When we go through a difficult season, it’s tempting to wallow in self-pity or assume that God has abandoned us. But what if, instead, He is using that time to do a great work in us and give us gifts we’d never have experienced otherwise? Today’s guest, Tyler Staton, learned this lesson first-hand when he went through a cancer battle while writing his latest book, The Familiar Stranger, about the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on what he calls “redemptive suffering” and how we can grow closer to God through ordinary practices to enhance our discernment and relationship with Him.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• The importance of truly understanding the Person and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives
• How Tyler’s cancer journey informed his understanding of redemptive suffering and how the Holy Spirit moves through suffering for our redemption
• How Jesus’ example shows that we need to have discernment to effectively pray for miracles
• Why discernment needs to be an everyday practice, not reserved for only big decisions
• How Tyler uses prayer walks (or cycles) and the “Prayer of Examine” (developed by St. Ignatius) to train himself in the art of discernment
• How God as our Shepherd guides us to where He wants us to go
• Tips for how to pray when we feel distracted, we’re experiencing brain fog, or at other times when it’s difficult

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• The Familiar Stranger by Tyler Staton
• “How to Renew Your Mind” course, starting January 28, 2025.

About Tyler Staton

Tyler Staton is the Lead Pastor of Bridgetown Church in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife Kirsten, and their sons Hank, Simon, and Amos. He is passionate about living prayerfully and relationally. Tyler is the author of three books: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, Searching for Enough, and The Familiar Stranger. Connect with Tyler on his website at tylerstaton.com.

How to Listen to the Podcast

• Listen or subscribe on YouTube.
• Listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts.
• Listen or subscribe on Android.
• Listen or subscribe on Spotify.
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Tyler Staton: The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit appeared first on Barb Raveling.

The live 7-Week Master Class on Transformation Begins January 28, 2025!!!

Do you ever say, “I can’t believe I’ve been a Christian for x number of years and I’m still struggling with this?” Are you reluctant to work on transformation because you’re afraid you’ll fail like you did last time? Do you have some area of your life where you feel stuck?

My guess is that we can all answer “yes” to at least one of those questions. It’s discouraging to fail over and over again.

Romans 12:2 tells us that the answer to our struggles is to renew our minds. But there are two problems with this approach: 1) We don’t necessarily know what that means or 2) we do know how to renew our minds but we can’t make ourselves do it consistently enough to see transformation.

My 7-Week Master Class on Transformation will help you with both of those problems. We’ll get together, each choose an area of our lives to work on, and work together on transformation.

What area of transformation would you like help with?

Here are a few areas you may want to work on during this transformation class:

• Break a habit such as overeating, overspending, or too much time on your phone even though you have zero discipline in that area.
• Achieve a goal such as writing a book, developing a habit of consistently completing your to-do list each day, or starting a business even if you’re a born procrastinator and can’t make yourself work on your project or list.
• Break free from a negative emotion like anger, worry, discontentment, and insecurity even if that emotion has been with you as long as you can remember. Often we think we can’t let go of the negative emotions. Our only hope is to escape them with some self-destructive behavior, stuff them, or control our behavior so the emotion doesn’t hurt ourselves and others. But the truth is, God can help us let go of those negative emotions situation by situation and live in peace and joy (Galatians 5). We’ll learn how to do that in this class.

What are some side benefits (but often the biggest benefits of all) of working on transformation?

No matter what practical area you choose to work on, God will use the transformation process to help you achieve the following goals:

• Grow closer to God and more excited about your times with Him as you develop the practical habit of carrying each thought captive to the truth through the renewing of the min.
• Live in peace and joy as you learn how to corral, process, and let go of the thoughts that are swirling in your head, threatening to drive you crazy.
• Improve relationships and learn how to love others better as you grow in the fruit of the Spirit.

What is the set up of the class?

