<p>Life is too short and God has too much for us to do for any of us to live enslaved. Jesus promised His followers would experience filled to overflowing life, a life characterized by joy, peace, and spiritual and emotional vitality. And yet, we daily make decisions based on fear, not faith. In Faith Over Fear, author and speaker Jennifer Slattery helps us see different areas of life where fear has a foothold, and how our identity as children of God can help us move from fear to faithful, bold living.</p> <p>This podcast covers topics like:</p> <p>⭐️ How to Overcome Fear<br>⭐️ Biblical Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety<br>⭐️ Powerful Steps to Fight Anxiety<br>⭐️ Finding God Faithful in Hard Seasons<br>⭐️ Courage to Wait on God</p> <p>Jesus has more planned for us than we could imagine and He’s fully committed to perfecting that which concerns us. Fear holds us back, but His perfect love has the power to cast out all fear!</p>
What do you do when life takes a devastating turn and God doesn't seem to be helping you?
In today’s episode of Faith Over Fear, Jennifer Slattery sits down with retired Air Force brigadier general, chaplain, pastor, and author Bob Page to talk about trusting God in seasons of hardship and uncertainty.
Bob shares the powerful story of a life-threatening accident that left him in intensive care while his young family faced an uncertain future. To outside observers, it might have looked as if God had abandoned them. But as Bob reflects on that season, he now sees unmistakable evidence of God’s presence and provision—from a nurse who comforted his injured daughter to unexpected financial provision that sustained his family.
Through decades of ministry and personal experience, Bob has learned a profound truth: even when we cannot see or understand God’s ways, we can trust His heart.
In this conversation, Jennifer and Bob discuss:
Why hardship does not mean God has abandoned us
How to speak honestly with God about fear, anger, and confusion
The importance of remembering God’s faithfulness in the past
How God uses painful seasons to shape our purpose
Practical steps to help retrain our minds to see God’s presence
Drawing from Scripture, personal stories, and insights from Bob’s book God Is Still for You: 10 Reasons You Can Be Sure When Life Is Hard, this episode offers encouragement for anyone walking through difficult circumstances and uncertainty.
Key Scripture Mentioned
Psalm 121:1–2
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding…”
Psalm 9:10
“Those who know your name trust in you…”
Lamentations 3:21–23
“Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed…”
In This Episode You'll Learn:
Why feeling abandoned by God is a common experience during hardship
How honest prayer can deepen your relationship with God
Why remembering God’s faithfulness strengthens faith
How God often prepares us through experiences that seem like detours
Practical ways to speak truth to fear
Resource referenced: God Is Still For You: Ten Reasons You Can Be Sure Even When Life Is Hard by Bob Page
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts
Discussion/Reflective Questions:
Connect with Bob Page On his website
Find Jennifer Slattery:
Subscribe to her free newsletter
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
In this honest and hope-filled conversation, Carol sits down with Mary DeMuth to explore how our past quietly shapes the way we show up in relationships—and how God can rewrite those patterns.
Together, they name a powerful lie many listeners carry: My past defines my relationships—I’ll keep repeating it. Early wounds, misunderstandings, disorienting seasons, and environments we didn’t choose often create internal narratives about trust, safety, control, and worth. Over time, those narratives influence how we react, who we let close, and how we protect ourselves. Fear and anxiety frequently grow out of these unresolved relational stories.
Mary shares how reflection becomes the first step toward transformation. By mapping our story—identifying key characters, inciting incidents, pain points, and the “muddled middle”—we begin to notice patterns instead of being ruled by them. Disorientation can become an invitation to find God as our true safety. What once fueled control and self-reliance can instead become a doorway to surrender and healing.
The conversation moves from awareness to action. What does it look like to walk differently? Mary explains how boundaries reduce anxiety, how emotionally safe community fosters healing, and how understanding our story shifts us from reaction to intention. When we recognize how old narratives drive current responses, we can pause, invite God in, and choose new patterns.
The episode closes with a practical next step: notice one relationship pattern you keep repeating, ask what part of your past is shaping it, and invite God into that moment before you respond.
