The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast

By Kayla M. Cook

The Bitter & The Sweet Podcast is a show where we tell the truth about grief, joy, and the grace that covers it all.

Join Host Kayla M. Cook every Tuesday for conversations about disappointment ... more

5

3333 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast:

How many episodes does The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 104 episodes available.

The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast episodes:

August 11, 2026 Faith That Grows in the Dark: Staying Rooted in Seasons We Would Not Choose- Episode 97
Infertility and loss are parts of my story that I would never, ever choose, but I know that I know God more because of them.

In this short episode (less than 10 minutes!), we are talking about the hard-won spiritual fruit of faithfulness, and how God uses the things in our lives that break our hearts and make us mad for good, to grow us in ways only He can.

He who promised is faithful. He who calls you is faithful. Because He is faithful, we can be too.

LINKS

Leave a review on Apple podcasts

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Visit Kayla's website (and become an email friend there!)

...more
10min
August 04, 2026 Noticing the Good God Has Already Given You to Do- Episode 96
As simple as it is, goodness can feel obscure.

In this short episode (less than 10 minutes!), we're diving deep on what it means to be good, living out the goodness God is growing in us, and why that's not as complicated as it feels sometimes.

LINKS

Leave a review on Apple podcasts

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Visit Kayla's website (and become an email friend there!)
...more
10min
July 28, 2026 Small Acts, Big Impact: Foster Care, Caregiver Support, and Loving Our Local Schools- Episode 95
Caring for the vulnerable can look "big," but often, it looks small to us. The good news is God cares about both the big and small, and He puts us in places to meet needs and share His love with the world and our neighbors.

Join me and three of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we talk about three practical ways to care for the vulnerable: foster care, caring for caregivers, and supporting our local schools.

These women are incredible advocates for vulnerable children and families. In this episode, we're getting real about foster care, the needs of caregivers, and supporting our local schools, regardless of how we choose to educate our own children.

I hope this episode gives you eyes to see the needs around you and encourages you to take action right where you are.

LINKS

Episode 6: The Family You Offer with Lauren Alexander

Connect with Lauren on Instagram

Episode 13: Why Caring for Caregivers Matters with Jess Ronne

Connect with Jess on Instagram

Get Jess' devotional, Caregiving with Grit and Grace: 100 Days of Hope and Encouragement

Watch the documentary Unseen: How We're Failing Parent Caregivers and Why It Matters

Episode 49: How the Local Church Can Support Local Schools with Maegan Little

Connect with Maegan on Instagram
...more
33min
July 21, 2026 The Truth About Church Hurt and Finding Your Way Back- Episode 94
It can feel complicated to love God but feel wary of His people.

When it comes to church hurt, sometimes it's hard to know if what happened to you was just disappointment (people are very people-y, after all), or if it was something more.

Join me and two of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we tell the truth about Church hurt.

We're talking about the difference between disappointment/hurt and spiritual abuse, how to sort through being disappointed with an organization vs. the God they represent, how to know when it's time to stay and when it's time to move on, and more.

Wherever you are on your faith walk and in your story with God and His people, I hope this episode gives you some clarity and helps you walk in grace.

LINKS

Episode 5: The Family of God with Sarah Wood

Connect with Sarah on Instagram

Episode 50: Finding a Home in the Local Church with Dusty Smith

Connect with Kayla on Instagram
...more
32min
July 14, 2026 What If Knowing God Is More Simple Than We Think?- Episode 93
Our people need us, our to-do lists get long, the demands get loud, and our phones are insanely distracting. Somewhere in all that noise, we forget to just be with God.

Join me and some of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we talk about getting to know God and spending time with Him through three foundational practices: scripture, silence and solitude, and prayer.

These practices are not easy, but they are simple, and they connect us straight to the heart of God.

LINKS

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Episode 15: The Comfort and Joy of Scripture with Lindsay May

Connect with Lindsay on Instagram

Episode 16: Getting Quiet with God with Simi John

Connect with Simi on Instagram

Episode 17: Praying with Expectancy with Jackie Aviles

Connect with Jackie on Instagram
...more
31min
July 07, 2026 Married, Single, Divorced: Living Fully at Every Relationship Status- Episode 92
Marital status can feel like a defining feature of our lives, but it doesn't have to be!

Join me and some of my favorite guests (and yours!) as we talk about three different relationship angles: marriage, divorce, and singleness, and what it looks like to live fully in your season, regardless of your marital status.

Whether you're healing from heartbreak, trusting God's timing, or building a life you love as a wife, this conversation is for you.

LINKS

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Episode 45: Building a Healthy Marriage with Tondra Gregory

Connect with Tondra on Instagram

Get your copy of Tondra's book, The Marriage Game Plan

Episode 46: Finding Hope After Divorce with Melinda Olsen

Connect with Melinda on Instagram

Visit Melinda's website and find out more about post-divorce coaching

Episode 47: What Your Single Friends Wish You Knew with Aleigh Porter

Connect with Aleigh on Instagram

Check out Aleigh's podcast, The Best Changed Plans
...more
29min
June 30, 2026 When You Wonder If God Is Kind- Episode 91
Kindness sounds simple enough...until it isn't.

With honest thoughts on the times kindness is harder than it looks, what it means that love is kind, and trusting in the goodness of a God who doesn't always give us what we ask for, this episode will help you see how His kindness meets us, even in the middle of our questions.

LINKS

Visit Kayla's website (and become an email friend there!)

Leave a review on Apple podcasts

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

...more
9min
June 23, 2026 The Grace to be Patient When You've Been Patient Long Enough- Episode 90
If you've been patient and put in the time, but you're still waiting...

If you're wondering if you should keep waiting or just move on...

If you've watched other people get what you've spent years praying for...

If you're trying to figure out if that twinge in your heart is jealousy or pain...

If you're wondering why God has let {that} go on for so long...

This episode is for you.

LINKS

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Connect with the show on Instagram

Become an email friend

Visit Kayla's website
...more
15min
June 16, 2026 The Peace We Were Made For- Episode 89
In a culture fueled by outrage and fear, is it possible for us to have peace?

With practical help for breaking anxious thought loops and living at peace with others without people-pleasing, this episode will help you remember the peace God offers isn't just possible; it's what we were created for.

LINKS

Leave a review on Apple podcasts

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Connect with the show on Instagram

Become an email friend

Visit Kayla's website
...more
12min
June 09, 2026 No Toxic Positivity: Joy That Doesn't Ignore Your Pain- Episode 88
One of the most important things to me in the making of this episode on joy was that it not become some Pollyanna, joy is all around us-type episode, full of platitudes and pretending.

Here's the thing: I do believe that there's joy all around us. That's because in the presence of God, there is fullness of joy, and He's with us always, just like He said.

But man, sometimes we're just SAD, aren't we? How do we embrace joy in every season, even (and maybe especially) when it is hard-won?

Is joy available to us now, or something grown in us over time, or is it a someday thing we look forward to? What about when we're sad or grieving, and what about when we stay that way for a long time?

Questions like there are what this episode is all about.

LINKS

Connect with Kayla on Instagram

Connect with the show on Instagram

Become an email friend

Visit Kayla's website
...more
12min

FAQs about The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast:

How many episodes does The Bitter and The Sweet Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 104 episodes available.