Faith Over Fear

Our journey with God begins in faith and is sustained by faith. When He calls us to follow Him, He rarely reveals the full road ahead. Instead, He nudges us to take that first step, inviting us to trust that what’s ahead is good, because He is good. Every surrendered step leads to increased intimacy with and knowledge of our Savior. Find Ava Pennington at:https://www.AvaPennington.comhttps://www.facebook.com/AvaPennington.AuthorPagehttps://www.instagram.com/avapennington3/Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Sign up to receive her 30-Day Fighting Fear emails here: https://bit.ly/31y43gt Group Discussion Questions:1. What do you most admire about the Magi?2. What are some things you think might have challenged their responsiveness to the Christmas star?3. What does this biblical account reveal regarding God’s heart for us?4. How did their responsiveness lead to increased knowledge of God?5. When have you sensed God calling you to follow Him on a relatively vague road? 6. When has your responsiveness to God’s leading increased your intimacy with Him?7. What might it look like to follow God’s leading this Christmas?8. What currently challenges your responsiveness or obedience?Episode Image Credit: Getty/lukbar Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dealing with Toxic People, with Gary Thomas - Ep. 84We can’t force someone to love us or treat us well, but we can guard our peace and joy. In fact, to live the fruit bearing and gospel-sharing lives that Christ created us for, we must learn when to walk beside and when to walk away.In this episode, prolific writer Gary Thomas, author of When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People, shares insights he learned when studying Christ’s interactions with the various people He encountered. Find Gary Thomas at:https://www.garythomas.comhttps://www.facebook.com/authorgarythomashttps://www.instagram.com/garythomasbooks/Resource mentioned: When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People: https://amzn.to/3dsPRYRFind Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Sign up to receive her 30-Day Fighting Fear emails: https://bit.ly/31y43gtGroup Discussion Questions:1. What did you find most helpful in today’s episode and why?2. Did anything Gary said cause you to reevaluate your thoughts on some relational encounters?3. How would you describe the difference between difficult people and toxic people?4. Consider your relationships. Are there people in your life who steal your peace and joy?5. Why is it important to guard your peace and joy?6. Consider a challenging relationship. In what ways do your interactions with that individual make it difficult to love others well?7. In what ways do your interactions with that individual make it challenging to live out your calling?8. What might it look like to leave an interaction mentally?9. How can you show love and compassion while protecting yourself? Episode Image Credit: Syuzanna Guseynova Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

At times, God’s call to love others persistently and sacrificially can feel confusing, especially if the individual we’re reaching out to behaves in unhealthy and hurtful ways. How can we love well, in a way that is healthy and emotionally and mentally safe? In this episode, Jennifer discusses ways our insecurities and past hurts can pose personal challenges, how God uses those challenges to create increased beauty within us, and the importance of establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries in all our interactions. Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Sign up to receive her 30-Day Fighting Fear emails here: https://bit.ly/3l1eAYsResource mentioned: Becoming His Princess Bible Study Video Week One: https://bit.ly/3o5qHFGGroup Discussion Questions:1.What did you find most helpful in today’s episode and why?2.How often do you pause to evaluate your reactions to particular people or situations?3.In what ways have your insecurities or past hurts colored your perception during disagreements or relationally tense moments?4.Consider someone with whom you often experience difficulty. How much of your ongoing issues might be exacerbated by unresolved hurts from your past?5.When, if ever, do you find yourself getting sucked into someone else’s drama?6.What are some ways you can avoid this?7.How well do you “shake off” rejection?8.What might healthy boundaries look like in your situation? 9.What do you find most challenging when it comes to establishing or maintaining healthy boundaries?10.What is one action step you feel God is wanting you to take after having listened to this podcast episode?Episode Image Credit: Getty/LinaDes Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Loving like Jesus commands is challenging, in the best situations. Trying to love those who are a bit rougher around the edges, who respond with defensiveness, or perhaps even reject our attempts can become frustrating and even painful. Often, such experiences trigger our fears and insecurities. What if their ugly behavior triggers ugliness within us? In this episode, which is part one of a two-part conversation, Matt Maciera, the Executive Director of Be Bold Street Ministries, shares how God has given Him the courage, wisdom, and grace to reach out to those enslaved to darkness. Find Matt’s Ministry:https://www.beboldstreetministries.orghttps://www.facebook.com/BeBoldStreetMinistryhttps://www.instagram.com/beboldstreetministry/ Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Sign up to receive her 30-Day Fighting Fear emails here: https://bit.ly/3l1eAYsGroup Discussion Questions:1.What resonated with you most in today’s episode?2.Consider someone in your circle whom you