The stress of the holidays become amplified when we know we'll spend time among dysfunctional people. As Christ-followers, this can elicit questions and confusion. How can we share the light of Christ in a way that feels emotionally safe? Is there a way to reduce the chaos? Carol's guest Pam Farrel believes, often, there is. In this episode, she shares some strategies she's developed in dealing with an alcoholic father and a mother-in-law with significant mental illness. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)

Related episode: Dealing with Toxic People with Gary Thomas

Find Pam Farrel at:

On her website (Love-Wise)

On Facebook

On Amazon

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

(Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What most resonated with you in this episode?
2. What are some ways you can plan ahead to reduce chaos and stress this holiday season?
3. What might an escape plan look like in your circumstances and what scenarios might move you to enact follow that plan?
4. What emotions might you need to work through in order to move from bitterness and healing?
5. Throughout her discussion, Pam shared how God guided her through her holidays. What is God telling you in regard to how He wants you to engage (or not engage) with certain dysfunctional people this season?
6. Sometimes God calls us to love up close, and sometimes He encourages us to love people from a distance. Which most applies to your circumstances, and what might this look like?
7. What is one action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The grace of God and the unwavering love of a praying mom pulled Chad Mattson out of addiction and transformed him into a dad, husband, and musician who now lives to proclaim all the Lord has done. His story speaks hope to those who feel they've fallen too far to start again, those who remain chained to their past mistakes, and who, like Mattson, are learning, perhaps for the first time, to become acquainted with emotions they've suppressed for far too long. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)

Find Chad Mattson and his band:

On the Unspoken website

Facebook

Instagram

Spotify

YouTube

Find Jennifer Slattery:

On her website

Instagram

Facebook

Amazon

Subscribe to her free newsletter

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

(Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What most resonated with you in this episode?
2. Consider your current social sphere. Do your friends tend to bring out the best in you or tempt you to engage in unhealthy behaviors?
3. When has something fun turned into something enslaving?
4. Reflect upon some of your current coping mechanism. What might it look like to turn to Jesus when working through difficult emotions?
5. What does Chad's story reveal regarding the heart of God?
6. What does Chad's story reveal regarding the power of grace?
7. What is one action step God might be asking you to take having listened to this podcast?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Do you find yourself battling loneliness and long for deeper connections? Do you struggle going deeper in your current relationships and wonder why tension often invades certain interactions? In this episode, host Carol McCracken talks with author and Bible teacher Becky Harling about our longing to connect, things that can hinder our connections, and practical ways we can build deeper relationships. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)

Resource referenced: Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World

Find Becky Harling:

On her website

On Instagram

On Facebook

Check out her podcast, the Connected Mom

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What resonated with you most in this episode?
2. When has God used a difficult season to shift or correct your priorities?
3. What are some ways you experience a sense of belonging in your relationship with Christ?
4. When has envy hurt one of your relationships?
5. When has comparison hurt one of your relationships?
6. When have you seen celebrating others deepen a relationship?
7. What is one action step God might want you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we navigate the loss of those we love and the evil we encounter in this world? How can we choose faith when our hearts ache and we don't have all the answers? In this episode, Brandon Heath shares how he answered those questions after the loss of his parents and a school shooting that hit much too close to home. (Scroll down for discussion/reflection questions.)

Resources referenced: Raising Worry-Free Girls: Helping Your Daughter Feel Braver, Stronger, and Smarter in an Anxious World by Sissy Goff

The Ache, by Brandon Heath

Find Brandon Heath:

On his website

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube Music

Spotify

Find Jennifer Slattery:

On her website

Instagram

Facebook

Amazon

Subscribe to her free newsletter

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

(I inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

1. What resonated with you most in this episode?
2. Who might you need to engage in a conversation with so that you can ensure you've left nothing unsaid?
3. How might your fear stem from a desire for control, or the belief that you retain control?
4. How does it feel to know that God remains close to the brokenhearted?
5. What might it look like to live so that you are surprised by difficulties but also not to feel caught off guard by them?
6. What is one action step God might want you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Fear and anxiety will come. We'll all face challenges that leave us feeling unsettled and unsure. How can we prepare ourselves to face those challenges well? In this episode, host Carol McCracken talks with Bible teacher Kathy Howard on the benefits available to us in Christ. (Scroll down for discussion questions.)