Your past may explain you—but it does not define you. God is still writing your story, and He specializes in redemption, even in the places that feel most stuck. You are not too patterned, too wounded, or too late. You are being restoried.
Resource referenced: Restory Your Life: How Jesus Reframes Your Past, Rewrites Your Present, and Redefines Your Future
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts
Listener Reflective Questions
Connect with Mary DeMuth:
Find Carol McCracken:
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Do you lie awake replaying conversations… wishing you’d said no instead of yes?
Do you feel responsible for everyone else’s happiness and so bogged down by other's expectations that you've lost your sense of self? Are your relationships filled with more takers than givers? Do friendships tend to bring you more anxiety than joy?
If so, Jennifer Slattery's conversation with author and podcast host Jennifer Renee Watson will encourage you.
In this episode of Faith Over Fear, Jennifer Slattery sits down with author and speaker Jennifer Renee Watson to unpack the emotional roots of people-pleasing, codependency, and the deep fear of not being “enough” or "doing enough." Together, they explore how trauma, anxiety, and unhealthy relationship patterns can shape our identity—and how God leads us toward healing, clarity, and freedom.
Jennifer Watson shares her personal story of growing up in instability, navigating ministry pressures, and learning—one fumbling step at a time—how to set boundaries, recognize harmful patterns, and rediscover her voice. This conversation offers practical encouragement for anyone struggling with approval-seeking, emotional exhaustion, relational confusion, or the pressure to always keep others happy.
You’ll learn why people-pleasing often grows from survival patterns, how resentment can signal deeper wounds, and why healing takes time, support, and truth. Most importantly, you’ll be reminded that your worth isn’t defined by others’ approval—but by God’s steady love and presence.
This episode is for you if you:
Struggle to say no without guilt
Feel drained by relationships or expectations
Carry anxiety about disappointing others
Want healthier boundaries rooted in faith
Long to rediscover your identity and confidence in Christ
Resource referenced: What If You're Doing Better Than You Think?: Finding Courage and Confidence When Life Gets Messy
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts
Key truth to hold onto:
[God] is your constant source of stability; he abundantly provides safety and great wisdom (Isaiah 33:6, NET)
Next step: Pay attention to your yeses and nos this week. Notice what drives them—and invite God into the healing process.
Discussion/Reflective Questions:
Connect with Jennifer Renee Watson:
Check out the podcast she cohosts with two other speakers, "More Than Small Talk"
Find Jennifer Slattery:
Subscribe to her free newsletter
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Many believers feel torn between loving others and protecting their hearts. We’re taught to include everyone, forgive quickly, and keep our doors open—but Scripture also calls us to wisdom and discernment in who we allow to shape our thinking, emotions, and spiritual direction.
In this conversation, we explore the difference between loving people and trusting them equally—and why healthy boundaries aren’t unloving, but deeply biblical.
Author Becky Harling joins us to unpack what emotionally healthy, Christ-centered friendships look like, how to recognize unsafe relational patterns, and how to heal when relationships wound us. Together, we examine how grounding our identity in Jesus frees us to love generously without becoming drained, resentful, or spiritually pulled off course.
This episode provides clarity on:
why loving everyone doesn’t mean giving everyone equal access to your heart
how to identify safe, reciprocal friendships
warning signs of codependency, control, gossip, and emotional imbalance
how prayer shapes wise relational decisions
what loyalty and long-term friendship look like in a Christ-centered life
how to set boundaries without becoming guarded or cynical
steps toward healing after relational hurt
Resource referenced: Friend-Wise: Practical Ideas for Richer Relationships
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts
Discussion/Reflective Questions:
Where have I confused loving people with trusting them equally?
Which relationships currently strengthen my walk with Christ—and which leave me spiritually drained?
Do I have a small circle of safe, reciprocal friendships where I can be fully known and prayed for?
What boundaries might God be inviting me to set so I can love others from a healthy place rather than from exhaustion or fear?
When I’ve experienced relational hurt, have I brought that pain honestly before Jesus for healing and wisdom?
Who are the voices currently shaping my thinking, emotions, and spiritual direction—and are they aligned with God’s truth?
