The Sublime Soiree Podcast from You're Invited Ministries

The Surest Seat: Helping Your Kids Grow, Find Belonging, and Trust Jesus, Conversations with Heather Holleman

Episode 11: The Disappearing Seat: When Comparison Robs our Kids of their Confidence with Heather Holleman

What do we do when someone else seems to have the friendship, attention, opportunities, or life we wish belonged to us?

In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast, we welcome back our friend and mentor, author and professor Heather Holleman, to talk about The Disappearing Seat, the second book in her Elita Brown Series.

Set during a cold Pennsylvania winter, the story follows Elita through what Heather calls a "winter of the soul." When a new girl receives attention and seems to excel in places Elita once felt secure, jealousy convinces Elita that her own seat is disappearing. Heather explains how remembering that we are seated with Christ helps us trust that another person's blessings do not diminish what God has for us.

Heather also shares the powerful practice of savoring: intentionally noticing and enjoying God's good gifts. Together, we discuss gratitude, bringing specific needs honestly to God, recording His faithfulness, and helping children develop prayer-journaling rhythms that can quiet anxiety, nurture hope, and train their minds to recognize His care.

Our conversation also explores the pressure young people face to perform a picture-perfect life online. We consider how social media can deepen comparison and anxiety, why our circle of interest should not eclipse our circle of influence, and how adults can help young people ground their identities in truth.

Through it all, The Disappearing Seat reminds us that even when life feels empty, unseen, or unfair, winter does not last forever. God is present, spring is coming, and we can become people who invite, refresh, and make room for others.

In This Episode:

• How jealousy can make us believe another person's blessings have caused our own seat to disappear
• Why the winter setting reflects seasons of emptiness, invisibility, disappointment, and hope
• How savoring God's gifts can redirect our minds from anxiety and rumination toward gratitude
• Why bringing specific requests honestly to God helps us wait with hope and expectation
• Simple ways adults can help children begin a gratitude and prayer-journaling practice
• How comparison and curated social media narratives can threaten young people's confidence and identity
• Why distinguishing our circle of interest from our circle of influence can reduce overwhelm
• How knowing we are invited and seated with Jesus frees us to invite and refresh others

Reflection Questions:

• Where has jealousy or comparison made me feel as though someone else's blessing has taken something away from me?
• What ordinary gift from God can I slow down, notice, and savor today?
• What specific worry or desire do I need to bring honestly to God and entrust to His care?
• Who might be waiting for an invitation, and what simple step can I take to include or refresh that person?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast for more conversations designed to help you slow down, feel seen, and draw closer to God.
• Share this episode with a parent, grandparent, teacher, mentor, or young reader who could benefit from the message of belonging and identity in Christ. You can find discussion questions for each book here.
• Continue the conversation by joining us for the next four episodes as we explore each book in Heather Holleman's Elita Brown Series, beginning with This Seat's Saved.
• Visit Heather Holleman's website here to learn more about her books and her ministry.
• Visit our website, You're Invited Ministries, here to learn more about our book.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

The Surest Seat: Helping Your Kids Grow, Find Belonging, and Trust Jesus, Conversations with Heather Holleman

Episode 10: This Seat's Saved: Helping Kids Who Feel Left Out with Heather Holleman

What happens when the seat you hoped for—the one that seems to promise friendship, acceptance, or belonging – is saved for someone else?

In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast, we welcome back our friend and mentor, author and professor Heather Holleman, to talk about This Seat's Saved, the first book in her Elita Brown Series.

As Elita prepares to enter seventh grade, she finds herself facing experiences familiar to young people, and – if we're honest – adults too: exclusion, comparison, jealousy, insecurity, and the desire to belong. Heather explains how fiction can give young readers a safe way to recognize and process these difficult emotions while discovering what really matters.

Heather also introduces us more fully to Mrs. Berkley, the wise, grandmotherly mentor who befriends Elita. Her example leads to a rich conversation about spiritual mentorship and the opportunities we have to intentionally invest in younger generations. Sometimes that happens through Bible study and prayer, but also through ordinary things like sharing a meal, offering a ride, opening our homes, or simply being available.