Find Kathy Howard:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

On Amazon

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

(Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What resonated with you most in this episode?
2. How have you seen your love for Christ grow over the past year or decade?
3. How does your love for Christ impact your obedience to Him?
4. When has personal weakness increased your dependency on Christ, and what was the result?
5. What does it mean to you to possess resurrection power within?
6. What is one action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you've ever watched a loved one endure the pain of depression, you can understand the anxiety, fear and heartache author and comedian Kristina Kuzmic experienced when her son developed depression. Eventually, his mental health deteriorated to the point that she felt compelled to have her son committed to inpatient care. In her recent book, "I Can Fix This" she shares their journey with transparency, the insights she gained along the way, and the steps that helped bring her son to the much healthy place in which he now finds himself. This episode has great value for parents with depressed teenagers but also for anyone trying to love someone well who has depression. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)

Resource references: I Can Fix This: And Other Lies I Told Myself While Parenting My Struggling Child

Find Kristina Kuzmic:

On her website

On YouTube

On Instagram

On Facebook

On Amazon

Find Jennifer Slattery:

On her website

Instagram

Facebook

Amazon

Subscribe to her free newsletter

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

(I inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What resonated with you most in this episode?
2. What are some assumptions you've made regarding your loved one's struggle?
3. How might setting aside those assumptions increase your ability to be present for them?
4. How might viewing your loved one's behavior as communication of a need and expression of pain improve your interactions?
5. What might it look like to show up for your loved one?
6. In what ways do you practice healthy self-care in challenging, frightening, and painful seasons?
7. Who might you be able to reach out to for help and support as you strive to love your loved one well?
8. What is one action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We all have a God-given need to live a life of purpose. While we can engage in numerous honorable tasks, nothing will fulfill us quite like living authentically as God created us, expressing the gifts He's given us, and pursuing the passions He implanted in our souls. In this episode, host Carol McCracken talks with South African writer and pastor Trevor Hudson on how we can discern God's will for our lives and how we can pursue this vital knowledge with anticipation not anxiety. (Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions.)

Resource mentioned: In Search of God’s Will: Discerning a Life of Faithfulness and Purpose

Connect with Trevor Hudson:

On the Renovaré website

On Amazon

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

(I inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What resonated with you most in this episode?
2. Waht are some ways you've tried to discern God's will for your life?
3. When do you tend to hear God most clearly?
4. What might it look like to approach God with open hands?
5. What might it look like to hold your relationships with open hands?
6. How can/might open-handed living decrease one's (or your) anxiety?
7. What is one action step God might be inviting you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Regardless of how out-of-control our world appears, God still sits on the throne and is working out His life-giving plan. What's more, He wants to use us to bring hope and light to others. Join host Carol McCracken and guest Robert J. Morgan as they discuss principles and truths that enabled first century evangelist Paul to live with bold faith, joy amid painful circumstances and eternal impact and with an ever-deepening relationship with the Lord who empowered Him to thrive, no matter what.

(Scroll down for discussion/reflective questions. Inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.)

Resource referenced: Whatever Happens: How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When the World is Falling Apart

Find Robert J. Morgan

On his website

On Facebook

On Instagram

On Amazon

Find Carol McCracken:

On her website

On Facebook

On Instagram

Join the private Faith Over Fear Facebook Group

Discussion/Reflective Questions:

1. What most resonated with you in this episode?
2. What are some ways you "preach" to yourself when anxious thoughts grow?
3. What are some of your favorite promises recorded in Scripture?
4. What might it look like to both acknowledge today's challenges while also finding ways to rejoice? What are some truths (biblical promises, God's character, etc.) you can rejoice in?
5. What is one verse you might choose to reflect on, memorize, and regularly bring to mind to quiet your anxiety?
6. What is one action step God might be asking you to take having listened to this episode?

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.