Connect with Becky Harling:
Find Carol McCracken:
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
When headlines, social media, and everyday stress collide, anxiety can easily take over. In this episode, Jennifer Slattery and Carol McCracken explore why our minds and bodies respond so strongly to cultural chaos—and how God gently leads us back to peace.
Download the free companion guide for this episode here: Finding Peace in a Chaotic World: A Faith-Based Guide to Quieting Anxiety and Re-centering Your Heart
Additional (free) resource you might find helpful: When Fear Strikes: a 7-Day Reset for Anxious Hearts
You’ll hear:
how stress and overstimulation affect the brain
why anxious thoughts spiral so quickly
practical grounding tools rooted in faith
how Jesus modeled withdrawal and reconnection with the Father
why joy, Scripture, and community strengthen emotional resilience
If you’ve felt overwhelmed lately, this conversation will remind you: you’re not broken—and you’re not alone. God meets us right where we are and leads us toward calm, clarity, and renewed trust.
Scripture referenced in this episode:
Proverbs 3:5–6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
Isaiah 26:3–4
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You… The Lord Himself is the Rock eternal.”
Psalm 46:1–2
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear…”
Psalm 91:1–4
God as refuge, shelter, and covering.
Isaiah 41:10
“Do not fear, for I am with you… I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Colossians 3:15
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…”
Gospel accounts of Jesus withdrawing to pray
(Mark 1:35-39; Luke 5:15-16; Luke 6:12)
Reflective Questions:
Use these for journaling, small groups, or personal reflection.
When I feel overwhelmed, what tends to trigger my anxiety most—noise, conflict, social media, uncertainty, or something else?
What physical signs tell me I’m becoming dysregulated or stressed (sleep disruption, tension, racing thoughts, irritability)?
Which grounding practice helps me reconnect with God most easily—breathing, Scripture, silence, journaling, nature, prayer, or community?
Where might God be inviting me to “withdraw” from input right now so I can hear His voice more clearly?
What truth from Scripture do I need to return to when my thoughts begin to spiral?
What is one small step I can take this week to pursue peace intentionally instead of waiting for my circumstances to change?
If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who may be feeling overwhelmed. And don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review—it helps others find hope and practical help when they need it most.
Find Carol McCracken:
Find Jennifer Slattery:
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
If you’ve prayed for peace but still feel anxious, overwhelmed, or discouraged, you’re not alone—and you’re not failing spiritually.
In this episode of Faith Over Fear, Jennifer Slattery is joined by Jamie Hampton, co-host of the Praying Christian Women podcast, for a compassionate and honest conversation about anxiety, prayer, and God’s peace. Jamie shares a season of debilitating anxiety and what that taught her. Together, she and Jennifer explore what Scripture—especially Philippians 4—really teaches about anxiety, why peace is often a process rather than an instant fix, and how God meets us in our physical, emotional, and spiritual realities.
This conversation is for anyone who loves God but feels confused, exhausted, or ashamed by persistent anxiety—and longs for a gentler, grace-filled way forward.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Why anxiety is rarely just spiritual—and why that matters
What Philippians 4 does not mean about “being anxious”
How praise and prayer can calm both the heart and nervous system
Why honest, unfiltered prayer leads to deeper freedom
Practical ways to interrupt anxious spirals with compassion
How God’s peace grows through presence, not pressure
Scriptures Referenced:
Philippians 4:4–9
1 Peter 5:7
Download this episode's free companion guide HERE.
Resources Referenced: She Prays Like a Girl: Discover the Joy and Power of Praying Like You (and no one else!)
So Much More Scripture Meditation (podcast)
Hearing Heart Biblical Meditation App
Featured Guest:
Jamie Hampton, Christian author and co-host of the Praying Christian Women podcast, shares vulnerably from her own journey through anxiety and healing.
NOTE: if you enjoyed this episode, visit Jamie and Alana's podcast Praying Women to hear Jennifer's conversation with Jamie on their show. Find it HERE.
Encouragement for Listeners:
If prayer hasn’t taken your anxiety away, that doesn’t mean God is distant or disappointed or that your prayer practice isn't helping. God gradually cultivates peace in your soul as you walk with Him.