find hard to love. What about them or their behavior do you find most challenging?3.In what ways does that individual trigger feelings of insecurity?4.How much of your difficulty, in regard to loving the person referenced in question two stems from your own fears and insecurities?5.Why is prayer so important in our effort to live and love like Jesus?6.Why is it important to recognize our propensity to misread situations when we are engaging those who are hard to love?7.What role does prayer play in your interactions with the person referenced in question 2?8.How might viewing your interactions as a personal learning experience help decrease your anxiety and increase your courage in relation to loving those who are hard to love?9.Who is one person God wants you to reach out to this week?10.What is one specific way you can show God’s love to the individual referenced in question 9?Episode Image Credit: Getty/Tetiana Lazunova Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When we recognize how deeply God loves us, we realize we have nothing to fear. The God who is sovereign, all-powerful, and present in our every moment watches over us with the care and attentiveness of a perfect Father. Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Sign up to receive her 30-Day Fighting Fear emails HERE: https://bit.ly/30A1s5xGroup Discussion Questions:1. What resonated with you most in today’s episode?2. How easily do you receive God’s love?3. When have you most felt loved by God?4. What might it look like to “live loved” on a typical day?5 In what ways might you misunderstand or hold misconceptions regarding God’s love?6. How have your experiences of imperfect love from people distorted your view of God as your loving Father?7. Consider God’s perfect love couples with His sovereignty and power. How does this combination speak to your fears?8. In what ways can “living loved” increase your emotional and spiritual freedom?9. In this episode, Jennifer discussed our tendency to distance ourselves from God when we’re disobedience or have disobeyed. When has this been true for you? What brought you back into a close relationship with Him again?10. How does it feel to know that God watched you with joy?Image Credit: Getty/Ponomariova Maria Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

When the storms of life hit, we don’t have to be tossed about. We can stand firm and secure in our steady and faithful anchor Jesus Christ. In this episode, Wholly Loved Jennifer Slattery and Kimi Miller talk about the importance of remaining anchored in Christ, damaging anchors we might try to hold tight to, and how to live with deeper faith and intimacy with Christ. Find Kimi: https://kimimiller.com/ http://whollyloved.com/meet-the-team Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Group Discussion Questions:1.What resonated with you most in today’s episode?2.What are some ineffective or damaging anchors you’ve grabbed hold of?3.What does it mean to make Jesus your anchor?4.Jesus often uses life’s challenges to deepen our faith. When has this proven true for you?5.What are some truths you can hold tight to the next time life feels hard or uncertain?6.Kimi and Jennifer talked about the importance of focusing on our unique race. In what ways do you find this challenging?7.How can focusing on someone else’s “race” increase a person’s anxiety? 8.Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him and we are to do the same. What are some of the joys God has set before you?9.Consider the woman with the alabaster jar. Had you been her, what would have made it hard for you to enter the house to see Jesus?10.What tends to keep you from pursuing Jesus, your anchor? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

**We want to let you know that in this episode we discuss child loss. Please listen with discretion if this is a sensitive topic for you.Most, if not all of us, are pain adverse. Many of us also hold false beliefs regarding suffering. These things and more can add unnecessary burdens, pain, and anxiety to our grief. In our effort to be a “good Christ-follower” we might pull away from God and our faith community, presenting a filtered version of ourselves. But God can handle our most intense emotions. In fact, He wants us to come to Him, to receive His love amid our struggle and His strength able to carry us through our weakest moments. In this episode, Wholly Loved’s Chaka Heinze shares her journey of mourning her eleven-year-old son, wrestling with God and her faith, and learning to live again. Find Chaka Heinze at:https://www.chakaheinze.com https://morethanyourself.com/decisions-challenge Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Group Discussion Questions:1. What resonated with you most in today’s episode?2. Are you comfortable sharing your most intense emotions with God? Why or why not?3. What thoughts came to mind when Chaka talked about being mad at God?4. Why is it important to turn to God when we’re hurting, confused or angry?5. When have you had someone “rebuke” you for, according to them, not grieving correctly?6. What are your thoughts regarding Chaka’s statement that death was not God’s will for us?7. Why is it important to let God guide us in our grieving process?8. What are some ways trying to rush through our grief might prove damaging?9. Consider a time when you found yourself intensely wrestling with God over something. What was the result of that experience?10. Why is it important to place our hope in heaven rather than a pain-free today?Episode Image Credit: Getty/SophonK Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We’ve endured so much over the past few years, and it has left many of us feeling unsettled, somewhat disoriented, and vulnerable. Our