In the Dust Podcast

What sustains us when life feels dry? In Episode 115 of In the Dust, Sarah reflects on The Water by Brooke Ligertwood, featuring Victory Boyd, and Jeremiah 17:7–8, the scripture behind the song. Its picture of a tree rooted beside water invites us to place our confidence in God, not in perfect circumstances. Connecting that picture with John 4:7–14, and John 7:37–39, the episode explores living wa...

What happens when we truly recognise the worth of the Kingdom of God? In Episode 114, Sarah reflects on Jesus’ parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great value in Matthew 13:44–46. These short stories invite us to see surrender not simply as loss, but as a joyful response to finding something far greater. The episode explores how the Kingdom reorders our loves, reshapes what we value a...

What happens when an differently answered prayer leaves us wondering whether had enough faith or prayed enough? In Episode 113, Sarah shares a personal moment from Kingdom Conference when God revealed the shame she had been carrying. Through Mark 9:24 and Romans 8:1, this episode makes room for both faith and disappointment while reminding us that differently answered prayer is not proof that we f...

What helps us find steady ground when fear, grief or uncertainty feel overwhelming? In Episode 112, Sarah explores how worship brings us back to the truth of who God is and who we are in him. Through Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, Paul and Silas in Acts 16, and personal moments of singing through distress and loss, this episode considers worship as both grounding and declaration: a way to remembe...

What does faith look like when we cannot see what comes next? In Episode 111, Sarah reflects on Hebrews 11:1 and the space between what we hope for and what is visible. Through the uncertainty of General Change, the remembered faithfulness of God, and the ordinary pressures of daily life, this episode explores faith not as wishful thinking or certainty about outcomes, but as confidence in the God...

This week, a prayer by Nadia Bolz-Weber becomes an invitation to return to the life that is actually here. Sarah reflects on the pull of virtual worlds, the temptation to open tomorrow’s emails today, the overstimulation that promises rest but leaves us depleted, and the desires shaped by what we repeatedly watch. Through four movements—from the virtual to the actual, from feared tomorrows to this...

As winter gives way to spring, this episode invites us to pause before the new season gathers too much speed. Anchored in Ecclesiastes 3:1, Sarah reflects on the invitations God has been extending over the winter months, particularly the practice of saying no in order to make space for what matters most. Together, we'll look back at the past season, notice the fruit that has grown, and conside...

This week, Sarah reflects on Philippians 4:9 and the invitation to move beyond learning, receiving, hearing, and seeing into putting faith into practice. Drawing from a recent family wedding, earlier episodes about revelation and cultivation, and a personal nudge after the Te Tiriti o Waitangi Wānanga, this episode explores how transformation often begins in ordinary, specific, and sometimes incon...

This week, Sarah reflects on the “question behind the question” — the deeper thing that may be sitting beneath our first feelings, reactions, or concerns. Through everyday moments, journalling, Psalm 139, and Proverbs 20:5, this episode invites us to pause before rushing to respond, stay curious with God, and let the Holy Spirit gently draw out what is really going on underneath. Reflection Questi...

This week, I’m joined by my friend and longtime listener Suz Bathurst. Suz shares her story of coming to faith, following God’s call into Officership, and learning to trust him through the twists and turns of life, family, ministry, diagnosis, and change. Together we talk about what it means to know ourselves honestly, to connect with God in ways that fit who he has made us to be, and to let go of...

This week, Sarah reflects on the seeds we sow in the lives of others, drawing from a recent mihi whakatau, an Awaken gathering at Booth College of Mission, and the reminder from 1 Corinthians 3 that one person may plant, another may water, but God gives the growth. This episode explores the unseen and ongoing impact of faithful investment, the kind of seeds we are choosing to plant, and the marker...

This week, Sarah reflects on a moment of worship that caught her by surprise while exercising and considers how love for God can sometimes move from wild wholeheartedness to a tidier love. Drawing from the stories of Mary’s costly offering and David’s refusal to offer God something that cost him nothing, she invites listeners to notice where their love for God may have become domesticated and to c...

