Light + Life Podcast

ind Your Place To Belong At First Pres: https://firstprescos.org/belong Watch More Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnLY-c1KPtO7a_Zw4LIVbMhbevfOMgApx If you believe in Jesus but death, hell, or the afterlife still make your stomach drop, this episode is for you. Emmy sits down with Matt Holtzman to talk honestly about fear, grief, heaven, hell, Scripture, and the kind of hope that...

Find Your Place To Belong At First Pres: https://firstprescos.org/belong Watch More Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnLY-c1KPtO7a_Zw4LIVbMhbevfOMgApx If you’ve wondered whether prayer really matters in everyday life, this episode is for you. This conversation offers an honest look at why prayer can feel hard, what it changes, and how to take a real next step without pretending. Wh...

**Find Your Place To Belong At First Pres:** https://firstprescos.org/belong **Watch More Episodes:** https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnLY-c1KPtO7a_Zw4LIVbMhbevfOMgApx If you know a conversation matters but you keep putting it off because you do not want to make it weird or make it worse, this is for you. This episode will help you understand why conflict feels so loaded and how one honest...

Find Your Place To Belong At First Pres: https://firstprescos.org/belong Watch More Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnLY-c1KPtO7a_Zw4LIVbMhbevfOMgApx If science questions have left you confused, torn, or unsure what to do with faith, this conversation is for you. This is for people who want a more honest way to think about science, belief, doubt, and what it means to keep moving t...

If you are scared to say what you really think about faith, this is for you. If you have been carrying doubts, questions, or frustration and wondering whether church can handle the truth, this episode meets that moment with honesty. What young adults are really feeling when faith starts to feel shaky Why church can feel unsafe when honesty seems costly How belonging can start before everything fee...

Life has a lot of questions you can’t Google—this episode explores why mentorship might be the missing piece. Have you ever felt like everyone else has life figured out while you’re still Googling how adulthood works? Many young adults long for guidance but don’t know how to find a mentor—or even what mentorship should look like. In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Tim and Liza explore t...

What if singleness isn’t a delay in your real life—but a place where Christ meets you fully? In this honest and hope-filled conversation, Liza and Tim explore what the church often gets wrong about singleness. From dating fasts and codependency to cultural idolization of the nuclear family, they unpack the tension many feel between longing for marriage and learning to live fully today. Together, t...

What if God’s boundaries for sexuality aren’t meant to shrink your life, but to protect your heart and deepen your belonging?   Many people feel torn between their faith and their sexuality, wondering if there is any real place for them in the church. Others want to hold to a historic Christian sexual ethic but aren’t sure how to do that without hurting people they love. In this conversation, Liza...

Why do we keep doing what we know is wrong—and why does shame convince us to hide it instead of bringing it into the light?  If you’re tired of repeating the same patterns and then spiraling into shame, this episode maps a way back to truth—and back to the people who can help you heal.  Liza and Tim talk honestly about “besetting” (habitual) sin—those stuck places where you look up and think, “Wha...

The holidays can be full of lights and laughter—unless you’re the one barely holding it together or walking with someone who is. What do you do when a friend finally admits, “I’m not okay,” right in the middle of a season where everyone else seems to be celebrating? How can you love them like Jesus without minimizing their pain, trying to fix everything, or burning yourself out in the process? Hos...

When your December calendar is packed and your soul feels strangely quiet, Jesus invites you to slow down, listen, and actually live like a human again. Why does disappointing other people feel scarier than disappointing our own bodies and souls—especially in December? In a season meant for waiting on Jesus, many of us are exhausted from saying yes to everything and everyone, unsure how to rest wi...

If your feed is all wins and you feel stuck in sweatpants, there’s a wiser way to live. Why does everyone else seem ahead while I’m stuck? Is God holding out on me? Today we name the ache of comparison and learn a Jesus-centered path from envy to contentment. Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim to talk candidly about the “everyone’s doing great—except me” mindset fueled by social media highlight r...