Here are a few features of the class:

• It will be live. We’ll meet on Zoom but the sessions will also be recorded if you can’t make it.
• I’ll give 15-30 minutes of instruction but we’ll be pausing during the class to apply what I teach to the area of your life that you want to work on.
• We’ll meet once a week for seven sessions but I’ll have six weeks of homework for you to do during the week to apply what you learned to the area of your life you’re working on.
• At the end of each class, I’ll have breakout rooms where you can share how you did with your renewing each week and what God taught you during the week.
• You’ll also have a chance to find accountability partners.

When will the class start?

The class will begin on January 28, 2025. We will meet weekly for 7 sessions on Tuesdays at 12:00 EST. Each class will be be 1 to 1 1/2 hours long.

What if I can’t make the live sessions?

If you can’t make the live sessions, I’ll have a replay available by the next day, possibly sooner. The replays will be available until at least 6/1/25, possibly longer, so that you have time to do the class. I will also have an online get together on February 4th at 8:30 PM EST for those who can’t make it during the day to help you find accountability partners.

What is the cost of the class?

Although classes like this are often quite expensive, I want everyone to be able to take it, so I’m offering the class at $27 USD.

Is there a deadline for signing up for the class?

Yes, the deadline is January 28, 2025. This is not an on-demand class so even if you plan to take it later, you’ll need to sign up now so I can email you links to the class videos and homework each week.

Where can I sign up?

To get started, go to the product purchase page by clicking on the button below.

Click here to sign up for the class!

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post 7-Week Master Class on Transformation appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Becoming an empty nester can be a challenging time—full of bittersweet goodbyes, new routines, and a lot of questions about what’s next. My guest today on The Christian Habits Podcast, Jill Savage, knows this season well and brings wisdom and encouragement for navigating it with faith and purpose. In this episode, she shares practical insights from her book, Empty Nest, Full Life, on how to let go, grab hold of what matters most, and build a fulfilling life in the empty nest season.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• What to let go of and what to grab hold of as an empty nester
• How to employ “pray, don’t say” and trust God with your adult kids’ lives
• How to unhitch your emotions from your adult child’s choices and problems
• How to become a “safe place for your kids to land” so your kids want you to remain involved in their lives
• The importance of rebooting both your marriage and your friendships for a more fulfilled life

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• Empty Nest, Full Life by Jill Savage
• “How to Renew Your Mind” course, starting January 28, 2025. Get more info here.

About Jill Savage

Jill Savage is an author and speaker who is passionate about encouraging families. She is the author or co-author of fourteen books including Professionalizing Motherhood, My Hearts At Home, Real Moms…Real Jesus, Living With Less So Your Family Has More, No More Perfect Moms, No More Perfect Marriages (with her husband Mark), and her most recent release Empty Nest Full Life.

Featured on Focus on the Family, Crosswalk.com, Family Life Today and Today’s Christian Woman magazine, Jill is the founder of Hearts at Home, an organization that encouraged moms from 1994-2017. Jill and her husband, Mark, have five children, three who are married, and eight grandchildren. They make their home in Normal, Illinois.

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Jill Savage – How to Thrive as Empty Nesters appeared first on Barb Raveling.

We all experience low points in life; we try our very best to avoid them, but they come anyway! We recoil from the pain, the disappointments, and the difficulties that we face. However, what would happen if we viewed these trials as invitations to experience God? My guest today on the Christian Habits Podcast, Strahan Coleman, has learned to do just that through his many years of chronic illness. Moment by moment, God will meet us in our pain.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• The surprising reason that we have desires
• A unique perspective on the essential meaning of life
• The place where we find our greatest opportunity to love and to receive God’s love
• The mindset shift that casts our pain in a new light
• What to do with our negative emotions
• A new way to think about repentance and confession
• The “wound of love”

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• Thirsting: Quenching Our Soul’s Deepest Desire
• Beholding: Deepening Our Experience in God
• Beholding Prayer Podcast on Apple and Spotify

About Strahan Coleman

Strahan Coleman is a writer, poet, and musician living in Aotearoa, New Zealand with his wife and three young boys. Through years of chronic illness, Strahan discovered a friendship with God filled with vulnerability, honesty and unceasing prayer, and now spends his time teaching and providing spaces of deep, rich, Spirit-led prayer for others through his books, prayer schools and spiritual retreats. In his latest work, Thirsting: Quenching Our Soul’s Deepest Desire, Strahan invites his readers to, like him, learn to transform the ache of our lives into our truest prayers, liberating the fire within us to become our greatest gift – our divine homing beacon. Connect with Strahan Coleman at commonerscommunion.com, on Instagram: @commoners_communion, @strahanmusic, or on Spotify.

