Dwell Differently

Join Vera Schmitz, co-founder of Dwell Differently, as she reflects on what she’s been learning this month from Luke 6:27. She shares 3 takeaways from her own life about loving her enemy, and reminds us that because Jesus loved us when we were his enemies, we can also love our enemies. This month’s memory verse: “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you....

Vera is BACK and she has an exciting update to share! Today Natalie and Vera are talking all about our verse this month and how this hard call to love our enemies is really just loving the way Jesus loves. They talk about what to do if you can’t easily think of an “enemy,” how Jesus has been turning enemies into friends since he called his first disciples, and how when we remember that we were onc...

We are so glad to have Madison Perekotiy on the podcast today to talk about what it means to love our enemies with the love of Christ. Madison and her Ukrainian-born husband Yuriy have been full-time missionaries since 2018, first in Ukraine and now in Romania. In this episode, she and Natalie talk about what it’s like to have enemies in an ongoing war, how the character of God helps us to make se...

Is loving our enemies really a non-negotiable for Christians? If we're being honest, our verse this month is a hard one to live out. What is Jesus calling us to believe that we aren’t believing? Why is it a non-negotiable to love our enemies? And how can we live that way? Join Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, as she walks us through the context of this passage, looking at the...

We are so excited to share this special bonus episode with you today! Have you ever thought that creativity was limited to scrapbooking, or that you just aren't a "creative person"? Ashlee Gadd, author of Create Anyway, is joining Natalie Abbott to talk about why being created in the image of God informs how we should view creativity, why creativity doesn't need to be a selfish...

Does it ever feel impossible to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, gentleness, humility, and patience? On today’s episode, Dwell team member Lindsay Tully is sharing a story about how God has used this month’s verse in her family’s life. Tune in to hear where to start when we realize we’re failing, a creative way to remember this month’s verse, and an encouragement to remember you’re not a...

Where is your gaze today? If you’re anything like us, you might be finding your gaze is far too often on yourself first instead of on Jesus. Listen in as Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, and Lindsay Tully, Dwell Differently editor and writer, look to God’s Word to offer hope when we’re struggling to put on the new “clothes” this verse calls us to wear. They take a look at how Jesus...

We are thrilled to have Glenna Marshall back again to talk about one of her favorite hacks for prioritizing Scripture memory in her life, the 3 things Colossians 3:12  reminds us are true of believers followed by the 5 virtues we are called to put on, and what to do when we try to obey but fail.  We are right here with you, seeking to memorize God's Word and live the way he's called us t...

Do you ever wonder how God sees you? If you’ve trusted in Jesus, the beginning words of our verse this month are balm for our souls: chosen, holy, and dearly loved. Join Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, as she walks us through the context of this verse and the vital place we need to start before we try to tackle living out the virtues listed in Colossians 3:12. There is freedom awa...

What does it mean to make Jesus great in our lives? April Harper, CEO of Dwell Differently, asks us some super practical questions today to help us identify what we are holding up as great to those around us. What do you functionally act like you're more excited about than Jesus? Would others see his greatness by what you say, or are other messages coming through more clearly? If we believe t...

You won’t want to miss today’s episode with Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, and April Harper, Dwell Differently’s CEO, as they dig into John 3:30 and what they’ve been learning this month. Natalie and April share how this verse is convicting them, a prideful moment April wishes she could take back, what we should be asking ourselves after an accomplishment, and how we can live liv...

Do you catch yourself being more prideful than you'd like to admit? Pride is a difficult battle for all of us, and today Trillia Newbell and Natalie Abbott help us learn from Scripture how we can war well against pride. Looking at John the Baptist's famous words in John 3:30, they walk us through their own struggles with pride, why John the Baptist was able to say what he did about Jesus...

As humans, we have a perennial tendency to focus on ourselves. We are all hungry for glory, and can try to put ourselves in the spotlight instead of Jesus. And John the Baptist's words in John 3:30 help us to see this sneaky tendency we all have—our longing for greatness—and put it in its proper place. John understood who he was, and he understood who Jesus was, and that made all the differen...

