If God’s in control, what does that mean for our prayers, our pain, and our choices?

Does believing in a sovereign God lead to freedom or fatalism?

What is the purpose of our prayers and how do our choices really matter?

Whether you’re wrestling with suffering, stress and anxiety or searching for purpose, this episode is for you. Join us as we explore how God’s sovereignty isn’t just a doctrine—it’s an invitation to trust, to act, and to love deeply.

When Christians say “God is in control,” what do we actually mean—and what do we not mean?

Does sovereignty imply meticulous control, or can sovereignty include divine restraint?

How do we reconcile God’s sovereign initiative in salvation with the call for people to respond freely?

John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life".

So, what happens to those who’ve never heard the name of Jesus? Is the door to salvation locked, or does divine mercy reach further than we think? Can sincere seekers—no matter where they’re from or what they know—find grace?

This discussion may just challenge our assumptions, spark curiosity, and invite us to rethink the boundaries of faith and hope.

What does it really mean to “believe”?

When we say we believe in God is it a mere intellectual agreement or a cultural label?

Is believing a deep, life-changing trust—or just a vague opinion? Is “believing” in Jesus simply about agreeing with certain facts, or is it something far more demanding and transformative?

What if belief isn’t passive, but a call to action, surrender, and ongoing commitment?

What makes us click?

Why do we find ourselves drawn to posts that make our blood boil? Is it outrage—or is it something deeper, something in us that craves the rush of being provoked?

When you scroll past that headline designed to enrage, do you pause… or do you dive in? And when you dive in, what happens to your spirit?

Does anger sharpen your sense of justice—or does it cloud your vision of grace?

Could it be that rage bait isn’t just about algorithms and attention, but about temptation? About the subtle lure to trade patience for reaction, gentleness for hostility, love for division?

How do we resist being baited into battles that fracture community and harden our hearts?

And what might it look like to respond—not with rage—but with wisdom and humility?

What do people mean when they say, “I felt God say…”? Is it an audible voice, a whisper in the heart, or simply a strong impression? How do we know if what we sense is truly from God—or just our own thoughts, emotions, or desires? And why do some people speak with such confidence about hearing God, while others wrestle with silence, doubt, or confusion?

In this episode of Thrive Perspectives, we’re not rushing to tidy answers. Instead, we’re opening up the questions. What does it mean to “hear” God? How do we discern between divine guidance and human imagination? And what role does Scripture, prayer, community, and mystery play in shaping our understanding of God’s voice?

Perhaps the question isn’t just how God speaks, but how we learn to listen.

What do you really want? Not what you’re supposed to want. Not what you’ve been taught to want. But what do you truly long for? What are you willing to release to pursue it?

What if the thing you want isn’t the thing you need?

Can you ever know yourself without surrendering your desires?

Can our desires be trusted? Are they a compass or a distraction? A whisper from God or a trick of the flesh?

We live in a world aching with sorrow—fractured by injustice, loneliness, and grief too deep for words. And yet, we’ve built altars to happiness. Not the kind rooted in joy or meaning, but the kind that promises escape. We build our own ‘worldly heavens’ hoping to outrun the ache. It blinds us to the sacredness of sadness.

Perhaps real joy doesn’t come from masking the brokenness but comes from meeting it, naming it, and discovering that God is already there.

• Enlightenment Now
• Brave New World

In a culture obsessed with comfort, dopamine hits, and curated joy, we’ve been sold the idea that happiness is something we can chase, hack, or buy. In fact you might say that we live in a happiness cult, we worship happiness, and it’s become our ‘idol’. But what if that chase is precisely what’s making us anxious, disconnected, and spiritually thin?

This isn’t a call to abandon happiness. It’s an invitation to reorder it.

What if the good life isn’t found in feeling good, but in becoming good? What if joy is not the prize—but the echo of a life lived with purpose?

• The Misery of Chasing Happiness | Psychology Today

How far do we go in investing in systems that are, in some ways, opposed to God’s kingdom?

When does engagement become entanglement?

Are we salvaging a sinking ship—or are we being drawn into a false hope in human progress?

Are we engaging to serve, love, and witness—or to gain power, security, or identity?

Are we humble, prayerful, and distinct—or are we blending in, compromising, or losing our prophetic voice?

Is our ultimate hope in Christ and his kingdom—or in the myth of progress, politics, or institutional reform?

Maybe the ship is sinking—but our role isn’t necessarily to patch every hole. It’s to bear witness to another kingdom, even as we love and serve those on board. We’re not called to save Babylon, but to seek its peace while pointing to the New Jerusalem.