The Scott Sauls Podcast

Christmas often brings more pressure than peace. Beneath the lights and traditions, many people feel anxious, guarded, and stretched thin. In this Christmas Day episode, Scott Sauls explores the spiritual significance of Santa Claus by telling the true story of Saint Nicholas of Myra. Drawing from Scripture and the gospel, this episode shows how generosity and courage flow from knowing we are already rich in Christ. Discover how Advent invites us to live open-handed, outward-facing lives shaped by the love of Jesus rather than fear or scarcity.

Many of us know John 3:16 by heart yet quietly assume we are the exception. In this Advent episode, Scott Sauls speaks to the hidden ache of feeling unworthy of love and buried in regret and shame. Walking through John 3:16–18 and the story of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, he shows how God’s love comes toward people who feel disqualified, not away from them. Discover how the incarnation and the cross prove that in Christ, “not condemned” can be spoken over you.

Joy is one of the most familiar words of the Christmas season, yet many of us enter Advent feeling anything but joyful. In this episode, Scott Sauls explores why joy can seem out of reach and how the Bible offers a deeper, Christ centered joy that can live alongside grief, anxiety, and disappointment. Drawing from Luke 2, John 15, Habakkuk, and the story of blind hymn writer Fanny Crosby, we consider how Jesus meets us in our lowest places and plants a resilient joy that circumstances cannot uproot.

Many of us live with a constant habit of imagining the worst about the future. We rehearse disasters that may never happen and exhaust ourselves with “what if” anxiety.

In this episode, Scott Sauls looks at how Scripture and the gospel speak to our fear of the unknown. Instead of leaving your future to random chance, God anchors it in the crucified and risen Christ who already reigns over tomorrow. Learn how to move from chronic worry to a settled trust in the One who will never abandon you and will one day make all things new.

Peace is one of the most printed words at Christmas, yet for many of us it feels like the one thing we do not actually have. In this Advent episode, Scott Sauls opens John 14 and Philippians 4 to show how Scripture speaks of shalom as more than a mood - it is the steady, guarding peace of Christ in the middle of real chaos. Drawing on voices like Elie Wiesel and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Scott explores how God steps into a fearful, noisy world not with quick fixes but with his own presence. If anxiety, stress, and overwhelm are wearing you down, this conversation will help you seek peace in Christ that circumstances cannot take away.

Regret has a way of settling into the soul, sometimes quietly and sometimes with relentless intensity. As a new year begins, many people feel the weight of unfinished goals, relational wounds, and the long list of “should-haves.” Instead of energy and hope, the season can begin with heaviness.

In this RESET episode, Scott Sauls reflects on Romans 7 and 8, showing how the apostle Paul names human inconsistency with striking honesty while refusing to let failure have the last word. Drawing from Brennan Manning’s lifelong journey with grace and Brené Brown’s distinction between guilt and shame, Scott explores how the gospel frees us from condemnation and rewrites our story with mercy, belonging, and hope.

Keywords: Christian regret, Romans 7, Romans 8 no condemnation, overcoming shame, Brennan Manning, Brene Brown, Scott Sauls, letting go of failure, gospel healing, Christian emotional health

Spiritual apathy rarely arrives all at once. It drifts in quietly until prayer feels routine, Scripture grows sporadic, and worship becomes familiar instead of nourishing. As a new year approaches, many Christians find themselves wondering whether their desire for God can return in a meaningful way.

In this RESET episode, Scott Sauls looks at Revelation 2:1-7 and explores why outward faithfulness is not the same as inward affection. Through biblical insight, Christian marriage imagery, the story of Hosea and Gomer, and a rich reflection from C. S. Lewis, Scott offers a hopeful, gospel-centered path back from spiritual apathy. Learn how remembering, repenting, and returning can renew intimacy with Christ and reawaken love that has grown cold.

Keywords: spiritual apathy, renewing desire for God, Revelation 2 teaching, returning to first love, Scott Sauls, gospel encouragement, Hosea and Gomer, spiritual reset, Christian emotional health, Christian burnout

When life feels unstable, hope can feel out of reach. In this Advent episode, Scott Sauls explores what Christian hope really is and why Scripture insists it grows strongest in seasons of uncertainty. Drawing from Isaiah 40, Romans 8, Vaclav Havel, and Fleming Rutledge, Scott shows how hope takes root not in optimism or outcomes, but in the character and presence of God.

This episode helps you name your discouragement honestly, remember what God has already done, and entrust your future to the God who holds it. If you’re tired, anxious, or unsure about the road ahead, this conversation offers a grounded, gospel-centered way to rediscover hope.

Keywords: Christian hope, Advent, Isaiah 40, Romans 8, spiritual discouragement, emotional health, suffering and faith, gospel encouragement, Scott Sauls, hope in uncertainty

Is gratitude really that life-changing—or just a nice idea for Thanksgiving Day? In this episode of That’s a Great Question, we explore how a consistent posture of giving thanks—especially when life is hard—can reorient our perspective, renew our relationships, and deepen our joy. Drawing from Scripture and real-life insight, we uncover why gratitude is one of God’s most transformative gifts.