The Receive Experience

Near the end of this conversation, Chris Cook said something I keep coming back to... a lot of what we’ve called spiritual maturity is really emotional avoidance with a Bible verse duct-taped to it. We get into the truth about spiritual maturity, emotional healing, and his 40 months in the wilderness.Christopher Cook is a pastor, leadership coach, host of the Win Today podcast, and the author of ‘Healing What You Can’t Erase.’ His life’s work is helping people heal from fear, guilt, shame and burnout so they can walk in real transformation and spiritual maturity.Expect to learn what spiritual maturity actually is (and what it isn’t), how so many of us were discipled into managing appearances instead of letting God heal the root, why true worship is surrender and not a slow song, what it means to live as a “functional atheist” (a phrase from the 17th-century archbishop Fénelon), why spiritual growth is slower than we expect and why we’re not healed just to feel better, a simple way to set the Lord before you before you pick up your phone in the morning, what God said to Chris in his wilderness season about healing what couldn’t be erased, why we can’t speed up God’s work in us but we can slow it down, why suffering doesn’t automatically make us mature, and how the church can stop calling repression maturity and start making room for people to meet the Lord in their grief, and more...Chapters00:00 What We’ve Been Calling Spiritual Maturity02:03 What Is Spiritual Maturity, Really?04:08 True Worship Is Surrender, Not a Slow Song06:18 Are We Living as Functional Atheists?08:20 Why Spiritual Growth Is Slower and Bigger Than We Think15:41 A Simple Morning Practice for Setting the Lord Before You18:39 What a 40-Month Wilderness Season Taught Chris20:47 “I Had to Heal What Couldn’t Be Erased”24:27 Why Suffering Doesn’t Automatically Make Us Mature27:07 How the Church Unintentionally Discipled Us Into Emotional DishonestyIf something in this conversation stirred something in you, I’d love for you to sit with it for a bit. And if you want to go deeper in hearing God for yourself, join us for the next Hearing God Challenge... the link is below.🔗 Sign up for the next Hearing God Challenge - https://hearinggodchallenge.com/#SpiritualMaturity #EmotionalHealing #ChristianPodcast

What happens when a stage 4 cancer diagnosis brings you closer to God than you've ever been before?When Nathan Bailey was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma that had spread to his brain and lungs, his entire life changed. But during those difficult months of treatment, Nathan experienced God's love and presence in extraordinary ways. He describes moments when the veil between heaven and earth felt so thin he could almost reach through it.Nathan and I talk about what cancer taught him about hearing God's voice, why he now calls every day the best day of his life, and what it means to walk in step with Jesus rather than striving to produce results. We also explore why so many Christians struggle to hear God, how fear and expectations can get in the way, and why sometimes God doesn't want us to do anything—He simply wants us to receive His love.Want to practice hearing God for yourself? Join the Hearing God Challenge: https://hearinggodchallenge.com/Connect with Nathan and Business Church: https://mybusinesschurch.com/CHAPTERS00:00 From Religious Duty to Hearing God's Voice06:14 Stage 4 Cancer and Experiencing God's Presence11:04 Why Every Day Is the Best Day of His Life15:39 Walking With Jesus Instead of Chasing Results23:39 A Simple Method for Hearing God's Voice31:41 Why Christians Struggle to Hear God37:19 How Fear, Safety, and God's Love Affect Our Ability to Hear Him #HearingGod #ChristianTestimony #ChristianPodcast

What do you do when you believe God led you somewhere, but following that call leaves you overwhelmed?After adopting two children, Megan B. Nilsen found herself on a counselor’s couch, exhausted and questioning everything. Then her counselor said something she never expected: “Motherhood is not your highest and greatest calling.” That moment changed how Megan understood her identity—and what it meant to live by the Holy Spirit rather than her own strength.Megan and I talk about hearing God in everyday life, journaling through difficult questions, and the fear and control that can make it hard to trust what we hear.Want to practice hearing God for yourself? Join the free Hearing God Challenge: https://hearinggodchallenge.com/Connect with Megan: https://meganbnilsen.com/CHAPTERS00:00 The words that changed Megan’s perspective03:49 Hearing God’s call to adopt09:01 “Motherhood is not your highest calling”12:29 Learning to listen to God throughout the day17:56 Megan’s journaling practice for hearing God29:12 Fear, control, and barriers to trust48:51 Finding identity beyond motherhood#HearingGod #IdentityInChrist #ChristianPodcast

What if the reason you struggle to hear God isn’t because He’s not speaking—but because part of you doesn’t feel safe enough to listen?

