Living in the Spirit!

Called, Qualified, and Silenced? Women Preachers, Power, and the Southern Baptist Ban”

In this episode of Living in the Spirit, host Sharyn sits down with Rev. Dr. Lisa Davison, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Johnnie Cadieux Professor of the Hebrew Bible at Phillips Theological Seminary, to unpack one of the most consequential church decisions of our time: the Southern Baptist Convention’s constitutional ban on churches with women holding any pastoral title.

Dr. Davison brings biblical scholarship, historical insight, and pastoral clarity to questions many Christians are wrestling with today:

What Scripture actually says about women who lead, preach, and prophesy

How the SBC decision reshapes church identity and denominational authority

Why women’s calling remains valid regardless of institutional restrictions

How power and fear shape theological decisions

What this moment means for the future of the Church

This conversation is for pastors, congregations, women discerning a call to ministry, and anyone seeking a faithful, contextual understanding of Scripture beyond patriarchal assumptions.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God calls women to preach — or how the Church should respond when institutions restrict the Spirit’s movement — this episode offers clarity, courage, and hope.

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, Living in the Spirit turns its attention to a profound and necessary question: What does this milestone mean for Black Americans? This episode explores the tension between celebration and lament, progress and unfinished struggle, hope and holy dissatisfaction.

We trace the spiritual, historical, and emotional journey of Black Americans across two and a half centuries—moving from the brutal beginnings of enslavement to the ongoing pursuit of full citizenship, dignity, and belonging. Through a faith-centered lens, the conversation examines how Black resilience, creativity, and prophetic witness have shaped the nation’s moral conscience, even when the nation has failed to honor its own promises.

This episode invites listeners to reflect on the meaning of freedom in a country still wrestling with racial injustice, economic inequity, and political division. It asks whether America’s 250th anniversary is a moment of patriotic celebration, a call to repentance, or a summons to prophetic imagination. Ultimately, it centers the voices, experiences, and spiritual insights of Black Americans as essential to understanding the nation’s past—and vital to shaping its future.

“What Is Juneteenth to Me?”

Juneteenth is more than a holiday—it’s a spiritual and ancestral landmark. In this episode, Rev. Sharyn Cosby reflects on her family’s roots in Red River County, Texas, where her ancestors lived on a plantation just miles outside Paris, Texas, waiting for freedom that was delayed but not denied. She shares how Juneteenth represents survival, faith, and the resilience of a people who held onto hope even when justice was withheld.

Rev. Cosby also speaks with prophetic honesty about her lament for America today—how the nation is taking giant steps backward after generations of progress. From voting rights to racial justice, she calls listeners to remember the cost of freedom and to continue the work our ancestors began.

This episode is a blend of history, testimony, and spiritual truth—a reminder that Juneteenth is both a celebration and a mandate to keep pressing toward justice.

n this powerful episode of Living In The Spirit, host Sharyn responds to the recent and deeply troubling announcement that the Department of Defense has removed the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from its list of approved religious services. Sharyn shares her personal reaction, shaped by her own journey through chaplaincy, VA residency, and board certification, and reflects on the profound pastoral weight this decision places on chaplains serving across military and institutional settings.

To help us understand what this means for Disciples chaplains, their ministries, and the future of religious support within the armed forces, we welcome Rev. Jonathan Fisher, the Chaplain Endorser for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Rev. Fisher offers clarity, context, and spiritual grounding as he walks us through the implications of this decision and the advocacy efforts now underway.

This conversation is essential for anyone connected to chaplaincy, military service, or the Disciples of Christ community — and for all who care about religious freedom, pastoral care, and the spiritual well‑being of those who serve

In this episode of Living in the Spirit, we dive into a moment shaking faith communities across the nation: the Department of Defense’s recent removal of an approved religious organization from its list of recognized faith groups.

This isn’t just a policy update — it’s a spiritual crossroads.

What happens when an earthly institution shifts its stance on a faith community? How do believers stay grounded when recognition is withdrawn? Where is God when systems change, identities feel threatened, and uncertainty rises?

Join us as we explore:

What the DOD decision actually means for chaplains, service members, and faith communities

Why institutional recognition is not the same as spiritual legitimacy

How the early Church thrived without official approval

What believers can do to stay rooted, informed, and spiritually resilient

Where hope, clarity, and courage emerge in seasons of institutional change

This episode offers wisdom without fear, truth without panic, and hope without denial. If you or someone you know has been affected by this decision, this conversation will bring grounding, perspective, and spiritual strength.

