.  

✅ Celebrate a Win: Congratulate a peer—no comparing, no caveats—pray blessing over their influence.  

✅ Gratitude Reps Plan: List 5 thanks daily this week; next week aim for 10.  

If you’ve ever whispered, “Lord, I don’t get it,” this conversation is for you. Does doubt mean I’m failing at faith—or could it become the very path to deeper trust? What do we do when questions collide with grief, church hurt, or cultural pressure?  

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for a transparent look at doubt—not as betrayal, but as fuel for faith when we don’t stop there. They explore Thomas’ encounter with Jesus, the “dark night of the soul,” and the difference between what we feel and what is real. The conversation models how to bring questions to Scripture and community, landing with a simple practice: Name it. Kneel it. Neighbor it. (Mark 9:24; John 9 referenced).  

Key Takeaways

• Doubt ≠ unfaithfulness; it can propel deeper faith when we pursue truth rather than stall out.  
• Jesus meets doubters (Thomas) with presence and invitation: “Stop doubting; start believing.”  
• Expect seasons when God “lets go” to grow us—the classic dark night of the soul.  
• Learn to separate feelings from reality; process emotions while anchoring in what’s true.  
• Thoughtful study and community counsel can shorten the “leap” of faith without removing it.  

Action Steps / Practical Applications

• ✅ Name it: Write out one real doubt this week in a sentence or two.  
• ✅ Kneel it: Pray Mark 9:24—“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” (take it on a walk/drive).  
• ✅ Neighbor it: Share your question with a trusted friend/small group and ask them to sit in it with you.  
• ✅ Go deeper, not darker: Set aside 30 minutes to read, reflect, and ask a mature leader for resources.  
• ✅ Sort “feel” vs “real”: Jot two columns; process emotions while listing truths you can stand on. 

When the headlines—and your own thoughts—won’t stop buzzing, Jesus meets you with real peace and a next step.

Why does the future feel so shaky—and what do we do when “what-ifs” spiral into paralysis? For students and young adults juggling school, work, and relationships, anxiety can feel like the air we breathe.

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for an honest conversation about anxiety—how it shows up in our bodies, feeds on doomscrolling, and shrinks when we right-size our worries in community. They explore Jesus’ repeated invitations to “be not afraid,” the promise of “I am with you”, and a practical reframing: move from what if to so what if… and then what? The pair name both spiritual and everyday helps—gratitude, planning ahead, small risks that build resilience, and asking friends to carry burdens with you.

Key Takeaways

·       Anxiety vs. worry: anxiety can be paralyzing and bodily; naming it helps us choose a faithful response.  

·       With-you promise > outcome control: Scripture’s comfort is not “nothing bad will happen,” but “Jesus will be with you in it.”  

·       From what-if to so-what: play the fear forward with God—often you’ll see you can survive it, and you won’t be alone.  

·       Right-sizing through community: sharing others’ burdens shrinks our problems to their proper size.  

·       Resilience is trained: small, uncomfortable steps (plus basic planning) quiet the mental noise.

Action Steps / Practical Applications

·       ✅ Name & pray: list your top three fears this week; pray “Jesus, be with me in these.”  

·       ✅ Gratitude swap: when rumination starts, note three people or graces presently “showing up.”  

·       ✅ So-what journal: write the feared scenario → “so what if… then what?” until you identify the next faithful action.  

·       ✅ Plan for peace: use a simple planner to reduce avoidable stress for the week ahead.  

·       ✅ Invite help: text a friend or small-group leader and share one burden for prayer and perspective.

How do we keep real connection—and real truth—when our views clash?

We live in echo chambers where even shared events feel like different realities. As followers of Jesus, how can we speak truth without severing friendships—or idolizing “unity” over Christ Himself? 