In this episode, Sarah reflects on the surprising ways old labels and long-standing habits can shift over time. Through Parkrun, early mornings, winter breakfasts, and the nudge toward deeper prayer, she explores what it might mean to revisit something that once did not fit and ask whether God is doing something new in this season. Reflection Questions: What are the anchoring rhythms and habits th...

This week, Sarah continues The Songs We Sing by reflecting on Arms Open Wide by Hillsong United and the invitation to surrender our whole lives to God. Drawing on Romans 12:1, she explores what it means to offer God our ordinary, everyday lives as worship, and names some of the things that can get in the way of surrender. This episode also includes a note that In the Dust will take a two-week brea...

This week, Sarah reflects on relistening to Shauna Niequist’s Present Over Perfect during a weekend away and the invitation to check in with the shape and pace of her own life. Drawing from five themes in the book — taking down the chairs, saying no, disappointing the right people, choosing the shape of our days, and simplicity — this episode is a gentle invitation to notice where God might be cal...

In this special 100th episode of In the Dust, Sarah is joined by her friend Kelly Cooper to pause, celebrate, and reflect on the journey so far. Together they look back on how the podcast began, what has happened behind the scenes, the lessons learned along the way, and the ways God has been faithful through each season. This conversation is a chance to honour the milestone, but also to notice wha...

This week, I’m reflecting on the truth that God’s goodness and greatness are not dependent on our circumstances — and so our worship doesn’t need to be either. Drawing on personal experience, songs like Bless God, Waymaker, and The Desert Song, and a series of scriptures that speak of praise in both plenty and pain, this episode is a gentle invitation to keep anchoring ourselves in who God is. If...

In this quarterly When Seasons Change episode, I’m inviting you to pause as we step into winter and reflect on the journey so far. Together we look back with gratitude and honesty — noticing where God has been present, what has grown in us, and what this past season has held. Winter can invite us to slow down, pay attention, and make space for what matters most. This episode offers gentle reflecti...

This week, Sarah is reflecting on what it means to make space to hear in a noisy world. Looking at 1 Samuel 3:1–10 and James 1:19, We explore how listening is more than a skill — it’s a posture of attentiveness to God, to others, and to what is going on in our own hearts. This episode is a gentle invitation to slow down, notice the noise within and around us, and become the kind of people who list...

This week, Sarah reflects on Ephesians 4:3–5, a waiata called Me whai kia mau , and a beautiful guitar metaphor that points to Christ as the one we are tuned to. As we head toward Pentecost, this episode explores what it means to protect the unity of the Spirit, live in peace with one another, and remember that the Church is one body held together by one Spirit. If you’ve ever wondered what unity...

When life feels like it’s coming from all angles, the storm can reveal what our lives are really built on. In this episode, Sarah reflects on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:24–29 and the invitation to build on bedrock—listening to His teaching and putting it into practice. You’ll hear practical questions to help you notice the strong spots and weak spots in your leadership, parenting, and daily rhythms...

This week, Sarah reflects on Mother’s Day in Aotearoa through the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42) inspired by Faye Molen’s Bible Study from the Raise Your Voice Bible study resource. We are invited us to follow Jesus by making room—honouring the women in our lives, listening well, and choosing Christ-centred ways to challenge assumptions that silence or sideline women. Reflection Question...

This week, a reflection on ANZAC Day. I’m thinking about the stories we carry—how we remember God’s faithfulness, and how we pass it on. Reflection Questions When you hear the phrase “Lest we forget,” what (or who) comes to mind for you—and why? What is one story of God’s faithfulness in your life that you don’t want to lose to time or busyness? Who is part of your “next generation” (kids, whānau,...

This week, Sarah reflects on how tension can build up in our bodies, minds, and spirits—often without us noticing—until something invites release. Through the experience of an intense massage, she explores God’s gentle invitation toreset, release, and realign through regular practices (not one-off fixes). A reminder to ask God what you need in this season, and to choose rhythms that are kind, sust...

This week Sarah reflects on what it looks like to love our neighbours in the season we’re in—without striving, guilt, or trying to do it all. Drawing on The Art of Neighbouring and Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:36–40, she invites us to askGod who He’s placed closest to us, and to take small, Spirit-led steps of presence, hospitality, and consistent kindness—one relationship at a time. Reflection ques...