Faith Over Fear

When we think of God’s promise to provide for us, we often think in terms of physical things like food, clothing, and shelter. But if we search the Bible, we find that He promises us other things as well, things like rest and peace and guidance. When it feels like our needs aren’t being met, we can be still, look around us, and find that God is present and providing, even when it feels like nothin...

Sadly, we live in an increasingly disconnected culture where many people are forced to endure the pain of loneliness. Others, perhaps having felt isolated in the past, have developed a strong fear of loneliness. Still others, due to previous wounds, have come to expect rejection and, out of fear of future hurt, remain in emotional hiding. If any of these scenarios resonate with you, be encouraged:...

When life feels monotonous or hard, hold tight to this truth: Jesus promised to give us a filled-to-overflowing, beyond expectations life, and we find that life as we live connected and surrendered to Him. FIND AVA: https://www. AvaPennington.com https://www.facebook.com/AvaPennington. AuthorPage https://www.instagram.com/avapennington3/ CONNECT WITH WHOLLY LOVED MINISTRIES: https://www. WhollyLov...

Do you sometimes feel as if your life is completely out of control and headed toward a dead end? Do you sometimes feel insignificant and like you’re simply trudging from one monotonous and seemingly irrelevant and unimportant task to the next? If so, hold tight to this: God hand-crafted you for a glorious purpose, one He will lead you to, so long as you seek Him and yield to His will. (Scroll down...

No matter how smart, wise, strategic, or well-educated we are, we will all encounter situations during which we need supernatural guidance. In fact, if we want to experience the rich and satisfying life Christ desires for us, we need His wisdom every moment of every day. Because our wisdom is limited and our perception often faulty, when we rely on ourselves, we’re inevitably setting ourselves up...

While we can’t see God, and we can’t always feel Him, either, He promises to remain present. He’s with us during the hard and the good times, the restful and the frightening times, and He will never leave us. The more we come to trust in this truth, the more confidence and peace we experience overall and in difficult seasons especially. (Scroll down to find the group discussion questions) Find Kim...

If we belong to Jesus, we will find ourselves under attack at some point. But we are far from victims. We can respond to every attack with confidence and from a place of victory because we belong to a victorious God. In this episode, mental health professional Janell Rardon shares her insights on how we can stand strong and confident, even when others act ugly. (Scroll down for group discussion qu...

How do you respond when others attack, slander, or gossip about you? Does that cause your anxiety to rise? Do you worry how that hostile, hateful person might impact others in your social circle? In such situations, it’s normal to feel anxious and unsettled. But we don’t have to allow anyone else’s behavior to steal our joy, peace, precious moments, and effectiveness. We can, by God’s grace, rise...

This week, we're re-airing one of our most popular episodes to date - Jennifer's interview with Philip Yancey! Philip Yancey’s fire-and-brimstone fundamentalist upbringing temporarily drove him from the church. In this environment, where he learned to play the part, his identity became confused. By the time he reached college, his pain turned to anger and religious mockery, which only led to furth...

We live in a broken world filled with broken people. Because of this, everyone experiences some level of trauma. Unfortunately, past trauma experiences can greatly impact our lives, perceptions, and interactions in the present. Many of us have become adept at numbing our pain. In order to heal, however, we need to have the courage to unpack and process our trauma stories with truth but also with a...

Life doesn’t always play out as we hope. What happens when it feels as if our dreams have been shattered, our prayers unanswered, and God seems to be leading us a direction we fear might lead to disappointment and pain? In this episode, Kristen Clark, from Girl Defined and coauthor of Not Part of the Plan: Trusting God with the Twists and Turns of Your Story, shares her struggles with infertility,...

When called to something or particularly challenging, our focus often lands on why we’re ill-equipped, ill-prepared, or on what we feel we lack. But this only causes our insecurities to grow. Self-focus can paralyze us. Choosing to step out in faith, however, to embrace assignments that feel far beyond us, leads to impact and increased intimacy with Christ. Our insufficiency is irrelevant in the h...

Following Jesus isn’t easy. To fully embrace all that He’s called us to, we must relinquish our grip on the life we’ve pursued apart from Him. The more surrendered we are, the more pliable we’ll be to His will. Although this might feel frightening in the moment, the yielded heart leads to life and joy. Find Kimi: https://kimimiller.com/ http://whollyloved.com/meet-the-team Find Wholly Loved, at: h...

We all experience times when we feel inadequate and insufficient. In those moments, we can withdraw in self-protection, we can advance forward in self-reliance, or we can yield to and trust in our all-sufficient God. In this episode, Ava Pennington shares a time when God placed her in a position that triggered her insecurities but also that deepened her faith. https://www. AvaPennington.com https:...

When called to something or particularly challenging, our focus often lands on why we’re ill-equipped, ill-prepared, or on what we feel we lack. But this only causes our insecurities to grow. Self-focus can paralyze us. Choosing to step out in faith, however, to embrace assignments that feel far beyond us, leads to impact and increased intimacy with Christ. Our insufficiency is irrelevant in the h...

Jesus said if we try to save our lives—if we cling to our agendas and plans—we’ll lose it. We can’t fight for control and experience all God has for us. Surrendering to God’s call to follow Him, to yield our lives to Him, can feel frightening at the moment, but it’s the only way to experience the joy, peace, and soul-deep fulfillment Christ offers. Find Kimi: https://kimimiller.com/ http://whollyl...

We can’t live for the moment or for ourselves and build the type of life able to stand strong during difficult times or uncertainty. But if we prioritize our relationship with Christ and regularly read His truth preserved in Scripture, He will build we don’t have to fear the worst floods or storms because He’ll build a firm foundation beneath us. https://www. AvaPennington.com https://www.facebook...

We’ve probably all had times when we desperately needed God or assurance from Him but couldn’t feel His presence or hear His voice. In those seasons, we might fear that He’s not listening or isn’t attentive to our cries, but this is far from true. In this episode, Ava Pennington and Jennifer Slattery discuss God’s character, His heart toward us, and His promise to hear us when we cry out to Him. F...

In our dark and hurting world that is often antagonistic to biblical truth, we might feel tempted to surround ourselves with other Christ-followers and to insulate ourselves from the world. But that isn’t the life to which God calls us. Jesus said that you and I are the light of the world. We’re not meant to be hidden. Instead, God wants us to shine brightly for Him, recognizing that our world nee...

We all have an innate desire to belong and to feel as if others “get us.” But Jesus said that His disciples wouldn’t always belong. In fact, sometimes we’d appear quite strange to the watching world. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, when our “odd” or counter-cultural actions are led by Christ, this can be a good thing. Our strangeness can evoke other people’s curiosity, enticing them t...

This past year, we’ve tackled our fear of death, how to live more consistently empowered by the Holy Spirit, discussed issues related to significant church hurts with popular and prolific author Philip Yancey and more. In this episode, Jennifer guides listeners through some of Faith Over Fear’s most popular stories and truths to remind us all of what we’ve learned and encourage us to continue adva...

The past few years have reminded us of how little control we truly have. As a result, many of us are entering the Christmas season with apprehension, hyper-alert for that next potential catastrophe. But the Christmas story and Joseph and Mary’s escape to Egypt reminds us of the power, protection, and provision of the God who knows every challenge we will face and who will faithfully perfect and pr...

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.com https://ww...

Dealing with Toxic People, with Gary Thomas - Ep. 84 We 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, shar...

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 creat...