How can God's Word reveal His character to us in seasons of suffering? What can the stories of those in Scripture teach us as we walk through the valleys of pain?
Authors and Bible teachers Anne Graham Lotz and Rachel-Ruth Lotz Wright were raised on a firm foundation of faith and have spent their lives passionately teaching and sharing God's Word. Yet it was through their own personal trials—Anne's sudden loss of her husband and then her father, evangelist Billy Graham, as well as her cancer diagnosis, and Rachel-Ruth's series of heart-related health challenges and subsequent PTSD—that God illuminated powerful lessons about suffering through the story of Joseph.
Drawing from these experiences, Anne and Rachel-Ruth share the wisdom and hope found in their latest book, God Won’t Leave You There: Joseph’s Story.
In this conversation, Davey, Anne, and Rachel-Ruth discuss how our deepest messages often emerge from our own stories, how to overcome bitterness, and how to discover what God wants to teach us through our pain.
If you find yourself in a pit like Joseph, wondering where God is, this episode will remind you that no matter what you're facing, God won't leave you there.
How do you begin to heal after one of the deepest forms of betrayal? What does it look like to reclaim your sense of self when it feels shattered or lost?
Author and counselor Tammy Gustafson knows firsthand the pain of intimate betrayal. Through her own story, as well as the experiences of countless women she has counseled, she has come to understand the immense courage required to heal when betrayal dismantles trust and fractures a relationship. She has witnessed the long and often arduous journey women must walk as they move from heartbreak and confusion toward wholeness and a renewed sense of identity. In her book, Broken to Brave: Your Courageous Act of Healing After Intimate Betrayal, Tammy offers a compassionate roadmap for navigating the complex and often murky waters of healing after betrayal.
In this conversation, Davey and Tammy discuss the profound impact betrayal can have on a relationship, where to begin when the healing journey feels overwhelming, and some of the common places people become stuck along the way.
If you or someone you love has experienced the pain of betrayal, this episode offers hope that healing is possible—and that it is possible to move from brokenness to bravery.
What does it look like to discover who God is when you experience profound loss at a young age? How can a teenager find their identity in Christ while navigating grief and pain?
For actress and author Alena Franklin, the sudden and tragic loss of her mother, Wynter, at just 14 years old left her reeling through some of the most formative years of her life. Carrying the weight of grief while also trying to grow up was an overwhelming challenge. Though it didn't always feel that way in the moment, Alena can now look back and see the many ways God met her in the midst of her sorrow and faithfully walked with her through the healing process.
Today, Alena continues her mother's legacy of investing in teenage girls and young women. Through her book, God Is — A Devotional for Teen Girls & Young Women: 60 Days of Learning Who God Is to Understand Who We Are, she helps young women deepen their understanding of God's character and discover their identity in Christ.
In this conversation, Davey and Alena discuss how loss can leave us feeling disoriented at any age, what grieving teens need most from the adults who care for them, and why helping the next generation root their identity in Christ is more important than ever.
If you're walking alongside a teenager who is struggling to make sense of life after loss, this episode offers a powerful reminder: they don't need you to fix their pain or have all the answers—they simply need your presence as they move through it.
How can we begin to untangle the thoughts and emotions that are keeping us stuck or pushing us toward unhealthy forms of coping? What does it look like to embrace the God-given agency we have over our minds?
Dr. Lee Warren is a practicing neurosurgeon who has experienced the depths of grief and loss after losing his son, Mitch, years ago. Through his own journey of pain and healing—as well as his deep understanding of the brain as a neurosurgeon—he began to connect the truth of what Scripture says about our minds and thoughts with the science of the brain. Dr. Warren believes each of us has the ability to do “brain surgery” on ourselves in order to experience deeper healing from loss, trauma, and the wounds we encounter throughout life.
In his book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery: Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life, Dr. Warren helps readers understand the power they have in their healing journey while offering practical wisdom for growing through difficulty into resilience.
In this conversation, Davey and Dr. Warren discuss the difference between the brain and the mind, the incredible power our thoughts have in the healing process, and why God gave us emotions in the first place.
If you are feeling stuck and find yourself turning to unhealthy habits or patterns in the midst of pain, this episode will encourage you with the hope that God can radically transform your life as you learn the life-changing art of self-brain surgery.
How do we find people who can help us carry the weight of our stories? How do we learn to experience safety in community when relationships themselves have often been the source of deep pain?