Host Liza welcomes Pastor Tim for a candid, practical conversation on staying connected in a divided world. They name cultural forces (algorithms, postmodern self-truth) that make dialogue harder, then re-center on Jesus as the Truth and the One who forms a durable, resilient body. Unity, they argue, is the byproduct of pursuing Christ together—not the primary goal. A powerful story of two politically opposed church members who chose six weeks of Scripture and prayer illustrates how friendship can grow where polarization once lived. 

Key Takeaways

• Start with Jesus, not “being unified.” Unity emerges as we move toward Christ together. 
• Speak the truth in love—really. Love isn’t avoiding offense; it’s caring enough to say the hard thing with humility. 
• Name the fears. Many of us avoid hard talks because we don’t trust the relationship’s durability. 
• Resist echo chambers. Algorithms can make one event look like two realities; choose shared sources and Scripture. 
• Pursue Scripture together. Opening the Bible side-by-side reframes “my truth vs. your truth” toward Jesus’ way. 

Action Steps / Practical Applications

• ✅ Pick one person you often disagree with and invite them to read a Gospel together weekly for six weeks; pray before and after. 
• ✅ Do a “truth & love” check before speaking: Is what I’m saying true? Is my posture loving? 
• ✅ Name your fear out loud (“I’m worried this will hurt our friendship”) to lower defensiveness and build trust. 
• ✅ Share a common reference point (Scripture, agreed facts) to prevent talking past each other. 
• ✅ Limit algorithm drift this week: diversify news inputs and prioritize face-to-face conversations. 

A raw conversation on faith, lament, and God’s presence in life’s hardest seasons

What do you do when life feels like it’s falling apart, and God feels a million miles away?

In this powerful episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza Cunningham sits down with Pastor Matt Holtzman from the Caring Ministry team to talk honestly about what it’s like to feel “ghosted by God.” From seasons of marriage tension to ministry fatigue, grief, and walking alongside friends in the valley of the shadow of death, Matt opens up about the fog that can settle over our faith and how to find our way back to God’s presence.

Together, Liza and Matt explore:

• Why lament is a biblical and essential form of prayer
• How honesty with God can draw you closer to Him
• The difference between what we know is true and what we feel in the moment
• How Psalm 139 and Romans 8 remind us that God never lets go
• What to do if you feel abandoned by God right now

If you’re in a season of loss, disappointment, or unanswered questions, or if you’re walking with someone who is.  This conversation will remind you that God’s love shows up in the mess, and you are never alone.

✅ Tell God exactly how you feel—anger, doubt, grief, all of it
 ✅ Lean into the support of people who will hold you up
 ✅ Remember: Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus

How Faith, Entrepreneurship, and Partnership are Changing Lives
What happens when hope and practical help collide? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza Cunningham sits down with Missions Pastor Ellen Dawson to unpack her recent trip to Guatemala, walking the streets of San Pablo and Patzún, partnering with ministries.
From motorcycle repair shops and crepe cafés to clean water projects and scholarships, Ellen shares how God is using local leaders to transform their communities and why short-term missions are about being before doing. You’ll hear:
•Vivid stories of young entrepreneurs building hope where they live
•How healthy mission partnerships grow through presence, not projects
•The joy and resilience of Guatemalan communities
•Why generosity isn’t just about money—it’s about time, prayer, and skills
•How returning home changes how we see migration, news, and our neighbors
Whether you’ve been on a mission trip or are curious about what real partnership looks like, this conversation will challenge your perspective and invite you to pray, give, or go in a way that honors God and others.
✅ Pray for one mission partner by name this week
✅ Look for a way to give—time, skill, or finances—to Kingdom work
✅ Learn the stories of the people behind the headlines

One Woman’s Creative Way to Break Down the Generational Divide and Build Gospel-Centered Relationships

What if a simple dinner and a movie could change the culture of a church?

In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza Cunningham sits down with Junior McGarrahan, teacher, mentor, and host of one of the most joy-filled gatherings you’ve never heard of. What started with a screening of Frozen for a few moms and daughters has become a vibrant tradition where cadets, teens, parents, and grandparents share a meal, watch a film, and spark meaningful faith conversations.