If you’ve ever whispered, “Lord, I don’t get it,” this conversation is for you. Does doubt mean I’m failing at faith—or could it become the very path to deeper trust? What do we do when questions collide with grief, church hurt, or cultural pressure?   Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for a transparent look at doubt—not as betrayal, but as fuel for faith when we don’t stop there. They explore T...

When the headlines—and your own thoughts—won’t stop buzzing, Jesus meets you with real peace and a next step. Why does the future feel so shaky—and what do we do when “what-ifs” spiral into paralysis? For students and young adults juggling school, work, and relationships, anxiety can feel like the air we breathe. Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for an honest conversation about anxiety—how it s...

How do we keep real connection —and real truth — when our views clash ? We live in echo chambers where even shared events feel like different realities. As followers of Jesus, how can we speak truth without severing friendships—or idolizing “unity” over Christ Himself?  Host Liza welcomes Pastor Tim for a candid, practical conversation on staying connected in a divided world. They name cultural fo...

A raw conversation on faith, lament, and God’s presence in life’s hardest seasons What do you do when life feels like it’s falling apart, and God feels a million miles away? In this powerful episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Liza Cunningham sits down with Pastor Matt Holtzman from the Caring Ministry team to talk honestly about what it’s like to feel “ghosted by God.” From seasons of marriage...

How Faith, Entrepreneurship, and Partnership are Changing Lives What happens when hope and practical help collide? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza Cunningham sits down with Missions Pastor Ellen Dawson to unpack her recent trip to Guatemala, walking the streets of San Pablo and Patzún, partnering with ministries. From motorcycle repair shops and crepe cafés to clean water project...

One Woman’s Creative Way to Break Down the Generational Divide and Build Gospel-Centered Relationships What if a simple dinner and a movie could change the culture of a church? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Liza Cunningham sits down with Junior McGarrahan, teacher, mentor, and host of one of the most joy-filled gatherings you’ve never heard of. What started with a screening of Froz...

We’ve made it to Episode 60! And what better way to mark the moment than to talk about something everybody faces— failure . Whether it’s a missed deadline, broken relationship, or spiritual faceplant, failure can feel like the end. But in the hands of God, it’s never final. In this milestone episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Liza and Pastor Tim reflect on what it means to fail, how to bounce b...

What does it mean to love someone you disagree with? In a world of cancel culture, judgment, and digital takedowns, how do we follow Jesus into grace—not silence, not outrage, but grace ? In this timely episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Liza and Pastor Tim talk about cancel culture, healthy conflict, spiritual maturity, and how the church can become a community where hard conversations lead to...

Are you tired of performing? Exhausted from curating the “best version” of yourself—whether online or at church? In this honest and grace-filled episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Liza and Pastor Tim explore the pressure to perform, the pull to present a filtered life, and the freedom of following Jesus without hiding your mess. This conversation pulls back the curtain on: The difference betwee...

Do you have people in your life who really see you—who speak truth, show up, and call out the best in you? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast , Liza and Pastor Tim explore the importance of Christ-centered friendship, spiritual community, and the courage it takes to share your needs. We weren’t made to go it alone. Whether you're new in town, feeling disconnected, or just longing for...

Is your phone running your life—or is your life running away from you? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast , hosts Liza and Pastor Tim dig deep into the growing tension between digital dependence and spiritual health. From doomscrolling at 2 a.m. to the brain-numbing effects of constant content, this candid conversation confronts the chaos of modern tech addiction and invites you into a mo...

Can Christians live more sustainably without getting caught in cultural confusion or guilt? In this episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza and Pastor Tim explore how faith intersects with environmental stewardship—unpacking personal habits, biblical truth, and surprising stories about our responsibility to care for God's creation. You'll hear raw reflections on hustle culture, conveni...

Are you tired of measuring your worth by your work? You’re not alone. In this powerful episode of the Light + Life Podcast, hosts Liza and Pastor Tim dive deep into the struggles of burnout, hustle culture, and losing your identity to endless productivity. They share honest stories about overachievement, disillusionment, and the pressure to always do more—and how Jesus offers a radically different...