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n this episode of Living In The Spirit, Apostle Sharyn Cosby uncovers what it truly means for the Church to carry a prophetic voice in the kingdom of this world. We explore how believers can stay Kingdom‑anchored, Spirit‑led, and biblically grounded in a culture shaped by noise, polarization, and competing loyalties.

This teaching calls the Church back to clarity, courage, holiness, and distinction — not echoing the world, but sounding like heaven.

Topics include: • The difference between prophetic voice and political noise • How the Church loses its voice in cultural entanglement • What Scripture teaches about Kingdom identity • How believers can stay faithful in a polarized age • Why the world needs a Spirit‑filled, prophetic Church now more than ever

If you’re hungry for clarity, longing for spiritual grounding, and ready to rise above the chaos, this message is for you.

In this powerful episode of Living In The Spirit, Apostle Sharyn Cosby responds to Pope Leo XIV’s apology for the Catholic Church’s historical role in legitimizing slavery—and asks the deeper question: What does true repentance require from the entire Body of Christ?

This conversation goes beyond headlines and dives into the spiritual, historical, and moral responsibility of the Church—especially mainline Protestant denominations—to confront their own complicity, tell the truth, and participate in real repair.

Apostle Cosby explores:

Why apologies—though important—are not enough

How slavery’s legacy continues through modern systems

What repentance looks like when the wound is generational

What the Church must do in today’s polarized political climate

How believers can walk in truth, justice, and the power of the Holy Spirit

This episode is a call to courage, clarity, and Spirit-led action. It’s a call to truth-telling, reparative justice, and prophetic witness in a nation wrestling with its past and its future.

Tap into deeper themes:

repentance

church and slavery history

reparative justice

Holy Spirit and justice

Subscribe for more Spirit-led teaching, prophetic insight, and conversations that help you live boldly in Christ.

In this deeply personal and prophetic episode of Living In The Spirit, Apostle Sharyn Cosby opens her heart and shares the real story behind the title: “I Almost Let Go.”

From ministering in the streets with the marginalized… to serving under Bishop Carlton Pearson at Higher Dimensions… to being ordained through the Azusa Fellowship and later affirmed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)… to planting a church and building a justice‑driven ministry… to launching the Oklahoma Family Empowerment Center and fighting systemic inequities…

— this episode chronicles the joys, battles, betrayals, breakthroughs, and divine interventions that shaped her journey.

Apostle Cosby shares how she faced: • Spiritual warfare • Gender bias in ministry • Denominational politics • Attacks on her calling • Threats for serving the unhoused • The arson of OFEC during the pandemic • Attempts to destroy the rebuilding efforts

And yet — God kept her.

This episode is not just her story… It’s your story too. A reminder that even when you feel weary in the well‑doing, God holds you, strengthens you, and ensures that ultimately — you win.

Stay to the end for a powerful prophetic prayer spoken over every listener.

👉 If you’ve ever been on the edge of letting go, this episode will breathe life back into your spirit.

n this powerful episode of Living In The Spirit, Apostle Sharyn Cosby speaks directly to the spiritual tension of our times. Fresh off Resurrection Sunday, we confront how easily the church has adopted secular language and cultural habits — and how that quiet drift mirrors a deeper erosion of Christian influence in today’s world.

Apostle Cosby breaks down what it truly means to “hold the line” in a secular age, drawing from Romans 12:2 and the example of the early church.

This episode is a call to:

Resist cultural pressure

Reject spiritual compromise

Reclaim biblical identity

Stand firm in holiness, justice, and compassion

Live boldly as a remnant people in a shifting world

Apostle Cosby speaks life, courage, and prophetic encouragement to believers who feel small, overlooked, or surrounded — reminding us that the early church was small too, yet unstoppable through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is your moment to stand. This is your moment to shine. This is your moment to hold the line.

👇 COMMENT BELOW: Where is God calling you to hold the line in your own life — and what step will you take this week to stand firm?

In this week’s Living In The Spirit podcast, Apostle Sharyn Cosby breaks down the true meaning of Resurrection Sunday and why the early church never used the word Easter. We explore how cultural traditions shifted the language over time—and why today’s church must return to a Christ‑centered focus on the risen Savior. A powerful reminder that our faith is built on an empty tomb, not a seasonal celebration.