Set Apart Podcast

Leslie continues her Overcoming series with an episode about the amazing story of Lilias Trotter - a wealthy painter living in Victorian England in the 1800's, who gave up amazing opportunities in order to pour out her life among the destitute and unsaved in Algeria. As a young woman, she demonstrated extraordinary talent as an artist, and could have chosen to pursue fame and live in popularity an...

In this episode, Leslie continues the Overcoming series with several powerful true stories of missionaries to Africa who choose sacrificial love over selfish indifference. We live in a culture where self-protection and selfish living are often glorified, and sacrificial love seems unnecessary and extreme. But as these stories remind us, God's love for us is both sacrificial and extreme. And when w...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with a powerful look at the story of Esther Ahn Kim - a Korean woman who suffered many years in prison for her faith. This amazing story reminds us that when we unreservedly take up our cross and follow Christ no matter the cost, the world can be radically and eternally changed. Our natural human tendency is to take the easy road of self-protection, and remai...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with an inspiring look at Hudson's Taylor's missionary life. Hudson faced many, many impossible situations from the time he first decided to become a missionary - from being infected with a deadly plague to nearly losing his life at sea to risking everything to bring the Gospel to hostile parts of China. And yet his relentless faith in God always overcome. We...

This week Leslie continues the Overcoming series with a powerful look at overcoming depression and discouragement through the example of the hymn-writer, Annie J. Flint. We often base our joy on circumstances, but God desires us to cultivate the kind of soul-level joy that can never be taken away. Annie Flint wrote hymns of hope and victory from a place of deep suffering, and even in the midst of...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with some incredible moments from Darlene Diebler's life. Leslie shares three specific stories from Darlene's experiences during World War II that have personally impacted her own life. This episode unpacks practical Biblical takeaways that can apply to our lives today. This episode is a powerful reminder of God's faithfulness and the world-changing impact of...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with an exploration of Elizabeth Fry - a wife and mother of eleven - who lived in the early 1800's and was responsible for prison reform throughout Europe. Elizabeth was a wife and mother of eleven children who made herself available to God to stand on behalf of the weak and needy, despite already having a full life. God did profound things in and through her...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with the amazing true story of Svea Flood - a missionary to Africa, along with her husband, starting in 1921. Despite incredible hinderances and hostility, Svea's childlike faith and relentless perseverance eventually paved the way for the Gospel to reach people who seemed impossible to reach. This episode reminds us that God often uses begins His world-chang...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with a beautiful testimony of Corrie ten Boom's childlike dependence upon God. As modern Christians we are often led by our own human understanding and logic rather than by God's Spirit. We often forget the fact that God cares about the details of our lives and wants to direct our steps and script our story. Corrie ten Boom's life gives us an amazing example...

Leslie continues her Overcoming series with by unpacking Catherine Booth's spiritual passion. Catherine Booth overcame constant physical pain and weakness, as well as many difficult circumstances, to become one of the most powerful voices for the Gospel in her generation. Catherine's life shows an amazing example of God's strength being made perfect in our weakness. Her overcoming spirit reminds u...

Leslie continues the Overcoming Series with an inspiring look at George Müller's example of becoming fully available to God. In modern Christianity, it's easy to slide into mediocrity, approaching our lives with self-focus instead of Christ-focus. George Müller lived radically for Jesus - not because he chose a life that was exciting or adventurous, but because he became fully available to God rig...

Leslie continues the Overcoming Series with a powerful peek into Mary's Slessor's incredible courage. For most of us, it is extremely counterintuitive to go toward danger instead of away from it. But throughout history, God’s kingdom has advanced when His people were proactive instead of reactive in living out their faith. Mary Slessor was amazingly proactive in taking the Gospel to places where o...

Leslie continues the Overcoming series with a powerful reminder that this world is not our home. When we study the lives of historical Christians, one of the most important lessons we can learn is what it means to endure, to stay the course, and to not grow weary in well doing. In this episode, Leslie offers stories, Scriptures, and principles that illustrate the fact that we are not home yet. No...

Leslie begins a new series about overcoming by walking us through the struggles and victories of Christians from history past, and showing us what we can learn from them today. In this episode she outlines what defines a true Christian hero and reminds us that there are no "special" Christians, only faithful Christians. If you have ever felt unqualified to make a difference in the world for God's...

Leslie continues The Steadfast Heart series with a look at spiritual warfare and how the enemy's hinderance can impact our emotions. In this episode, Leslie encourages us to look at the areas of your life where we feel defeated, discouraged, or hopeless and consider whether Satan may be attacking us in those areas. She presents a Biblical strategy for being aware of enemy hinderance and attack, an...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series by unpacking the Biblical principle of letting God shape our heart's desires. We often believe we will find satisfaction in making our own decisions and simply asking God to bless them. But all throughout Scripture it is clear that God wants to guide us, direct our paths, give us wisdom, and show us the way we should go. Scripture is also clear that as w...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series by diving into Proverbs 31. As modern women we can often feel unhealthy pressure when we encounter this portion of Scripture. But when we understand what Proverbs 31 is really about, it can completely change our mindset. In this episode, Leslie unpacks Biblical keys to understanding Proverbs 31 not as a standard to rise up to, but as a promise to stand u...

As part of the Steadfast Heart series, Leslie unpacks a little-known secret to emotional health - living for God's glory instead of for ourselves. While it seems counter-intuitive, when we choose to get out of the way so that Jesus can be seen through our lives, we experience lasting joy and peace. There is tremendous emotional freedom that comes from choosing to step out of the way, so that Jesus...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series with a conversation about self-pity and the impact that it can have on our emotional health. While the culture often treats self-pity as harmless or even healthy, in reality nothing can plummet us into despair or depression quicker. In this episode, Leslie offers Biblical keys to living free from the trap of self-pity while also allowing God to bring hea...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series with an inspiring episode about the joy of turning outward. While we often believe that focusing on ourselves is the best solution for emotional struggles, in God's kingdom the opposite is actually true. Through historical stories and practical encouragement, this episode reminds us of the soul-level satisfcation that comes from working in cooperation wi...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series with a powerful look at what it means to seek the right comfort - God's comfort - when we are hurting or struggling. There are many forms of counterfeit comfort in our culture that may provide temporary distraction, but won't truly heal us at the soul-level. In this episode, Leslie offers Biblical keys to experiencing the lasting healing that comes from...

Leslie continues the Emotional Health series with an exploration of true Biblical rest. While the culture promotes a version of rest that is temporal and self-focused, God's pattern for rest is Christ-centered, eternally focused, and restorative at the soul-level. In this episode Leslie offers several practical, Biblical keys to experiencing true rest in any circumstance or season of life. For mor...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series with a Biblical look at how to honor others and choose God's higher road of victorious love in our most difficult relationships. It is impossible to be an emotionally healthy person if we are constantly at odds with other people. In this episode, Leslie offers Biblical keys to develop healthy relationships and mindsets towards others and how to deal with...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series with a powerful look on overcoming a critical spirit towards others. When we are hosting a critical spirit, we cannot be emotionally healthy. A critical spirit is like a poison that slowly spreads, making us more and more emotionally toxic in our inner life. A critical spirit cannot co-exist with true joy, peace, gentleness, patience, and kindn...

Leslie continues the Steadfast Heart series by sharing three Biblical keys for choosing peace over drama. When we build our lives around specific principles from God's Word, we can avoid the emotional turmoil that comes from getting involved in unhealthy human drama and experience a peace-filled existence. In this episode, Leslie unpacks these principles and offers specific ways to apply them to o...