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Strahan Coleman: Thirsting for God appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Most of us realize that our screens are consuming us. We know we should cut back on our screen-time but are at a loss for how to start. My guest on the Christian Habits Podcast today, Hannah Brencher, started off with a 1,000 hour screen-free challenge, and she hasn’t looked back since this pivotal life-change. Hannah gives practical tips as well as inspiration to start putting down our phones and re-discovering the world around us!

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• What going “unplugged” actually means
• The unexpected outcomes of Hannah’s screen-free challenge
• What prompted the writing of this book
• How to practice presence
• Some inspiring thoughts on contentment and productivity
• Practical tips and ways to begin putting down our screens

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• The Unplugged Hours: Cultivating a Life of Presence in a Digitally Connected World
• The Aro App – Screen-time solution for families

About Hannah Brencher

©Taylor Zorzi / Zorzi Creative

Hannah Brencher is a writer, TED speaker, and entrepreneur. She founded The World Needs More Love Letters, a global community dedicated to sending letter bundles to those who need encouragement. Named as one of the White House’s “Women Working to Do Good,” Hannah has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Oprah, Glamour, USATODAY.com, the Chicago Tribune, and more. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, Lane, and daughter Novalee. Find Hannah at hannahbrencher.com. Connect with Hannah on Instagram, Facebook,or Pinterest.

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Learning to Unplug with Hannah Brencher appeared first on Barb Raveling.

So many of us today are looking for ways to cope with the pressures of life. Instead of going to God, we turn to our phones, food, shopping, or even alcohol. Such was the case with Christy Osborne, my guest on the Christian Habits Podcast. Christy talks about her journey to sobriety and the choice to live without alcohol in her new book Love Life Sober. Even if you do not struggle specifically with alcohol, you will hear many helpful ways to deal with any addiction.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• How Christy assigned alcohol different “jobs” in her life
• The many ways that becoming alcohol-free has changed Christy’s life for the better
• Why Christy recommends the “experiment approach” when considering sobriety
• How to overcome addiction without willpower
• The surprising links between wine and disease
• Christy’s defiance against “Mommy Wine Culture”
• How wine and alcohol addiction takes more than it gives

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• Christy’s new book Love Life Sober
• Christy’s website
• Christy on Instagram
• What Alcohol Does to Your Body, Brain & Health – Huberman Lab Podcast

About Christy Osborne

Christy Osborne, author of Love Life Sober, is a graduate of the University of Southern California and attended law school at Pepperdine University. After passing the California bar exam, Christy relocated to London and assumed various roles in law, public relations, and business development. She founded a popular website for American expat women and became a royal commentator on SKY News in the UK. Christy discovered her true calling when she chose sobriety and began openly advocating for it on social media. As a highly trained senior sobriety coach featured in/by Marie Claire, Newsweek, The Daily Mail, Yahoo, PBS, London Daily News, Hip & Healthy, and more, she empowers women throughout the US and UK to redefine their relationship with alcohol. Visit her at LoveLifeSober.com. Connect with Christy on Instagram.

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.”

The post Christy Osborne: Love Life Sober appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Have you thought to yourself: I’ll never get over this? Have you tried over and over again to get out from underneath the control of a habit or a sin in your life only to be discouraged once again? If so, you will be greatly encouraged by my interview with Kirby Kelly about overcoming temptation which is the subject of her book: You Can Be Free: Overcoming Temptation and Habitual Sin by the Power and Promises of the Gospel. You, too, can find freedom from your habits and addictions!

