With You in the Weeds: Where Faith Meets Mental Health

Have you ever prayed desperately for something — only to be met with silence from heaven?

In this powerful conversation, Shay Roush talks with his father-in-law, Pastor Erwin Lutzer, about one of the most painful questions believers face: Why doesn't God answer my prayers? Unanswered prayers lead many to discouragement or even deconstructing their faith, making it difficult to comprehend how God’s “no” might actually be serving a greater unseen purpose.

Shay and Pastor Lutzer discuss many biblical examples of unanswered prayer, but perhaps the most significant one is Jesus’ unanswered prayer in Gethsemane (“Take this cup from me”), without which we would have no hope of redemption. 

As you listen, you’ll come to see that God may accomplish more through an unanswered prayer than through the answers we beg for. You’ll also walk away with practical help, including how to pray with right motives, a simple framework for meaningful prayer, and encouragement to be honest with God about your disappointment while still choosing worship. 

If you’ve ever felt let down by God or wondered whether prayer really matters in light of his sovereignty, this episode offers hope, clarity, and a deeper invitation to trust him—even when heaven is quiet.

Recommended Resources:

Why Doesn't God Answer My Prayers? A Biblical Guide to God’s Hidden Purpose by Erwin W. Lutzer 

Running to Win Daily Devotional by Erwin Lutzer (365 days inspired by D.L. Moody)

Panic attacks can feel terrifying—sudden, overwhelming, and completely out of your control. If you’ve ever had one, you know how quickly your body can convince you that something is deeply wrong, even when you can’t explain why. If you haven’t experienced one yourself, chances are someone you love has.

In this practical start to our new series, How to Handle Life, Austin delves into panic attacks: what they are, why they feel so intense, and, most importantly, what you can do in the moment when one hits. This episode isn’t about quick fixes or pretending anxiety doesn’t exist. It’s about understanding what’s happening in your body, and remembering that you’re not alone in the middle of it.

You will learn 4 practical strategies to help you handle a panic attack and calm your system. These won’t help you answer why you’re having them, but they will get you out of the fight or flight cycle toward a place of calm and safety. 

Whether panic attacks are a regular part of your life or something you’ve only encountered once or twice, we hope you find clarity, comfort, and a sense of steady ground beneath your feet.

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Deep down, we all cling to control—often the final, most insidious addiction.

In this wrap-up episode of our Dealing With Your Addictions series, John Tinnin, MDiv, MFT interviews therapist and recovering alcoholic Sharon Hersh, LPC about her decades-long battle with alcohol, her journey into counseling, and the painful parallels she’s walked with her adult children.

Sharon names the shame, secrecy, and stubborn self-reliance that fuel every addiction—whether it’s substances, scrolling, spending, or even religious performance. John and Sharon unpack why relapse doesn’t mean failure, why white-knuckling never works, and why true recovery isn’t just sobriety—it’s a whole-life change that only the indwelling work of Jesus can do. 

They explore the three non-negotiable daily practices that lead to freedom (seek God, ruthless honesty, and consistent recovery work), the surprising gifts hidden inside addiction and why surrender to Christ is the only way to conquer “the last addiction” - our lifelong impulse to save ourselves. The final takeaway from this series is that freedom from addiction isn’t earned by perfection–it’s received one surrendered day at a time.

Book recommendation: The Last Addiction by Sharon Hersh

We hope you have enjoyed this series on addiction! Stay tuned for a NEW SERIES starting January 14th called How to Handle Life where we will tackle the most common issues we see in our counseling practice: panic attacks, unanswered prayers, stress, painful relationships, forgiveness, singleness, narcissism and much more! 

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Happy New Year! This episode with guest Jules Lundberg, PLPC was our most downloaded episode of 2025, so we don't want you to miss this incredible story of how God's power can enable you to rewrite the script of your life.

Have you ever experienced a “complete and total loss” only to have it be flipped into a “complete and total life transformation”? 

In this powerful episode of our “Surviving and Thriving After Trauma” series, Lynn Roush, LPC interviews her colleague and friend, Jules Lundberg, (trauma-informed PLPC & PhD student) who shares the compelling story of her journey as a trauma survivor and how she has worked hard to heal, thrive, and help others flip the script of their trauma.

Together, Lynn and Jules provide listeners with practical steps for rewriting the shameful narrative that emerges from childhood trauma and how to begin breaking generational patterns of sin and dysfunction.

Jules' story of resilience includes severe childhood abuse, domestic violence, divorce, infant loss, fostering and adoption. Lynn and Jules discuss:

If you are wanting to rewrite the narrative of your life, this episode will offer insight, hope and practical steps to help you change your internal dialogue and experience the transformation that occurs when you receive God’s invitation to be transformed by his love and truth. We want you to have hope that you can survive and thrive after trauma and embrace your identity as a beloved child of God.

Bible Verse Highlight:

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

If you are in an abusive relationship and need support you can call the domestic abuse hotline: 1-800.799.SAFE (7233), or visit their website https://www.thehotline.org/

If you live in Columbia, Missouri, you can contact True North to receive education, counseling, and shelter from an abusive partner. 

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What is Christmas really about? Is Jesus like the “elf on a shelf” toy that we play with once a year? Or is he like Santa, punishing those who are naughty and rewarding those who are nice?

It’s easy to get caught up in cultural traditions and forget that the true meaning of Christmas is that God became flesh to dwell among us. Jesus entered into a world of darkness and declared: “I am the light of the world”. Who could make such a claim, and live a life of perfection to back it up? And what does that mean for you today?