In this conversation, Christian counselor Stefanie Hinman explains how our nervous system, attachment wounds, trauma, shame, and past relationships can affect the way we experience God.

Sometimes we can believe in our heads that Jesus is loving and safe while our bodies respond as though connection is dangerous. Stefanie describes how learning to quiet, regulate, and experience safety can create space for a deeper connection with Jesus.

We also talk about why people often withdraw when they’re hurting, how to support someone without trying to fix them, and why simply being seen and known can be deeply healing.

In this episode, you'll learn about:

• Why fight, flight, or freeze can make connection with God difficult
• The difference between knowing God is safe and actually feeling safe with Him
• How childhood and attachment wounds can shape your picture of Jesus
• Why regulation can sometimes come before deeper emotional or spiritual processing
• What to do when you pray or listen and feel like you “got nothing”
• How to respond to someone’s pain without minimizing or fixing it
• How to notice the things that cause you to withdraw from God—and reconnect

Stefanie describes flourishing as becoming aware of what draws us toward connection and what causes us to withdraw, especially patterns rooted in fear, shame, lack, or striving.

Learn more about Stefanie and her resources:
https://bounceproject.org

Want to learn how to hear God more clearly?
Join the free Hearing God Challenge:
https://hearinggodchallenge.com

Chapters

00:00 Why hearing God can feel difficult
03:10 Learning to experience Jesus as safe
08:24 Trauma, attachment, and the need for safety
16:45 How your nervous system affects hearing God
22:59 Stop trying to fix people who are hurting
34:09 What to do when you hear “nothing” from God
40:48 Striving, withdrawal, and learning to flourish

What if one of the biggest mistakes we make in following God is asking Him to bless the direction we’ve already chosen?In this conversation, I sit down with Rachael Groll, author, pastor, speaker, and host of the Hearing Jesus Podcast, to talk about what it actually looks like to let God lead.Rachael shares why following God sometimes means stepping into the water before you know how He’s going to make a way, why God may use a completely different strategy than He has in the past, and why surrendering our expectations is so important if we want to hear Him clearly.We also talk about the role Scripture plays in discerning God’s voice, how our view of God affects the way we read the Bible, and one of Rachael’s favorite approaches to prayer: “I never say amen.” Instead of treating prayer like something that starts and stops, she tries to live in an ongoing conversation with God and gives Him permission to interrupt her plans.If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I actually following God—or am I just asking Him to follow me?” this conversation is for you.Rachael’s work is focused on helping people understand Scripture and hear God more clearly through biblical teaching, Bible studies, and the Hearing Jesus Podcast.👉 Learn more about Rachael: rachaelgroll.com👉 Listen to the Hearing Jesus Podcast through Rachael’s website👉 Join the FREE Hearing God Challenge: hearinggodchallenge.comCHAPTERS00:00 Are You Asking God to Bless Your Plans?04:14 When God Changes the Strategy14:34 The Biggest Mistake in Trying to Hear God18:13 Reading the Bible vs. Actually Studying It25:53 How to Trust God When You Don’t Understand31:10 “I Never Say Amen” — Hearing God Throughout the Day39:00 Casting Your Crowns & Surrendering the OutcomeIf this conversation helps you, subscribe for more conversations and practical experiences designed to help you hear God, deepen your friendship with Jesus, and live from connection instead of fear.