Reflective Questions:
When anxiety rises, what assumptions do I tend to make about myself or my faith?
Are there physical, emotional, or situational factors contributing to my anxiety that I may have overlooked?
What does it feel like to hear that God’s peace is often a process rather than an instant result?
When prayer feels difficult, what gentle ways might help me orient my heart toward God?
Are there fears or questions I’ve been hesitant to bring honestly to God? What might it look like to release those to Him?
Which one small practice from this episode—praise, journaling, or honest prayer—feels most accessible to try this week?
Connect with Jamie Hampton:
On her and her cohosts website
Find Jennifer Slattery:
Subscribe to her free newsletter
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Do you lie awake at night worried about money?
If financial stress has left you feeling anxious, ashamed, or trapped, this episode will encourage you and help alleviate some of your fear.
In today’s Faith Over Fear conversation, host Jennifer Slattery sits down with Todd Moore, Director of Education at Trinity Debt Management, to talk honestly about financial fear, scarcity mindsets, and the emotional weight money struggles carry—especially in today’s economy.
Todd shares his powerful story of growing up with scarcity, accumulating debt as a first-generation college student, and eventually discovering that financial hardship doesn’t define your future. Together, Jennifer and Todd explore why money anxiety impacts our sense of safety, how past trauma can intensify present fear, and why struggling financially is far more common—and far less shameful—than many realize.
You’ll also hear practical, grace-filled encouragement for anyone who feels overwhelmed or stuck, including:
Why financial hardship doesn’t mean you’ve failed
How fear affects the brain—and why support matters
Small, doable steps you can take right now to regain clarity
How God’s compassion meets us in seasons of financial uncertainty
Why asking for help can be the turning point toward freedom
If you’re facing job loss, debt, rising expenses, or lingering fear rooted in past instability, this episode offers both biblical reassurance and practical hope.
Resources Mentioned:
Trinity Debt Management: https://www.trinitycredit.org
You are not alone. You are not stuck. And God is still leading you toward freedom.
This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. “Whether we’re helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548. https://trinitycredit.org/
Reflective Questions (For Show Notes, Companion Guide, or Journaling)
What emotions surface when you think about your finances right now—fear, shame, exhaustion, or uncertainty?
How might God be inviting you to bring those emotions honestly to Him?
Can you identify any past experiences (childhood scarcity, instability, job loss, homelessness, or debt) that may be fueling your current financial anxiety?
How does recognizing this change the way you view yourself?
Where have you been tempted to believe that your financial situation defines your worth, faith, or future?
What truth from Scripture counters that belief?
What would it look like to stop facing financial stress alone?
Who might God be inviting you to reach out to for support, guidance, or education?
What is one small, manageable step you could take this week to move toward clarity rather than avoidance?
(Tracking expenses, making a call, praying honestly, or asking for help.)
How does this conversation reshape your understanding of God’s compassion and provision—not just for today, but for the future He sees and prepares you for?
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
“When You’re Not Out of Control—Just Tired of Surviving”
In this episode of Faith Over Fear, Carol sits down with Christy Osborne, author of Love Life Sober, for an honest, compassionate conversation about exhaustion, emotional numbness, and the quiet ways many women cope just to get through the day.
This isn’t a conversation about hitting rock bottom or losing control. It’s about the woman who looks “fine” on the outside—but feels tired, flat, and disconnected from joy on the inside.
Christy shares her personal journey through an alcohol fast—not as a self-improvement project, but as a brave act of curiosity and care. (Download the free companion guide for this episode here.)
Together, Carol and Christy explore:
If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not out of control—I’m just so tired,” this episode is for you.
Resource referenced: Love Life Sober: A 40-Day Alcohol Fast to Rediscover Your Joy, Improve Your Health, and Renew Your Mind
Listener Reflective Questions
Connect with Christy Osborne:
Find Carol McCracken:
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Many people know God is loving and kind—but struggle to feel or trust that love in their most wounded places. For those impacted by trauma, religious abuse, legalism, or deep loss, God can feel distant, harsh, or unsafe.
