This week in another bonus episode, I am joining my sister and brother in law, Wes and Renee Pippin, as they share their story.

In this conversation they will share about the slow burn of outside attractions, where disconnection and compartmentalization lead to more temptation, and how resentment and bitterness, not dealt with and healed, can turn around and make the same choices.

It isn't easy to put your failures out there, but there is so much good that comes from sharing our stories and how they continually point to God's faithfulness, not ours.

For more information:  If you would like support from Renee and Wes for mentorship or accountability, email [email protected].

"How did I get here?"

If you have found yourself in the midst of an extramarital affair, at some point you asked this question. 

We can’t leave a season on sexuality without opening up the closet of infidelity in a more personal space, especially since we have spent so much time highlighting the dangers of pornography. In this episode, I will shed some light on the following topics:

1) Adultery starts with a lack of boundaries, and ruptured boundaries in childhood often create confusion around sexual engagements as adults.

2) Grooming is the process of gaining trust and creating a narrative that provides more opportunity for sexual engagement.

I am a firm believer that the more we know, the more we can protect ourselves from deception and manipulation of others or just the enemy of the soul. I am here to talk about hard topics and bring new perspectives to where boundaries and ruptures can create long-term relational impact.

If you like what you hear, if you have gained any support or guidance or wisdom from engaging this episode, please drop a rating or review, and if you think others need the same insight, please share it with them!

I believe that sex was meant to be good, but with the prospect of big money and ravenous appetites for pleasure in our culture, it’s looking more and more unsafe.

Because of that, let’s take one more deep dive into the nuances of sexuality and the importance of using your voice to find healing. Jesus was protective of women and when He called out adultery and lust, it appeared to be with the function and heart of a loving Father or a concerned older brother. Where culture was taking advantage and objectifying women, He was pointing to our souls and to our value. But what if the culture objectifying women is in the church? Where do we go for safety then?

🤝 Join me as we look at Matthew 5:28 from that lens - Where we discover the line of lust and idolatry and where we learn how to initiate more safety in our sexual experiences. We don’t have to obey the voice of an objectifying culture. We can lean into the heart of our Savior and find freedom for our souls.

⭐️ Feel free to leave a rating or review wherever you found this episode and share it with those who might need hope and support in this space of sexuality.

🔎 You can find @siftedwheatpodcast on Instagram or at my blog lesliealamb.com or through emailing me at [email protected]

Catch you next season! Where we address how and where we are tempted to lose our identities. 

This episode is another invitation into the intellect and wisdom that is Tom Pryde’s brain. Tom is the High Conflict Coach through Banner Institute and an expert in the abuse dynamics in relationships. As a friend and someone who is equally as passionate about loving people safely, he did the hard thing of sitting with me in my struggles and questions and reminded me that both sexes have sensibilities.

Because of that, this is a conversation for both men and women. I think if we could lean in and listen to what it actually is to be equal and how to “GIVE” to one another safely and with full permission, without pressure but with invitation, to create a language of intimacy with actions and words before it becomes a physical engagement, a lot of the confusion, shame and fear would leave this space, returning sex back to feeling like  a gift and not an intimidating weapon between partners.

Scriptures referred to and discussed:

Genesis 2:25

Ephesians 5:20-21

Philippians 2:3

You can find Tom through Banner Institute to find out more about his work through the Psalm 82 Initiative and/or to inquire about getting support services.

And, feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions or for more information.

Or, follow us on social media:

@siftedwheatpodcast or @bannerinstitute on Instagram

In this episode you will hear what can negatively inform our relationship choices: family dynamics, past trauma, fear of failure, emotional immaturity and a disconnected sense of identity.

Shantray does a beautiful job of highlighting how each of these things led to choices that resulted in pain and suffering. She also shares about the “rescue” of God to call her back to life, how He met her in the dead of the night and required her to do the brave and hard thing, and how that act of obedience, repentance and faithfulness has strengthened her faith and empowered her to be a source of hope for others who are in healing from divorce. And if you haven't gone through divorce, this is also a source for support in our role as friends and family and how to meet those we love in their struggle and grief as we hear how Shantray’s story can encourage our choices, too!

