It feels logical to think that if we do what God says, things will go smoothly. It feels right that if we are obedient, we will be rewarded with better. But why is it that sometimes, when we walk the path God has set for us, things get worse? Why does it sometimes seem like the more we follow Him, the more difficult our life gets? In this episode, we’ll talk about this and some of the reasons why this happens.

We are under so much pressure from so many different directions. We’re told who we should be, what we should and should not be, how we should or should not act. Over time, we can internalize the stories we are being told. Then the pressure ends up going both ways. So how do we fight back? Let’s talk about the question we can ask ourselves to resist the internal pressure of societal expectations.

When you want something very deeply, how do you know if it is the result of a promise of God or God’s voice versus your own desires speaking?  The goal is that our desire align with God’s desires for us; but that is not always the case. Sometimes we can even want something that God does have for us but we lack the patience to allow it to happen in His perfect timing. In this episode, we’ll talk about ways to distinguish between God’s voice and our own.

Have you ever known someone who just could not seem to get along with you, but you hadn’t done anything to them? Ever come across someone who seemed to be bothered by your very existence? Sometimes when there is unexplained conflict, it can be traced to things about you that are actually good. Just because you are the common denominator, does not automatically mean you have done something wrong. It could be that your light disrupts their complacency.

Every day, we are faced with scores, hundreds of decisions. Some of those decisions carry so much weight that they can change the trajectory of our lives. So how do we know God’s direction—especially when it comes to the decision to stay or to leave? Let’s talk about some ways to know which way to go.

Whenever we make a critical decision to go one way or another, we can expect to be met with some form of resistance. That resistance or obstacle can be a sign, either that we are going the wrong way or that we are going the exact right way. In both cases, the trouble we meet can look very similar. So how do we know what the roadblocks mean? What story is the trouble trying to tell us? Listen in to learn how to know the difference.

It's one thing to give up something bad to follow God. But what happens when you have a good plan, one that is working, and He asks you to place that on the altar? Because we walk by faith and not be sight, much of what it means to follow God is to go against what the world, our instincts, and other people say.  Usually, the term "surrender" is used in the context of giving in to an enemy. But let's talk about the only safe surrender--in God.

It can’t be a coincidence that so much of what we are shown in media keeps us filled with fear and anxiety. A scared people is a controlled and docile people. It’s good to be people of passion, of action, of intention. But that’s hard to do when our minds are overwhelmed with information we can do nothing to alter.  The Holy Spirit truly is sufficient. He will tell you all that you need to know. He’ll direct into what you should watch or listen to and what you should not. He won’t let you miss a thing.

This is the prologue—a story about a notebook, perfectionism, the attempted trap of condemnation, and the grace that made all things new. Just in case no one has given you permission yet, here it is: you don’t have to be perfect. A Perfect Sacrifice was made on your behalf. Here’s to healing the parts of us that feel the need to always be performing flawlessly—the parts of us that have never truly exhaled.

Introducing The Next Page Podcast with Jessica Tucker.  These episodes will be a journey of discovery, becoming, and belonging. They are stories of growth, faith, and new beginnings. Welcome.