Living Loved Podcast

In this season finale, we explore the question the women asked on their way to Jesus’ tomb: “Who will roll away the stone for us?” (Mark 16:3). Their experience reminds us that God is often already at work, overcoming obstacles we cannot move ourselves. But sometimes our greatest obstacles are fear, unbelief, and hardened hearts. Discover how the risen Jesus goes before us, works with us, and calls us to share the good news—even when we feel afraid, inadequate, or unprepared. The question is no longer simply who will remove the obstacles, but will we go?

How well do we really know ourselves? In Mark 14:17–31, the disciples ask Jesus, “Surely, not I?” Yet hours later, they abandon him. Their story reveals how easily we can overestimate our own faithfulness. In this episode of Living Loved, we explore how to recognize our blind spots without falling into pride or fear. Discover the freedom of being fully known and deeply loved by Jesus, who knows our weaknesses before we do—and loves us anyway.

Should we be afraid of the end times? In Mark 13, the disciples ask Jesus when the end will come and what signs they should look for. Instead of giving them a date, Jesus calls them to stay awake, refuse fear, remain faithful, and keep doing the work God has given them. In this episode, we discover that preparing for Jesus’ return is less about predicting the future and more about living faithfully and hopefully in the present.

Celebrating 50 episodes of the podcast. 

What happens to the people we love when they die? Will we recognize them again, and what will our relationships be like in the resurrection? In this tender 50th episode of Living Loved, Samantha explores Jesus’ surprising answer in Mark 12:18–27 and the hope it offers those carrying grief, unanswered questions, or unfinished business with someone they’ve lost. The living God does not lose what he loves.

This season, we take questions people asked Jesus in Mark's gospel, and we hold it up next to the questions we are asking right now. We walk through five questions: Can I trust God to provide for my needs? Why is this happening to me? Where is God in all of this? Am I spiritualizing a problem that actually just needs a practical solution? And finally, what do I actually do about it this week?  You are allowed not to fully understand your lack and to still be deeply loved by God. 

What does it actually mean to be holy? In Mark 7, Jesus challenges a view of holiness built around rules, rituals, and outward behavior and takes us straight to the heart. In this episode, we explore why holiness is not a wall separating us from others, but a wellspring flowing from a heart surrendered to God. And when old habits and struggles remain, we discover how the Holy Spirit cleanses, transforms, and empowers us to walk a new path. 

In this episode of Living Loved, we wrestle with one of faith’s most vulnerable questions: "Is it okay to admit that I doubt?" Through the desperate father’s prayer in Mark 9—“I believe; help my unbelief”—and a deeply personal story of unanswered prayer, we discover that doubt does not have to drive us away from Jesus. It can become an invitation to bring our questions honestly to him, return to dependence, and discover that God’s love for us does not depend on the perfection of our faith. 

What happens when the people who know you best can only see who you used to be? In Mark 6, Jesus returns home to Nazareth, where familiarity keeps his neighbors from recognizing who he truly is. In this episode, we explore what to do when others try to keep us in old boxes, and how we might be doing the same to others. Discover how to keep moving, travel light, leave the dust of rejection behind, and live from an identity grounded not in others’ opinions, but in being deeply known and loved by God.

What do you do when you know God can help, but it feels like he isn’t doing anything? In Mark 4:35–41, the disciples find themselves caught in a terrifying storm while Jesus sleeps, leading them to ask, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” In this episode, we explore what their question reveals about our own fears, our expectations of God, and what it means to trust Jesus when life feels like it’s capsizing. Discover why the storm is not evidence that God has abandoned you, and how faith invites us to trust who Jesus is, even when we cannot control the outcome.

Why does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners, and what does that mean for how we engage people who don’t share our faith? In this episode, we explore Mark 2:13–17 and discover a holiness that doesn’t retreat from brokenness but moves toward people with grace, hospitality, and love. We’ll also consider what often holds us back; fear, insecurity, and rejection—and how knowing that we are deeply loved frees us to listen, build genuine relationships, and follow Jesus into uncomfortable spaces.