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• How Kirby’s picturesque home was not all that it seemed
• Kirby’s personal struggle with habitual sin and how she finally overcame it
• How these specific tactics of the enemy are always the same
• Kirby’s “battle plan”  for temptation
• The “super-human / sub-human” cycle
• The importance of confession within community

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• You Can Be Free: Overcoming Temptation and Habitual Sin by the Power and Promises of the Gospel
• Bought + Beloved (Kirby’s podcast)
• Connect with Kirby Kelly at her YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok

About Kirby Kelly

Kirby Kelly is a Christ-centered content creator and influencer. She runs the Bought + Beloved podcast along with content on her YouTube channel, Instagram, and TikTok. She uploads weekly content that inspires, encourages, and teaches people the Truth of the Bible and how to cultivate a relationship with Jesus. Her passion is teaching God’s truth everywhere she goes; on stages and in front of cameras, through writing and one-on-one conversations. Kirby desires to see this generation and culture flourish in freedom and confidence in their identity and to walk in the victory that has been won on the Cross. kirby-kelly.com

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

The post Kirby Kelly: You Can Be Free: Overcoming Temptation and Habitual Sin by the Power and Promises of the Gospel appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Are you a single person? Or a married person who struggles with regret, overthinking, or worrying about what the future may (or may not) hold? If you fit into either of these categories, today’s Christian Podcast episode will help! I’ll be visiting with Ryan Wekenman about his new book, Single Today: Conquer Yesterday’s Regrets, Ditch Tomorrow’s Worries, and Thrive Right Where You Are.

I love Ryan’s new book and found it incredibly helpful, even though I’ve been married for 42 years. I only wish his book had been available back when I was single. It’s a spiritual formation and Christian growth book, but it’s also an incredibly helpful how-to manual for living a vibrant, rewarding life as a single person (or a married person). Join us on the podcast today as we discuss Ryan’s new book and how to live in the present with God each and every day.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• Two enemies of singleness
• The “Tomorrow Trap”
• How to show up with a win at events where you might struggle with your current station in life
• The power of “naming it”
• A grounding strategy when we find ourselves getting too self-focused
• How to be present in every day, where you are, right now
• Ways to be intentional about building your community

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• Single Today: Conquer Yesterday’s Regrets, Ditch Tomorrow’s Worries, and Thrive Right Where You Are 
• Ryan’s website
• Ryan’s podcasts: Stories in Scripture, Afterthoughts, and Single Today
• Philippians Bible Study
• Philippians Online Bible Study Sign Up Page

About Ryan Wekenman

Ryan Wekenman is a storyteller and pastor who is passionate about finding creative ways to help people explore life’s biggest questions. He has a master’s degree from Talbot School of Theology. He is the co-host of two podcasts, Stories in Scripture, a show that brings the Bible to life for people all around the world, and Afterthoughts, a weekly conversation about faith, culture, and the church. Ryan is the teaching pastor of Red Rocks Austin, a young, vibrant church he helped start with a few of his best friends. He lives in Austin, Texas. Connect with Ryan at his website, or on Instagram.

Online Philippians Bible Study

I’d also like to invite you to our online Philippians Bible study, which begins May 15. We’ll be covering the following lessons in that Bible study.

Wednesday mornings classes: 9 am PST, 10 am MST, 11 am CST, 12 pm EST

• May 15 – Lesson 2: Loving When It’s Hard to Love
• May 29 – Lesson 6: People Pleasing, Self-Pleasing, and God-Pleasing
• June 12 – Lesson 15: Letting Go of Anxiety

• May 21 – Lesson 4: Letting Go of Idols
• June 4  – Lesson 11: Finding Your Identity in Christ
• June 18 – Lesson 16: Learning to Be Content

Click here for more info on the study and to sign up for it: Philippians Online Bible Study

How to Listen to the Podcast:

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

The post Single Today with Ryan Wekenman (for Singles & Marrieds) appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night worrying about something? I know I do! With so much going on in our world and lives, it’s easy to give into to worry and anxiety. On today’s episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, we’ll talk about letting go of anxiety by walking through Lesson 15 from my new Philippians Bible Study together.