John and Shay explain the gospel message that God wants to be WITH YOU, and moves towards you in your sinfulness, darkness and brokenness. God took on flesh in the person of Jesus in order to identify with you in your suffering and to forgive your sins. Emmanuel means “God with us”, a comforting declaration that you are not alone in this world, you have a friend in Jesus.

If you are looking for hope this Christmas season, this episode will comfort, encourage and awaken your heart to the beauty and wonder of what it means that Jesus is WITH YOU in the weeds of life.

The WYITW team wishes you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Is God still with you when the pain doesn’t go away?

This episode dives deep into the invisible torment that chronic pain brings. Dr. David Hockman (a former surgeon who now lives with chronic pain himself) and Pastor Shay Roush unpack what chronic pain actually is, why it’s far more than “just physical,” and how it rewires your brain, drains your energy, strains relationships, and can shake your faith to the core. 

The conversation walks you through the biology of tolerance and withdrawal, the red flags of addiction, the proper (and improper) use of pain medication, and a long list of practical, whole-person strategies that can help you live with pain instead of being owned by it.

At the heart of this episode is a life-changing truth: God’s strength is made perfect in weakness, not in the absence of suffering. 

Your chronic pain does not mean God has abandoned you; pain may remain, but it never gets the last word. Someday you will be united with Jesus and your present sufferings will be but a “light and momentary affliction” when you receive your pain-free resurrected body. Our prayer is that this hope sustains, guides and comforts you even when the pain doesn’t go away.

Book resource:

Change Your Brain, Change Your Pain by Dr. Daniel Amen

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What if the things you normalize, celebrate, or even depend on can quietly take over your life just as powerfully as any substance?

In this thought-provoking episode of our ongoing series, Dealing with Your Addictions, John and Shay tackle the topic of behaviors like gambling, shopping, and workaholism and how they can evolve into powerful addictions that mirror the neurological patterns of substance abuse.

You’ll hear about:

After listening to this episode, you’ll understand that freedom from process addiction is possible no matter where you find yourself on the recovery journey.

Book recommendation:

Healing What’s Within by Chuck DeGroat

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If your cravings aren’t satisfied by food, then your struggle might not be about eating at all. But it can be difficult to figure out what’s behind your longings.

In this episode of our ongoing series, Dealing with Your Addictions, we tackle a topic that you may struggle with quietly: your complicated relationship with food. Lynn Roush, LPC sits down with counselor Kelsey Crandall, PLPC from The Current, a Columbia, MO-based clinic specializing in helping clients heal from disordered eating.

You’ll hear about these key ideas:

You’ll want to listen in as Kelsey brings a warm, grounded perspective on what’s really going on beneath the surface of eating disorders—and why you may feel stuck in patterns you can’t simply “willpower” your way out of. This conversation is full of insight that will help you reflect on the role food plays in your life and how to deal with this inner struggle with hope and support.

Further Resources:

Sick Enough by Jennifer Gaudiani

The Current Clinic in Columbia, MO

Bamboo Nutrition Clinic in Columbia, MO

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Does your phone put you to bed at night and wake you up in the morning? How often do you actually touch and hold your phone each day? Could you be addicted?

Your phone isn’t just a tool anymore—it’s a slot machine in your pocket, custom-built to hijack your brain’s reward system. And for the first generation of true digital natives (today’s teens and twenty-somethings), the consequences are hitting harder and earlier than any of us “digital immigrants” ever imagined.

In this episode, Austin Conner, MDiv, PLPC has a broad ranging interview with Luke Simon, newly hired co-director of Crossing Student Ministry, a published author, and an extremely wise and insightful GenZ-er. 

Luke gets brutally honest about his double life—real-life Luke who felt anxious and insecure, versus “Luke3Simon” online who was always crushing it—and how deleting social media, going full airplane-mode, and even leaving his phone in the car became his personal rehab. He also explains why the phone isn’t the real problem—it’s the escape hatch from a painful, boring, or broken reality.

Austin and Luke discuss the nature of the digital landscape, what apps and dynamics contribute to phone addiction and specific advice to parents about how to help themselves and their kids navigate the ever changing digital terrain.

After listening to this episode we hope that you will look up from the dim glow in the palm of your hand and engage the real world in all its colorful beauty.

Further Resources

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What do you do when the person you love most is trapped in addiction—and you realize you’re powerless to change them? 

This conversation is going to share the raw truth about addiction and codependency that many Christians are not able to say out loud. The crazy-cycle is real in a home or a marriage where there is addiction. And learning to love someone who is addicted will take grace and wisdom that can only come from God.

After living in the crazy-cycle for years, things started to make sense after Yvonne’s husband revealed his addiction to pornography and drugs. But even after the truth came out, nothing would ever be the same again. As her husband entered a recovery process, Yvonne began her journey of uncovering her need to please and take care of others, and her drive to live a life of performance and perfection. 

She needed to change just as much as her husband needed to change.

Listen as Lynn Roush, LPC and Yvonne Bernard pull back the curtain on 5 pervasive myths Christians believe about addiction, the needed boundaries that will save your sanity, and the one truth that can offer you lasting peace. If you’ve ever felt stuck on the crazy-cycle of loving an addict, this hope-filled conversation is for you.

Download our free resource: 5 Steps to Setting Healthy Boundaries 

‘It Will Never Happen to Me!’ Children of Alcoholics: As Youngsters - Adolescents - Adults by Claudia Black

Beyond Boundaries: Learning to Trust Again in Relationships by Dr. John Townsend

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