Junior shares:

• How themed dinners open the door to deeper connection
• Why intergenerational friendships are essential for the Body of Christ
• Creative ways to use your home for Kingdom impact
• What teens are teaching her about faith, feelings, and courage
• How movies have led to gospel conversations about listening to God, living boldly, and what happens after death

This episode is a call to step across age divides, invite someone to the table, and watch God work in relationships that might never have formed otherwise.

✅ Invite someone outside your generation for a meal or coffee
 ✅ Watch a movie together and use it as a conversation starter
 ✅ Look for opportunities to “call in” others with grace instead of staying in your comfort zone

Because the Kingdom grows when we sit down, share stories, and live the gospel together.

We’ve made it to Episode 60! And what better way to mark the moment than to talk about something everybody faces—failure. Whether it’s a missed deadline, broken relationship, or spiritual faceplant, failure can feel like the end. But in the hands of God, it’s never final.

In this milestone episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza and Pastor Tim reflect on what it means to fail, how to bounce back with faith, and why grace—not perfection—is the foundation of the Christian life.

In this episode:

• Why resilience is more about softness than strength
• How failure and faith form our spiritual muscles
• Why “God won’t give you more than you can handle” is a myth
• The power of community to hold you up when you can’t stand
• How Jesus’ apparent “failure” on the cross was actually the world’s greatest triumph
• How spiritual practices like church attendance, confession, and prayer anchor us in crisis
• Why the question isn’t “Why me?” but “What is this for, God?”

You’ll also hear about rubber bands, arrow tattoos, Incredibles villains, and Winston Churchill’s kite metaphor—plus a powerful reminder: Jesus has already been lower than your lowest point, and He’s with you now.

📍 This week’s invitation:
✅ Redefine what success means in your life
✅ Share one failure with someone you trust
✅ Let your community carry you through
✅ Ask God not “why,” but “what for?”

You’re not disqualified. You’re not alone. And God’s not finished with you yet.

What does it mean to love someone you disagree with? In a world of cancel culture, judgment, and digital takedowns, how do we follow Jesus into grace—not silence, not outrage, but grace?

In this timely episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza and Pastor Tim talk about cancel culture, healthy conflict, spiritual maturity, and how the church can become a community where hard conversations lead to growth—not division.

You’ll hear honest reflections on:

• Why grace feels risky but is always worth it
• How to speak the truth in love (without weaponizing it)
• The danger of confusing comfort with safety
• Why disagreement can be raw material for discipleship
• How Jesus called people in, not just out
• What Christian conflict done well actually looks like

From attachment styles to self-defense spirals, from pastoral leadership to personal transformation, this conversation holds nothing back—and calls us to do the same.

📍 This week’s invitation:
✅ Pray about one person you’re tempted to “cancel”
✅ Ask God to help you love them with both grace and truth
✅ Reflect on what it’s like to be on the other side of you
✅ Show up with an open posture and leave room for growth

Because Jesus meets us in our mess—and calls us to do the same for others.

Are you tired of performing? Exhausted from curating the “best version” of yourself—whether online or at church? In this honest and grace-filled episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza and Pastor Tim explore the pressure to perform, the pull to present a filtered life, and the freedom of following Jesus without hiding your mess.

This conversation pulls back the curtain on:

• The difference between the person and the persona
• Why social media feeds false expectations
• The mental and spiritual toll of living a lie
• The truth that Jesus meets you in your unfiltered, imperfect, and hurting self
• How churches can make room for real people with real struggles
• The grace that covers the parts of you you’re tempted to hide

You’ll hear stories of brokenness, leadership, therapy, and how spiritual maturity means collapsing the gap between who you appear to be and who you really are. Because Jesus already knows—and loves—you as you are.

📍 This week’s invitation:
✅ Stop editing.
✅ Show up honestly.
✅ Invite Jesus into the part of your story you’ve kept hidden.
✅ Make space for grace in your life and for others.

This isn’t about looking the part—it’s about living loved.