Finally, we talk about Elita's experience with bullying and false accusations and how those difficult situations can become opportunities to seek God, ask for help, practice kindness, and even learn compassion for those who hurt us.

Through it all, This Seat's Saved reminds young readers, and the rest of us, that the most secure seat isn't found at the popular table. It's the seat we already have with Jesus.

In This Episode:

• Why experiences of exclusion, insecurity, and comparison can feel especially powerful during the middle school years
• How fiction can help young readers process difficult emotions and conversations
• Why embracing our God-given design can free us from trying to be like everyone else
• What Elita's struggle with jealousy teaches us about trusting the unique "seat" God has given us
• How being seated with Christ changes the way we view comparison, provision, and belonging
• Why Mrs. Berkley offers a beautiful picture of spiritual mentorship across generations
• Practical ways adults can intentionally encourage and invest in younger people
• How Elita's experience with bullying and false accusations can open conversations about seeking help, showing kindness, and trusting God

Reflection Questions:

• Where am I most tempted to compare my "seat"—my relationships, possessions, appearance, achievements, or circumstances—with someone else's?
• What gifts, interests, opportunities, or assignments has God uniquely placed in my life that I can embrace rather than compare?
• Who is someone younger whom God may be inviting me to encourage, mentor, pray for, or simply spend time with?
• How can remembering that I am already seated with Christ change the way I respond when I feel excluded, jealous, misunderstood, or overlooked?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast for more conversations designed to help you slow down, feel seen, and draw closer to God.
• Share this episode with a parent, grandparent, teacher, mentor, or young reader who could benefit from the message of belonging and identity in Christ. You can find discussion questions for each book here.
• Continue the conversation by joining us for the next four episodes as we explore each book in Heather Holleman's Elita Brown Series, beginning with This Seat's Saved.
• Visit Heather Holleman's website here to learn more about her books and her ministry.
• Visit our website, You're Invited Ministries, here to learn more about our book.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

The Surest Seat: Helping Your Kids Grow, Find Belonging, and Trust Jesus, Conversations with Heather Holleman Episode 9 – Finding Your Seat: Introducing the Elita Brown Series with Heather Holleman

What if the most important thing a young person could learn before navigating the challenges of middle school is this: You already have a seat at the table with Jesus.

In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast, we welcome back our friend and mentor, author, and professor Heather Holleman, for the beginning of a special five-part conversation about her young reader fiction books, The Elita Brown Series.

Heather shares how a story that began with her own experiences of jealousy, comparison, and feeling left out eventually became a series designed to help young readers understand their identity in Christ. After women responded deeply to Heather's story about her daughter's experience of exclusion at the middle school lunch table, many moms expressed a desire to help their daughters understand these truths before they entered middle school. Heather's daughter Kate suggested she write something different than another Bible study—a novel. That idea became the beginning of Elita Brown.

At the heart of the entire series is Ephesians 2:6: "God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." Heather explains why the image of a seat is so powerful for young people. It communicates belonging, provision, identity, and the truth that we don't have to earn our place with Jesus.

We get to know Elita as she prepares to enter seventh grade—a time when it can feel as though everyone else is growing up faster, fitting in better, and knowing exactly where they belong. Elita's family lives simply while she has friends from very different socioeconomic circumstances, creating another layer of complexity as she learns to navigate friendships, comparison, and belonging.

Heather also explains the spiritual thread woven through all four books: God is an ever-present help in times of need. Through Elita's experiences, young readers are invited to discover that Jesus is present, hears them, knows what to do, and can be trusted. They also learn to understand God's Word, apply it to their lives, and recognize that they are already seated at the best table—with Jesus.