Scriptures used and shared for hope and encouragement:

Psalm 23:1-6

Psalm 27:1, 13-14

Psalm 116:1-9

Isaiah 61:7

Proverbs 13:12

Colossians 2:6-8

Mark 12:30-31

Ephesians 6:16-21

Ephesians 3:12

You can reach Shantray for more information at the address below:

[email protected]

Please leave a review or rating to keep seeing great content! 

When I sat down to write this episode, I was hesitant. I knew it would be difficult to navigate without a clear direction and landed on education and exhortation. I think we need to hear about how the world has invaded our personhood, how the environment might lend to sexual interruptions, and mostly how attraction can be the line where we can stay in the space of temptation instead of moving into sin and lifestyle. Just the fact that we have to call it “sin” probably offends some, and I can’t help that. And, in sitting with this content, what makes it overwhelmingly difficult to release is not that we don’t know what the Bible says, but because we love people! We love those who struggle with it. We love those who have embraced it. We love those who whole-heartedly believe it is their identity. And so does God. Truly. Deeply.

Scriptures referenced:

1 Corinthians 6:18

Deuteronomy 30:19

Matthew 5:29-30

Matthew 22:37-40

James 1:14-15

For more content, feel free to follow along on Instagram @siftedwheatpodcast

or email us at [email protected] 

This conversation might not be popular, but it is a powerful one to expose the hidden dangers of pornography and its effect to unravel and oppress marriages, especially in the church. Tom talks about the real hook of pornography and how that being exposed can lead to better choices within the marriage and not precipitate the engagement of pornographic scenarios which are abusive in nature.

This conversation also discusses where the church has chosen to hide instead of confronting the messages of pornography that are eroding marriages and damaging the souls of women who have been taught to submit at all costs. My hope is that through this conversation, if will expose the lies and illuminate the truth, not to villainize men and women that find themselves struggling, but to release the captives of abusers and the minds of those that are being indoctrinated about sexuality in a way that will harm others.

You can find Tom through Banner Institute and find out more about his work through the Psalm 82 Initiative and where he is making an impact on women and men all over the world.

Feel free to contact us through [email protected] with any questions or for more information.

Follow us on social media @siftedwheatpodcast and @bannerinstitute

What is our issue with divorce anyway? Are our arguments situated in the CONTEXTUAL truth of God’s Word? I find all too often that our position with divorce is very much taken from scriptures that are not interpreted in context, which just adds to the complication and why so many feel trapped in unloving and unkind marriages.

This episode, we will look at the full context of the infamous verse “God hates divorce” so that it might be used as a source of compassion and healing (as intended) and not the battering ram or billy club it’s come to mean in some spiritual circles.

We will also look at the FULL definition of adultery and learn why we can’t trust only what we see to bring correction but how to inquire more deeply about what is unseen but just as sinful. My hope is that this conversation can shift our judgment, and instead of using divorce as a means to choose sides or cast blame, our actions and thoughts about the people involved will be lead of the Spirit and entered into with humility and grace.

For your own study, feel free to read the following scriptures:

Malachi 2:16

Ezra 10:19

Matthew 19:8

Feel free to follow us on Facebook, social media, or at the website linked below:

https://www.instagram.com/siftedwheatpodcast

lesliealamb.com

Or email us at [email protected]

This week we are engaging a raw and vulnerable conversation about pornography and childhood sexual abuse. It isn’t a topic that brightens up a room exactly, but we do our best to carve it out in a way that brings hope and healing to hurting souls that might listen.

Some questions we will address:

▶️ How has abuse and introduction to pornography affected you?

▶️ What is the hardest part of your journey?

▶️ What do you want others who share this same trauma to know?

Grab a cup of coffee or tea or iced cold water, pull up a chair, and listen in to Lexi’s sacred story and glean from her gentle wisdom. 

🤝 Stay connected by reaching out in the following ways:

Follow us on social media:

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This our last episode in the “Dear Counselor” series (at least for this season), and we will address the following issues that often surface in this space of healing and support:

🌀What does our role as followers of Jesus look like for those around us who are suffering?

🌀The importance of not being quick to operate against spiritual forces without first considering the soul connected, and the physical and emotional needs that are there.

🌀 A look at depression and anxiety and deliverance through the lens of the Word of God and personal experiences, to bring mercy and compassion. 

Thanks for joining us! And feel free to follow us on social media for more content 👇🏻

Follow us on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/siftedwheatpodcast

Follow and subscribe on Podbean:

https://siftedwheatpodcast.podbean.com/