In this moving conversation, host Jennifer Slattery sits down with author Sherri Hughes Gregg to explore how Jesus consistently reveals Himself as tender, compassionate, and near to the brokenhearted. Drawing from Sherri’s book The Compassionate Christ, her personal journey through divorce and cancer, and powerful Gospel narratives—including the leper, the grieving widow, and the Samaritan woman—this episode gently challenges fear-based views of God and invites listeners into healing truth.
Together, Jennifer and Sherri model how we can wrestle respectfully with Scripture, release shame-laden interpretations, and encounter Christ as He truly is: the One who comforts, restores dignity, and brings beauty from ashes.
Download this episode's free companion guide with Scripture and journal prompts here.
Resource referenced: The Compassionate Christ: Draw Near to the Risen Savior (A 31-Day Devotional Retelling of Stories from the Life of Jesus)
Discussion/Reflective Questions:
When you think about God’s posture toward you, what emotions surface most easily—fear, comfort, suspicion, hope? Why do you think that is?
How have past experiences (family, church culture, trauma, or suffering) shaped the way you interpret Jesus’ actions and words in Scripture?
Which Gospel story mentioned in this episode—the leper, the widow, or the Samaritan woman—do you most relate to right now? What about it resonates with your current season?
Are there moments when suffering or disappointment has caused old fears or shame-based beliefs about God to resurface? How have you responded to those thoughts?
What would it look like to intentionally observe how Jesus interacts with wounded people in the Gospels, without filtering His actions through fear or self-condemnation?
Where might God be inviting you to receive comfort before resolution—to trust His nearness even while you wait for healing or answers?
What is one lie about God’s character you feel prompted to gently release—and one truth about His compassion you want to sit with this week?
Connect with Sherri Hughes Gregg:
Find Jennifer Slattery:
Subscribe to her free newsletter
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Do you struggle with prayer—what to say, how to say it, and whether God will respond? Does God ever feel distant or silent when you cry out to Him? In this episode, guest Rachel Britton shares why prayer often feels difficult, especially when we feel fearful, disappointed, or anxious, and she explains how simple, guided prayers can help us open our hearts wider to the Lord.
(Download this episodes free companion guide here.)
Together, Carol and Rachel explore what we can learn from biblical women who prayed through some of Scripture’s most painful and complicated moments:
Their lives reveal that God hears those of us who feel unseen, afraid, or unsure. Through their stories, Rachel invites us to grow in confidence—not by having perfect words, but by remembering we are perfectly loved.
Resource referenced: Pray Naturally: Finding Your Spiritual Confidence as a Woman Loved by God by Rachel Britton
Reflective/Discussion Questions
Find Rachel Britton:
Find Carol McCracken:
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
When anxiety tightens your chest and fear whispers that you’re alone, knowing who God is can steady your heart. In this deeply comforting conversation, Jennifer Slattery sits down with author and ministry leader Grace Fox to explore how the names of God reveal His nearness, power, and peace—especially in seasons of uncertainty, trauma, and unanswered prayer.
Grace shares how understanding God as Yahweh Shalom, Abba Father, Yahweh Roi (the Lord my Shepherd), and the God who is Light can reshape how we walk through hardship. From cultivating daily time with God in busy seasons to experiencing supernatural peace in the middle of a medical crisis, this episode gently reminds listeners that fear is not a sign of failed faith—but often a signal that we were never meant to carry our burdens alone.
In this episode, guest Grace Fox shares practical tools to quiet anxious thoughts, anchor themselves in truth, and learn how God often reveals His heart most clearly in life’s darkest caves. (Scroll down to download a free companion guide designed to help you process this episodes content more deeply and for more information on today's guest, Grace Fox.)
Key Topics Covered in today's episode:
Why fear doesn’t mean you’ve disappointed God
How the names of God reveal His character and care
Finding peace while still “in process”
God as Father for those wounded by earthly relationships
How God brings light and beauty even in dark seasons
Practical steps to experience peace amid chaos
Resource Referenced: Names of God: Knowing Peace: Devotional Study with Video Access (Names of God Devotional Studies Book 2) by Grace Fox
Download this episodes free companion guide HERE.
Discussion/Reflective Questions:
Connect with Grace Fox:
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.