In This Episode:

• How Heather Holleman transitioned from writing adult nonfiction to fiction for young readers
• The story behind the creation of the Elita Brown Series
• Why Ephesians 2:6 and the image of a "seat" are central to the series
• How Elita navigates seventh grade, friendships, comparison, and belonging
• The importance of helping young people understand their identity in Christ
• Why the series is meaningful for adults as well as young readers
• How parents, grandparents, and mentors can use the books to spark meaningful conversations
• Why reading together can be a valuable family practice

Reflection Questions:

• Where have I looked for belonging or identity outside of Christ?
• What might change if I truly lived from the understanding that I am already "seated with Christ"?
• How can I help a child or young person in my life understand that their worth isn't determined by popularity, possessions, friendships, or fitting in?
• What difficult conversations could I begin by discussing a fictional character's experiences rather than asking direct questions?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast for more conversations designed to help you slow down, feel seen, and draw closer to God.
• Share this episode with a parent, grandparent, teacher, mentor, or young reader who could benefit from the message of belonging and identity in Christ. You can find discussion questions for each book here.
• Continue the conversation by joining us for the next four episodes as we explore each book in Heather Holleman's Elita Brown Series, beginning with This Seat's Saved.
• Visit Heather Holleman's website here to learn more about her books and her ministry.
• Visit our website, You're Invited Ministries, here to learn more about our book.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

What if the answer to a judgmental world isn't choosing the right megaphone—but choosing a better message?

After seven conversations exploring stories of judgment and mercy throughout Scripture, we close our series with Shannon Popkin by stepping back and looking at the bigger picture of Kinda Judgy. From Noah and Rahab to Jonah, Simon the Pharisee, the man born blind, and the second thief on the cross, one thread has continued to emerge: God is a judge who judges, but He is also profoundly merciful.

In fact, Shannon describes the message she hopes rises above all the noise around us: He is merciful. God's mercy doesn't mean that sin doesn't matter or that judgment isn't real. Rather, mercy means we don't receive the judgment we deserve. And when we truly recognize how much mercy we've received, it should change us. It should change how we see ourselves. It should change how we see God. And it should change how we see other people.

Shannon shares how writing Kinda Judgy transformed her own awareness of judgmentalism—including the ways she can be harsh and critical toward herself. She talks about using her "Judgy Heart Check" to pause when she finds herself judging someone and to ask whether she is treating them with contempt, assuming the worst, or forgetting that there is a better Judge.

The truth is, there is a better Judge: Jesus. He has the righteousness, the evidence, and the authority that we simply do not have. He sees the heart perfectly. And even more remarkably, He is a Judge whose heart overflows with mercy.

So what does it look like for Christians to model something different in a divided culture? We don't erase the lines between right and wrong. We also don't pick up the gavel and assume the responsibility that belongs to God. Instead, we hold biblical convictions while extending compassion, curiosity, grace, and mercy.

As Shannon reminds us, we can hope all things rather than assuming we know what is happening in someone else's heart. We can listen. We can believe the best. We can defer to God as the ultimate Judge. And as God's mercy transforms us, it also can spill over into our families, churches, communities, and the world around us.

In This Episode:

• The overarching message of Kinda Judgy: "He is merciful"
• How judgment and mercy are woven throughout the entire biblical story
• Why recognizing our own need for a Savior changes the way we see others
• The danger of becoming harsh and judgmental toward ourselves
• Why there is a "better Judge" and why we can trust Him
• Practical ways to approach others with curiosity, compassion, and grace
• How receiving God's mercy can transform our families, churches, and communities
• Why the church has an opportunity to amplify the message: He is merciful

Reflection Questions

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Have I truly encountered God's mercy?
• When I am misjudged, do I defend myself, judge in return, or entrust myself to the One who judges justly?
• Who might I be tempted to judge as undeserving of mercy?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with a friend who desires to grow in both truth and grace.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

We all know the story of Jesus on the cross. But what if one of the most powerful lessons about judgment and mercy comes from the criminal dying beside Him?

In this episode, we arrive at Calvary with Shannon Popkin and look closely at the second thief – the hardened criminal who begins by mocking Jesus but ends by recognizing Him as King and asking to be remembered in His kingdom.

What changed him? It wasn't a warning about judgment, nor a chance to prove himself, nor even time to make things right. The thief encountered the mercy of Jesus.