What if the reason you’re struggling to hear God isn’t that He isn’t speaking—but that you’re listening through the wrong picture of Him?Many of us grew up believing that if God speaks, He’ll probably ask us to do something difficult, uncomfortable, or something we don’t want to do. But what if God actually enjoys being with you? What if some of His invitations sound more like, “Come rest,” “Slow down,” “Go play,” or even, “Let’s do this together”?In this conversation, I sit down with Christian speaker and spiritual director Kari Bartkus to explore what it looks like to hear God in ordinary life.We talk about:• Why hearing God doesn’t have to look the same for everyone• Finding the ways you naturally connect with God• Silence, journaling, nature, music, baking, and everyday life with Jesus• Why God may be inviting you to slow down instead of accomplish more• How fear can distort the way we interpret God’s voice• What it means to believe that God genuinely delights in being with you• A simple journaling question you can use to begin hearing God todayIf you’ve been trying harder and harder to hear God, this conversation may invite you to try something different: stop striving for the perfect spiritual experience and start noticing the God who is already with you.🔥 TAKE THE FREE HEARING GOD CHALLENGELearn simple, practical ways to recognize God’s voice and deepen your relationship with Him:https://hearinggodchallenge.com/🌿 CONNECT WITH KARI BARTKUSKari helps women encounter God through Scripture, reflective journaling, and gentle spiritual practices.https://karibartkus.com/🎧 You can also find Kari’s Journal Gently podcast and her other resources through her website.CHAPTERS00:00 The Picture of God That Makes Hearing Him Harder01:51 Kari’s Journey Into Spiritual Direction08:00 Helping People Connect With God10:12 Finding Your Natural Way of Hearing God13:10 Silence, Solitude & Listening Prayer18:59 Being Present With People Who Are Hurting26:10 God’s Invitation to Be Present30:41 What If God Actually Enjoys Being With You?36:06 God Delights in Spending Time With You40:30 A Simple Journaling Prompt for Hearing GodOne question to take with you today:“God, what do You want me to know today?”You may be surprised by where His answer finds you.

This conversation I have with Tom is one I keep thinking about. He grew up with undiagnosed ADHD, and for years the prayer he'd been taught (kneel down, stay quiet, talk in order) never worked for his mind... he'd fall asleep before he got anywhere. Then he found something that changed everything: writing his prayers instead of trying to hold them in his head. I invite you into what he discovered, and what fifteen years of listening back has taught him about God's voice.Here's what we explore:▪️How undiagnosed ADHD made traditional prayer feel impossible for him▪️The practice of prayer journaling that let him pray for an hour without losing focus▪️What happened the first time he "turned the pen over" and let God answer back▪️A moment that showed him he could receive the same love he watched God give to broken people▪️How he uses AI now to search fifteen years of journal entries for patterns in what God has said to him▪️What the wind combing through a canyon taught him about letting goChapters00:00 Intro02:46 Tom's Story With Undiagnosed ADHD06:04 The First Time He Knew God Was Real09:00 Why Traditional Prayer Never Worked for His ADHD Brain11:44 Discovering the Practice of Prayer Journaling17:12 Turning the Pen Over and Learning to Hear God's Voice19:12 Learning to Receive the Love He Saw God Give Others27:24 Voice to Text, AI, and a Practice That Keeps Refining36:00 What Following Jesus Looks Like for Him Today39:06 Reading Fifteen Years of God's Counsel in Real TimeIf Tom's story stirred anything in you... especially if you've ever felt like your brain just isn't built for the way prayer is usually taught... I'd love for you to sit with that. And if you want to keep going deeper, join us in the Hearing God Challenge, the link is below.🔗 Sign up for the next Hearing God Challenge - https://hearinggodchallenge.com/

In this conversation I have with Barry, a coach who has spent years exploring identity and listening prayer, we talk about the “unfair advantage” of knowing what's already true about who you are in Christ, and how that changes fear, anger, hearing God, and everyday life.Barry has spent years learning about identity, listening prayer, and seeing people through the truth of who God says they are. His approach has been shaped by teachers including Jamie Winship, Baxter Kruger, Dan Mohler, and others.Expect to learn why your greatest fear may actually point toward something important about your identity, how to help someone hear truth from God rather than simply telling them what is true, what Barry does when someone asks “Is this me or God?”, why grace matters so much when learning to hear God's voice, what it practically means to be one with Christ, how to stay connected to what God is saying when fear takes over, why circumstances aren't always the highest level of truth, and how to recognize the life and love of Jesus happening in ordinary moments.One of the ideas I keep coming back to from this conversation is that we can spend years trying to become something that God is already inviting us to receive as true. As Barry puts it, the shift happens when we begin coming into agreement with what is already true about us in Christ.And that changes the question. Instead of only asking, “How do I get rid of this fear?” we can begin asking, “Jesus, what do You know about me right now? What do You want me to know about this?”Chapters00:00 Knowing What's Already True About Who You Are01:42 Seeing People Through the Lens of Identity04:22 What Your Greatest Fear May Reveal06:51 Helping People Hear Truth From God Themselves10:34 When God Says, “I'm Not Disappointed in You”17:27 Is It Me or Is It God?20:30 Letting Jesus Reveal the Heart of the Father24:09 What It Means to Be One in Christ29:22 Meeting Grace in the Present Moment33:27 Who Gets to Define What Life Is?If something in this conversation stirred something in you, I invite you to just sit with it for a moment. God is present with you now, and maybe a simple question to bring to Him is, “What do You want me to know about who I really am?”🔗 Sign up for the next Hearing God Challenge - https://hearinggodchallenge.com/