Surprise! This month’s wrap up comes from Natalie Abbott (Vera will be back soon)! We know you’ll be encouraged as Natalie prays the truth of Scripture over us today. May God's peace be present as you remember who he is and how he has been at work in your life. Because our God is our light, our salvation, and our stronghold, we can face whatever circumstances come our way with courage, knowin...

Why do we get so afraid? And what is our first response when we feel fear? Join Vera Schmitz and Natalie Abbott, sisters and co-founders of Dwell Differently, as they talk all about fear—their irrational fears, their real fears, and where fearfulness is actually rooted. They look at two responses to fear, and share Scripture passages that have been helpful when they experience fear and anxiety. Th...

Today’s guest, Jamie Ivey, digs into Psalm 27:1 with Dwell Differently co-founder Natalie Abbott. Listen in to hear some of Jamie’s biggest fears, when this verse became a lifeline for her, and what it really means that God is our light, our salvation, and our stronghold. We know you’ll be encouraged as Jamie and Natalie remind us that Jesus and his Word are never changing in our ever changing wor...

Would you like to know how to overcome fear in your life? Join Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, as she shows us what God’s Word says about how we can conquer our fear. In Psalm 27:1, King David gives us 3 images of who God is as a way to battle against the fear that is threatening to overwhelm him, and we can do the same thing today! As we understand and remember who our God is, ou...

You won't want to miss hearing the story of Jonathan Almonte’s life—born in poverty in the Dominican Republic, unable to attend school, burdened with medical challenges, and contemplated becoming part of a gang—all interrupted in the best way by God caring for him through a local church, Compassion International, and his sponsor. Not only was Jonathan’s life changed, but his family came to kn...

Today on the podcast, Dwell Differently co-founder Vera Schmitz is asking one question: Are your control issues keeping others from using their gifts to serve God and serve others? It can be hard at times to take a step back and invite others to use the gifts and abilities God has given them, and Vera walks us through what this has looked like in her own life. We pray this episode will spark a ren...

Have you ever felt afraid to use the gifts God has given you? Have you ever thought you were inadequate, or maybe even that the ways God has given you to serve others feel mundane and insignificant? We can relate! Join Vera Schmitz and Natalie Abbott, co-founders of Dwell Differently, as they remind us that in God’s economy, there’s no small thing. As stewards (not owners) of these gifts, we can t...

Have you ever felt unsure of how God has gifted you? As Heather MacFadyen says, we’ve all been called to make disciples, but the where and how will look different in everyone’s lives—and that is freeing! Join author and podcaster Heather MacFadyen as she talks with Natalie Abbott about how to identify what God has uniquely equipped you to do, why God gives gifts to his people, and how to not miss...

This month on the podcast, we’re talking all about gifts. God tells us in his Word that he has given all of us gifts, but in a world where we are bombarded with messages to live our best lives, focus on our own happiness, and put ourselves first, we can easily miss the why behind the gifts God has given. Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently, walks us through the context of 1 Peter 4:10,...

We know that Jesus raised from the dead, defeating sin and Satan and death. And we know that if we are in Christ, Jesus’s victory is true of us too. But all too often, we don’t live like Jesus has already won—we slip into being stressed and fearful and discouraged as our situations loom large in our minds. Join Vera Schmitz, co-founder of Dwell Differently, as she shares a story from her own life...

As Christians, the resurrection can sometimes seem like something we only focus on at Easter, but the resurrection of Jesus has implications that reach far beyond an Easter Sunday church service. Join Vera Schmitz and Natalie Abbott, co-founders of Dwell Differently, as they talk about why the resurrection matters and makes a difference in our everyday lives. Don’t miss Vera’s book recommendations...

This month, we are memorizing beautiful words about a promise fulfilled—words on the lips of an angel. Words spoken to women who were desperate and mourning the loss not only of their friend, but of the man whom they had believed was the Messiah. The truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to the Christian faith, but it can sometimes be hard to wrap our minds around its implications—n...