As Jesus endured the ultimate misjudgment – being treated as a criminal despite being completely righteous – He responded not with retaliation, but with mercy. His words, "Father, forgive them," reveal the astonishing heart of God toward sinners. And that mercy changed the man hanging beside Him.

The second thief saw what almost everyone else missed. While religious leaders, soldiers, and the crowd mocked Jesus, this dying criminal recognized Him as King. He asked for mercy, and Jesus welcomed him.

The cross shows us something we desperately need to remember: God's judgment and mercy are not opposites. At the cross, we see both. Jesus bore the judgment we deserved so that we could receive the mercy we could never earn. And if we have truly received that mercy, it should change the way we see ourselves, God, and everyone around us.

In This Episode:

• Why Shannon chose the second thief to conclude the biblical stories in Kinda Judgy
• How the cross brings God's judgment and mercy together
• Why mercy – not judgment – is what softens hardened hearts
• How Jesus responded when He was profoundly misjudged
• The significance of Jesus praying, "Father, forgive them"
• Why repentance matters in receiving forgiveness
• What Jesus' promise of paradise reveals about God's heart
• Why receiving God's mercy should change the way we treat others

Reflection Questions

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Have I truly encountered God's mercy?
• When I am misjudged, do I defend myself, judge in return, or entrust myself to the One who judges justly?
• Who might I be tempted to judge as undeserving of mercy?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with a friend who desires to grow in both truth and grace.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

We all know the story of the man born blind. But what if the miracle isn't the only thing we should be looking at?

In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast, Sue Lindsey and Linda Maynard continue their conversation with author Shannon Popkin about her book Kinda Judgy—and discover that while one blind man receives physical sight, the people who believe they can see clearly become increasingly spiritually blind. The Pharisees had drawn their own lines around God's law. They had added rules and requirements and then judged other people according to those standards. And when Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, they couldn't see the miracle because they were too focused on the rules they had created.

Shannon helps us recognize how easily we can do the same thing. We may know what God's Word says, but then add our own convictions, preferences, and applications—and begin treating those things as though they carry the same authority as Scripture. This episode moves us to ask tough questions of ourselves: Who is holding the gavel in my life? Am I allowing Jesus to be the authority and judge? Have I picked up the gavel myself and begun deciding who is right, who is wrong, who belongs, and who doesn't?

The story also challenges the way we respond to suffering, by pointing out that the blind man's suffering wasn't a simple transaction of sin and punishment. Instead, Jesus revealed that it was so God could display His glory even in the midst of a broken world.

And perhaps the most beautiful part of the story comes at the end. When the Pharisees cast the newly sighted man out of the temple for breaking the rules, Jesus went looking for him. When everyone else pushed him away, Jesus welcomed him in. This episode led us to ask, "Am I willing to let Jesus show me where I am blind?"

In This Episode:

• Why the story of the man born blind is really a story about spiritual sight as well as physical sight.
• How the Pharisees' additional Sabbath rules caused them to completely miss the miracle Jesus performed.
• Why denominational and secondary differences can become barriers between followers of Jesus.
• How suffering can tempt us to look for someone to blame.
• Why Jesus rejected the assumption that the man's blindness was caused by his sin or his parents' sin.
• What the man's healing teaches us about God's glory in the middle of a broken world.
• Why humility, curiosity, compassion, and listening can help heal divisions within the body of Christ.
• The beautiful contrast between the Pharisees casting the man out and Jesus seeking him out and welcoming him.

Reflection Questions

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Do I sometimes treat a personal conviction as though it were a biblical absolute?
• Who is holding the gavel in my life—Jesus or me?
• Is there someone I have pushed away whom Jesus might be inviting me to welcome?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with a friend who desires to grow in both truth and grace.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

We all know the story of the woman who anointed Jesus's feet. But what if the story isn't just about her? In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast, Sue Lindsey and Linda Maynard continue their conversation with author Shannon Popkin about her book Kinda Judgy—and discover that one of the most uncomfortable people at the dinner table may actually be Simon the Pharisee. A woman known as a sinner enters Simon's home, weeps at Jesus' feet, and receives something Simon doesn't realize he needs: mercy. Simon looks at the woman and sees her sin. Jesus looks at the woman and sees her repentance. Then, Jesus encourages Simon to really get the picture. Shannon helps us see that Simon and the woman are both debtors. Their debts may look different, but neither one of them can pay. The woman recognizes her need for mercy. Simon doesn't. And here's where the story gets uncomfortable for us: How often do we recognize someone else's sin while remaining blind to our own?