world gives us plenty of reasons to feel afraid, but our faithful, promise-keeping God gives us much more convincing reasons to live with confidence. In this episode, Jennifer Slattery and guest Kristine Brown discuss some of God’s promises that we can hold tight to when we feel afraid.Find Kristine Brown at:https://www.kristinebrown.net https://morethanyourself.com/decisions-challenge Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Resources:100 of God's Promises for Your Unraveled Heart (free for all who sign up for Kristine’s newsletter at https://www.Kristinebrown.net)Walking with Rahab: A 5-Day Challenge to Better Decision Making (free 5-Day study)Unshakable Unbreakable Joy, a 10-week Bible Study from Wholly Loved MinistriesFaith Over Fear Reading Plan on YouVersion Bible App.Group Discussion Questions:1. What resonated with you most in today’s episode?2. What are some ways you find and remind yourself of God’s promises?3. What are some of your favorite promises God has made throughout Scripture?4. Why do those promises comfort and encourage you?5. Why is it important to practice “making that mind shift” onto truth as Kristine phrased it?6. What most encouraged you regarding Rahab’s story?7. How do you feel knowing God’s faithfulness is not dependent on yours?8. What is one action step God is asking you to take this week to grow in your reliance on His truth?Episode Image Credit: Getty/Ponomariova Maria Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Our world has become increasingly angry, argumentative, and hostile to the gospel and biblical truth. Unfortunately, the church is, in part, to blame; we’ve become more known for what we’re against than for what we are for. But we mustn’t let the hateful misrepresentation of Christ silence our voice. People need the hope and power of Christ now more than ever. In this episode Jennifer Slattery and Ava Pennington discuss ways to increase our courage while simultaneously upping our truth and grace. Find Ava Pennington at:https://www.AvaPennington.comhttps://www.facebook.com/AvaPennington.AuthorPagehttps://www.instagram.com/avapennington3/Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Group Discussion Questions:1.What encouraged you most during today’s episode?2.What are some emotions you would have struggled with, had you been in Timothy’s position?3.What emotions arise when you consider initiating spiritual conversations with others?4.When do you find it most challenging to share your faith?5.Why is it important to remind ourselves of our calling (whether that’s in a particular role or the general call to share Christ with others) during times of opposition?6.What are some ways you can “fan” your gift “into flame”?7.How can asking questions help reduce our listener’s defenses?8.Why is it important to balance truth with clearly revealed grace?9.Consider a time when someone came at you with grace-less truth. How did you respond and why?10.Consider a time when someone spoke truth to you in a gentle and grace-filled way. How did you respond and why?11.Why is it important to establish a relationship with someone before attempting to speak truth into their life?12.What is one action step God might be wanting you to take this week?Episode Image Credit: Getty/Ponomariova Maria Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What happens when the places God designed to lead us closer to Him, to healing and wholeness, and freedom, become hurtful and toxic? When past hurts create present anxiety that make it challenging for us to enter church buildings, join community groups, and connect with Christ? Unfortunately, many people wrestle with these questions as they try to make sense of God. For those who have been wounded by people in positions of authority, it can be hard to untangle truth from human criticism and God’s character from the false representation of Him. In this episode, Minister Dawn Gentry, the Executive Director of Adult Ministries at Christ Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska, and Jennifer’s daughter, Ashley Chester, discuss some of the church hurts they’ve experienced and witnessed and how God helped them move toward increased wholeness and gave them the courage to overcome lies spoken into their hearts in order live for Him. Find Dawn Gentry at:https://followinggodanyway.comhttps://www.facebook.com/dawn.gentry2https://www.instagram.com/gentry2987/Find Jennifer:https://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.comhttps://www.facebook.com/JenSlattehttps://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Find Wholly Loved, at:https://www.WhollyLoved.comJoin the private Faith Over Fear Group Here:https://www.facebook.com/groups/442736966614671Book Dawn mentioned: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der KolkGroup Discussion Questions:1. What resonated with you most in today’s episode?2. Why do hurts related to faith hurt so deeply?3. When have you been told, in the context of religion, that you’re not enough or that you’re “too much”? How did this make you feel?4. How would you describe a toxic faith group?5. How would you describe a healthy faith group?6. When has a past hurt hindered your ability to attend church, join a group, or connect with God?7. What are some healthy ways group members can respond to another member’s doubts or questions?8. What are some unhealthy responses to someone’s doubts or questions?9. What are some ways a person can begin to separate hurts they’ve experienced from the love of God?10. Why is it important to always remember who we are in Christ?11. What is one action step God is inviting you to take based on today’s episode?Episode Image Credit: Getty/Image_Jungle Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.