In this episode of Theology on Purpose, Sarah talks with pastor and author Doug Basler about how fiction can become a powerful spiritual practice. Drawing from his book All Swirling and Weaving, Doug shares how stories can awaken our hearts, deepen our faith, and reshape how we see God and the world.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the "Christian imagination" is and why it matters

• How fiction can form us in ways nonfiction sometimes can't

• A story about how a novel revealed hidden ambition in Doug's life

• How reading expands empathy and helps us love others well

• Practical ways to incorporate fiction into a busy life

Whether you love reading or want to rediscover it, this conversation will inspire you to see stories as more than entertainment—they can be a means of spiritual growth.

We all live by stories—about who we are, who God is, and what it means to live a faithful life. But what if some of those stories aren't actually true? In this episode, we explore the subtle narratives that shape our identity and faith, how they can fail us, and what it looks like to realign our lives with what is actually true.

What if time with God felt less like a task to complete and more like a place of rest? In this conversation, Cara Ray invites us into the practice of "holy leisure"—a way of relating to God marked by delight, attentiveness, and peace rather than pressure and performance. Drawing on the themes of truth, goodness, and beauty, she shares how shifting our mindset can transform our spiritual rhythms and help us experience deeper joy in God's presence.

Cara also introduces her simple DWELL framework for engaging Scripture and offers a vision of fruitfulness that isn't driven by productivity, but by abiding in Christ. Whether you're feeling spiritually dry, busy, or burdened, this episode will encourage you to rediscover time with God as a gift—not a checkbox.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What "holy leisure" means and why it matters

• How to move from duty to delight in your time with God

• A simple framework for slowing down and savoring Scripture

• How meditation fits into a vibrant spiritual life

• The difference between a productive life and a fruitful one

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Get the show notes here

In this solo episode of Theology on Purpose, I share how an unexpected interruption became an invitation to slow down and rediscover joy. In a season marked by full schedules and creeping productivity, I began to notice how difficult it had become to truly rest—and even harder to remember how to play.

This episode explores the connection between spiritual formation and delight, and how practices like creativity, leisure, and embodied rest can draw us closer to Jesus. Through small, intentional changes, I found a renewed sense of freedom, spaciousness, and joy in my everyday life. You can too! Just listen in.

Take the Connect with God quiz here

In this tender conversation, Lara D'Entremont, author of A Mother Held: Essays on Anxiety and Motherhood, shares her journey through postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and OCD, and how motherhood brought both deep love and deep vulnerability. We explore how anxiety can challenge our understanding of God's goodness and sovereignty, and what it looks like to rebuild trust in God when fear feels overwhelming.

Lara offers a compassionate vision of God as one who draws near to us in our suffering with tenderness and care. This episode is an invitation to practice "theology from the floor"—coming to God in the middle of exhaustion, doubt, and uncertainty, and learning to receive God's grace right there.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How motherhood can magnify anxiety and our sense of lack of control

• Lara's experience with postpartum anxiety, OCD, and intrusive thoughts

• Wrestling with God's sovereignty and goodness in seasons of fear

• What it looks like to bring honest questions to God

• Engaging faith in the midst of real life

• Simple spiritual practices for anxious and weary seasons

• Reframing God's character as compassionate, not condemning

• The role of community, therapy, and honest conversation in healing

Get the show notes here

Take the Connect with God quiz here

What begins as an ordinary evening at a writers conference becomes a meaningful moment of reflection. In this solo episode, I share how encountering my younger self in memory revealed a deeper truth about spiritual growth: that the life of faith isn't a straight line, but a slow circling toward the heart of God. This is a story about anxiety, belonging, and the quiet, persistent grace that forms us over time.

Take the Connect with God quiz here

In this episode of Theology on Purpose, Sarah talks with Elizabeth Berget, author of Love Like a Mother, about how the sacred, everyday work of motherhood can reveal the heart of God. Together, they explore how Scripture holds both paternal and maternal imagery for God—inviting us into a richer, more expansive understanding of who He is and how He meets us in our daily lives.

Elizabeth shares how seeing God through a maternal lens transformed her own faith, especially in the demanding early years of motherhood, reframing ordinary moments as meaningful encounters with God's presence.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How maternal imagery for God is rooted in Scripture

• Why seeing God as both Father and Mother deepens our theology

• How motherhood can be a context for spiritual formation—not a barrier

• Encouragement for releasing guilt around spiritual disciplines in busy seasons

• What foster and adoptive motherhood reveal about God's love and attachment

• A fresh perspective on interruptions as invitations to encounter God

Get the show notes here

Take the Connect with God quiz here

Sometimes the plans we build so carefully unravel in an instant, leaving us holding disappointment we didn't see coming. In this episode, I share a personal story of unexpected change and reflect on Mark 2, where Jesus responds in a way no one anticipated. Tune in as we consider what it looks like to trust God in the middle of unmet expectations and to believe He is at work in ways that are deeper (and better!) than we can see.

Kate Boyd joins Theology on Purpose to talk about her book An Untidy Faith and the real-life experiences that reshaped how she understands God, church, and discipleship. Drawing from her global travels and seasons of questioning, Kate shares how faith can be stretched without being lost—and how disentangling what we've been taught can lead to a deeper, more integrated life with God.

In this episode, we explore the tension between certainty and curiosity, and what it looks like to hold onto Jesus while reexamining long-held beliefs. Kate offers a hopeful vision for those navigating doubt, deconstruction, or spiritual transition, reminding us that this work—though often painful—is also deeply formational.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The difference between doubling down, demolishing, and disentangling your faith

• How to navigate seasons of doubt without walking away from God

• Why humility, curiosity, and empathy are essential for a mature faith

• How spiritual practices can evolve in seasons of questioning

• A healthier, more relational approach to evangelism

• How to rediscover joy and authenticity in your walk with Jesus

Get the show notes here

Take the Connect with God Quiz here

Easter Sunday changes everything, but what does that actually look like on an ordinary Monday? In this solo episode, I'm talking about what it means to live as "resurrection people" in the tension between hope and brokenness. Tune in, and let's reflect on how God's presence and power are at work in our everyday lives, inviting us to carry the light of the resurrection into everything we do.