• Why the dinner at Simon the Pharisee's house is one of the most uncomfortable dinner parties in Scripture.
• What Jesus's response to the sinful woman reveals about mercy and repentance.
• Why Simon and the woman are both debtors who need God's forgiveness.
• How our judgment of others can reveal a Pharisee heart within us.
• Why judgment can make us spiritually blind to our own sin.
• What happens when we assume we know someone's heart by their appearance or reputation.
• How we can hold firmly to biblical truth while extending genuine mercy.
• Why repentance changes how we should respond to someone who has sinned.
• The danger of continuing to label people by their past even after they have repented.
• What Jesus might lovingly challenge in our churches today.
• How our homes, churches, and communities can become places where people experience the welcome and mercy of Jesus.

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Who do I most easily identify with in this story—the woman or Simon?
• Who have I placed into a category because of their past, choices, appearance, or reputation?
• Am I more aware of other people's sin than I am of my own?
• Where might judgment be making me spiritually blind?
• Do I sometimes believe that someone else is a different "sort" of sinner than I am?
• Do people experience my church, home, or small group as a place of judgment—or a place where they can encounter the mercy of Jesus?
• What might Jesus lovingly challenge in my own heart?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with a friend who desires to grow in both truth and grace.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

We all know the story of Jonah and the big fish. But what if the fish isn't actually the point?

In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast, Sue Lindsey and Linda Maynard continue their conversation with author Shannon Popkin about her book Kinda Judgy—and discover that Jonah's greatest struggle wasn't disobedience. It was contempt.

Jonah wanted God's judgment for the people of Nineveh. God wanted to show them mercy. And here's where the story gets uncomfortable: How often do we want mercy for ourselves but judgment for someone else?

Shannon helps us see that Jonah wasn't simply a reluctant prophet. He was a man whose contempt for the Ninevites revealed something troubling in his own heart. And God didn't just pursue Nineveh—He pursued Jonah, too.

That's the surprising beauty of this story. God's mercy isn't only for the people we think need it. It's also for those of us who need Him to change our hearts. You may even find yourself asking: Who is my Ninevite?

• Why Jonah is much more than a story about a big fish.
• How contempt can quietly damage our closest relationships.
• Why we can expect mercy for ourselves while believing others deserve judgment.
• What Jonah's anger reveals about our tendency to see ourselves as "different" from other people.
• Why God's pursuit of Jonah is just as significant as His pursuit of Nineveh.
• How contempt puts distance between us and the people around us.
• Why difficult people may be an invitation to examine our own hearts.
• What it means to look in the mirror before pointing a finger.

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Who is your Ninevite? Who is the person you find yourself thinking:
• "I would never do what they do."
• "They don't deserve grace."
• "If they would just change..."
• Is it right for me to have this contempt?"

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with a friend who desires to grow in both truth and grace.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

What does God see when He looks at someone whose past seems to disqualify her?

In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast from You're Invited Ministries, Sue Lindsey and Linda Maynard continue their special series with author Shannon Popkin, exploring lessons from her book Kinda Judgy. This week, they turn to the surprising story of Rahab—a woman living in enemy territory who asked the God of Israel for mercy.

Rahab doesn't look like the obvious candidate for God's grace. Yet Shannon points out that Rahab's story answers an important question: What does God think about the person who wants His mercy?

As you listen, you'll discover how Rahab acted in faith with very little knowledge of God, why the spies were actually on a rescue mission, and how her story points us toward Jesus, who went "behind enemy lines" to rescue His enemies—including us.

You'll also be challenged to consider how easily we label people by their past instead of seeing their potential in God's hands. Rahab reminds us that no one is beyond God's reach and that the person we consider "too risky" may be exactly the person God is pursuing.