Each lesson in the Philippians Bible study is on a different topic, but since Philippians is all about finding joy in difficult circumstances it’s the perfect book of the Bible to go to for help.

On the podcast, we’ll talk about five different options we can take when anxiety hits, and which options are most helpful. If you’d like to download a copy of Lesson 15, click here:

Free Downloadable Bible Study Lesson: Lesson 15 Philippians Bible Study by Barb Raveling.

In the podcast episode, I mentioned that I would include an image of how I diagramed Philippians 4:8-9. Here’s an image of that diagram:

Online Philippians Bible Study

I’d also like to invite you to our online Philippians Bible study, which begins May 15. We’ll be covering the following lessons in that Bible study.

Wednesday mornings classes: 9 am PST, 10 am MST, 11 am CST, 12 pm EST

• May 15 – Lesson 2: Loving When It’s Hard to Love
• May 29 – Lesson 6: People Pleasing, Self-Pleasing, and God-Pleasing
• June 12 – Lesson 15: Letting Go of Anxiety

• May 21 – Lesson 4: Letting Go of Idols
• June 4  – Lesson 11: Finding Your Identity in Christ
• June 18 – Lesson 16: Learning to Be Content

Click here for more info on the study and to sign up for it: Philippians Online Bible Study

Resources We Mentioned on the Podcast

• How to Diagram Scripture – YouTube video
• How to Diagram Scripture – Blog Post/Podcast
• Option Charts (Scroll down to Charts to find info on option charts._
• Philippians Bible Study
• Philippians Online Bible Study Sign Up Page

How to Listen to the Podcast:

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

The post Letting Go of Anxiety with God’s Help appeared first on Barb Raveling.

Do you ever feel like you want to change, but you can’t seem to make it happen? Do you long to be closer to God?

So often we change as soon as we become Christians, then go for years and years without any growth. In the Closer to God Bible Study Series, you’ll have a chance to study the Bible in a way that will help you visibly grow as you go to God for help with life.

Today, I’m excited to announce the second book in the Closer to God Bible Study Series: Philippians!!

Philippians is one of my favorite books of the Bible. One of the main themes of the book is finding contentment in all circumstances. This is interesting because Paul wrote the book from prison.

I picture him sitting in prison, possibly bored, anxious, or maybe even thinking of the unfairness of it all. I imagine him talking to God and learning how to be content in this difficult situation. Seeing it all from a biblical perspective, letting go, and embracing God in the midst of it.

Then he writes his letter to the Philippians and encourages them to rejoice always, dwell on the good, and learn to be content in all situations, just as he was doing in prison!

Thankfully, we get to benefit from Paul’s hard-won wisdom in this book. I’ll be sharing more about my Philippians Bible study and also the Closer to God Bible Study Series on my podcast interview today.

If you don’t have time to listen to the podcast …

You can find out more about the study here: Philippians Bible Study.

What We Discussed on the Podcast

• Why I wrote a study over a book of the Bible rather than a specific topic
• How this series was birthed to solve a problem in my own life
• The significance of the name of the series
• How this study is different than many others
• Who this book is geared towards and different ways to approach the study
• How my passion to see the church (and myself) mature and become more Christ-like continues to drive me to write and teach others

Resources Mentioned on the Podcast

• My new Philippians Bible Study
• My Closer to God Bible Study Series
• How to Diagram Scripture – YouTube
• Friendship Counseling by Kevin Huggins
• Novel Marketing Podcast with Thomas Umstattd Jr.

How to Listen to the Podcast

• To listen or subscribe on YouTube: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Apple Podcasts: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Android: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Stitcher: click here 
• To listen or subscribe on Spotify: click here 
• Amazon Alexa: To listen on Amazon Alexa, say, “Alexa, play the Christian Habits Podcast.” 

The post Closer to God Bible Studies with Barb Raveling appeared first on Barb Raveling.

In today’s culture, there is a mental health crisis. So many are looking for answers, yet much of the advice given does not provide sustainable relief. However, we know that the only way to true and lasting peace is to know the Prince of Peace! On the Christian Habits Podcast today (links below), my guest, [...]

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