In this conversation I have with Sandy Martin, she walks me through the word God gave her when she wanted to be someone else, and why it took her years to actually receive it.Sandy spent 24 years as a church secretary and has walked with God through an abusive first marriage, a lifetime of anxiety, and a season of near-total isolation in the woods of Oregon, learning along the way what it actually means to hear His voice.Here's what we explore:▪️The word God gave Sandy when she wanted to be someone else, and why she almost didn't receive it▪️An out-of-body experience of God's peace in the middle of physical abuse▪️"There's beauty in the breakdowns"... what she heard God say the day her car broke down in the mountains▪️A journaling and alphabet gratitude practice that shifts her whole day▪️How God restored and healed her relationship with her abusive ex-husband before he unexpectedly passed away▪️Learning that prenatal wounding can pass from a mother to her child, and what healing that looked like years later▪️Why she now calls her small, isolated community her actual church▪️Being called a "lighthouse," and what it's meant to have strangers show up at her doorChapters:00:00 Introduction02:00 A Lifetime of Fear and Anxiety04:00 Leaving Her Body to Feel God's Peace During the Abuse05:34 There's Beauty in the Breakdowns10:27 A Journaling and Alphabet Gratitude Practice12:37 The Word God Gave Her: You Are the Harbor, Not the Wave21:18 Assignments From God in an Isolated New Community24:23 Finding Church in an Unlikely Community31:08 Called a Lighthouse: Strangers Showing Up at Her Door33:18 Restoration and Healing With Her First Husband Before He DiedIf something in this conversation stirred something in you, I'd love for you to sit with it. And if you want to go deeper, join us for the Hearing God Challenge... the link is below.🔗 Sign up for the next Hearing God Challenge - https://hearinggodchallenge.com/

I gave God ten minutes. That's it... ten minutes of silence on a balcony in Caracas, with two highways roaring past and a stinky attitude about whether He'd actually say anything back. This conversation I have with Jody Hovda gets into what that experiment became, and where prayer went for her once she stopped telling God what to do and started listening instead.Jody has spent years walking with people through spiritual formation and discipleship, including her work with Cultivate. She's lived overseas, discipled women through hard seasons, and has a gift for helping people notice where God already is instead of chasing where they think He should be.Expect to hear the full story behind the ten minutes of silence that started it all, what changed when Jody moved from petitioning God to listening for Him, the story of a roadside decision that turned into an act of kindness, why she calls painful seasons "the manure" and how that framing actually produces growth, the difference between the two kinds of knowing God (intellectual and experiential), and how believing every person is an image-bearer changes the way you drive, parent, and stand in line at the grocery store, and more...If something in this conversation stirs something in you, I'd love for you to sit with it. And if you want a way to start listening for yourself, the Hearing God Challenge is a free place to begin... the link is below.🔗 Sign up for the next Hearing God Challenge - https://hearinggodchallenge.com/CHAPTERS00:00 I Gave God 10 Minutes (The Story That Started It All)02:13 From Telling God What to Do to Relational Prayer04:40 Why "God Is Always Up to Something" Became Her Core Belief06:30 Stopping for a Stranded Couple (A Story of Kindness)11:10 Creating Space to Listen Together in Prayer16:10 The Stages of Development in a Life of Faith19:14 A Theology of Manure: Growth in the Hard Seasons25:31 Two Kinds of Knowing God (Saber and Conocer)28:18 The Season She Told God "I Like You, I Just Don't Love You"38:10 What These Lessons Have Taught Her About Parenting