So, pull up a chair, open your Bible, and join us as we discover what happens when we allow God's extravagant mercy to reshape the way we see ourselves—and others.

• Why Rahab's story is intentionally included in the biblical narrative.
• What Rahab teaches us about how God sees those who ask for mercy.
• The difference between human judgment and divine judgment.
• Why Rahab's past didn't prevent God from giving her a future.
• How Rahab recognized God's goodness and power with very little knowledge of Him.
• Why the spies were unknowingly sent on a rescue mission.
• How Jesus went "behind enemy lines" to rescue His enemies.
• Why we tend to focus on someone's history rather than their potential.
• How to balance wise discernment with extending God's mercy.
• Why no one is beyond God's reach.
• How Rahab became part of the family line leading to Jesus.
• The danger of allowing pride and labels to keep people on the outside.
• How we can recognize the "Rahabs" in our own lives.
• Why encountering the mercy we've received from God changes the way we treat others.
• How our homes, churches, and relationships can become places of refuge where people encounter God's mercy.

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Who have I labeled because of their past rather than seeing their potential in God's hands?
• Have I ever decided that someone is "too risky" for God to use or redeem?
• Am I more focused on someone's history than on what God may be doing in their life?
• Where might God be inviting me to take a wise but courageous risk to extend mercy?
• Do I truly believe that no one is beyond God's reach?
• How has experiencing God's mercy toward me changed the way I see other people?
• Am I creating spaces where people with difficult pasts can experience the welcome and mercy of God?

If this episode encouraged you:

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with someone who needs to be reminded that their past does not place them beyond God's reach.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.

Can a God who judges also be perfectly merciful?

It's one of the hardest questions many people wrestle with—and one of the most important. In this episode of The Sublime Soiree Podcast from You're Invited Ministries, Sue Lindsey and Linda Maynard continue their special series with author Shannon Popkin, exploring lessons from her book Kinda Judgy. This week, they revisit the familiar story of Noah, not simply as a story about a flood, but as a powerful picture of God's justice, His extraordinary mercy, and His invitation to walk closely with Him.

Rather than asking, "Why would God judge?" Shannon invites us to ask a different question: How did God show such incredible restraint and mercy for so long? As you listen in, you'll discover why Noah's greatest distinction wasn't his perfection—it was that he walked with God. You'll also see how the ark foreshadows Christ, who bears God's judgment so that we might receive His mercy.

If you've ever struggled to reconcile God's justice with His love, or wondered how to move beyond a checklist faith into a genuine relationship with Him, this conversation will encourage, challenge, and deepen your understanding of God's heart. So, pull up a chair, open your Bible, and join us as we discover that God's mercy truly rises above His judgment.

• Why Noah is the perfect place to begin a conversation about judgment and mercy.
• Why God's justice is actually good news.
• How God's patience reveals His compassionate heart.
• What it truly means that Noah "walked with God."
• The difference between following a list of rules and cultivating a relationship with God.
• How Western and Middle Eastern perspectives can shape the way we read Scripture.
• Why the ark is one of the Bible's clearest pictures of Christ.
• The beautiful symbolism of the rainbow as a reminder of God's covenant and mercy.
• How God's mercy—not His judgment—is the driving force of the biblical story.

As you finish this episode, consider these questions:

• Am I relying more on rules than on walking daily with God?
• Do I see God primarily as waiting to judge me, or as a merciful Father who invites me into relationship?
• Where have I been tempted to compare myself to others instead of recognizing God's grace in my own life?
• How does Noah's story deepen my appreciation for Christ as my ultimate refuge?

• Follow The Sublime Soiree Podcast so you don't miss the rest of this eight-part series.
• Share this episode with a friend who desires to grow in both truth and grace.
• Leave a rating and review to help more women discover biblical encouragement and authentic conversations.
• Visit You're Invited Ministries here for information on Shannon Popkin. You also can download some of her free tools here. And visit our full website to learn about our book, speaking events, blog articles, and additional resources to help you grow in your walk with Christ.

No matter where you've been or what your story holds... there's a place for you at God's table. You are invited.