Author, speaker, and podcaster Toni Collier has endured profound hardship throughout her life, including caring for a parent at a young age, surviving an abusive marriage, experiencing sexual betrayal, enduring sexual manipulation as a child, walking through two divorces, and more. Learning to trust others with the deepest parts of her story did not come easily. Yet through the healing power of what she calls a Confessional Community, Toni began experiencing layers of healing and freedom she never thought possible. In her latest book, Don't Try This Alone: How to Build Deep Community When You Want to Hide from Your Pain, Toni shares how authentic, vulnerable community can become one of the primary ways God brings healing through suffering.
In this episode, Davey and Toni talk about why confession and vulnerability are such essential parts of healing, how we can become safe people that others trust with their pain, and the emotional and spiritual dangers of isolation and hidden suffering.
If opening up to others has felt difficult—especially in seasons of pain, disappointment, or heartbreak—this conversation will remind you that healing was never meant to happen alone and that God often uses deep, authentic community as part of the restoration process He wants to invite you into.
How can you tell the difference between big emotions that are part of the human experience and true dysregulation connected to past trauma? What does it look like to safely move the energy of anxiety, fear, and stress out of the body?
Lacey Jervis helps countless women recognize the ways their physiological responses impact how they show up in everyday life, relationships, and faith. Through her work, she offers a pathway toward greater safety, regulation, and emotional security by helping women better understand the connection between trauma, the nervous system, and the body.
In this special part two episode, Davey and Lacey continue their conversation by exploring practical somatic practices that can support healing and restore a sense of safety within the body. They discuss how to recognize the difference between a survival response and a normal response to life’s challenges, why unresolved trauma can remain stored in the body long after an event has passed, and practical ways to help the nervous system return to regulation and peace.
If you are looking for practical wisdom on how to calm your body’s physiological responses after trauma, this conversation will offer grounded, accessible tools you can begin practicing right now and will teach you ways to move the energy of fear, anxiety, and pain through the body so that you can more fully show up to your life, relationships, faith, and calling from a place of calm, safety, and presence.
How do we reconcile our dysregulation after trauma when it comes to our faith? What is the connection between our physiological experience and God?
It was through Lacey Jervis own experience with trauma that she began to understand the profound impact the body’s physical responses can have after loss. After losing her dad to a heart attack at a young age while she was home with him, Lacey began to recognize how deeply trauma affects both the nervous system and our perception of ourselves, others, and even God. That journey eventually led her to help others navigate the complex relationship between trauma, the body, and faith.
Through her work with women as a Somatic Therapist, Lacey began helping clients untangle their physiological responses from what they often assumed were spiritual failures. As she guided them toward understanding the body’s reactions and equipped them with tools to restore safety and regulation, many began to realize that what they believed was a faith issue was often a physiological response rooted in trauma.
In this episode, Davey and Lacey journey through her story of losing her dad and explore the lasting ways trauma impacts the body, the physiological responses that can remain long after a traumatic event and why it is so important to understand the difference between dysregulation and disobedience.
If you have ever felt like your faith was weak because of the ways your body becomes dysregulated after trauma, this conversation will remind you that God is not disappointed in your dysregulation. Instead, there is an invitation to holiness through your humanity.
How can we partner with the Holy Spirit in our own journey toward healing? What role does the Spirit of God play in breaking strongholds in our lives?
For author and pastor Alex Seeley, it was her own experience of healing through the power of the Holy Spirit that revealed how important—and often overlooked—the Holy Spirit is in the modern Church. After walking through breakthrough from a childhood marked by abuse and struggles with disordered eating, Alex also witnessed countless others find true freedom through deep encounters with the Holy Spirit. In her book The Divine Counselor, she explores the incredible role and invitation the Holy Spirit offers in the healing God desires for us.
In this episode, Davey and Alex discuss why obedience to the Spirit matters, how the Holy Spirit meets us in our pain and strongholds, and the connection between spiritual and physical healing.
If you’ve ever struggled to understand how God wants to meet you through His Spirit, this conversation will encourage you that the Lord’s power is closer than you may realize—ready to lead you into deeper renewal, healing, and purpose than you’ve ever experienced.
Warning: This episode discusses pornography addiction and may not be suitable for all listeners.
How do we break the stronghold of addiction when it becomes deeply attached to our lives? What do we do when the pain of our past resurfaces through patterns of addiction?
Drew Boa didn’t fully realize how much pain he was carrying beneath the surface until his struggle with pornography began to threaten the relationships he valued most. As he started to uncover and process that pain, he recognized how often he had looked for healing and identity in places other than God.
It was through surrendering both his pain and identity to God that the grip of pornography on his life began to loosen. Over time, he experienced genuine freedom. His book, Outgrow Porn: Find Lasting Freedom Without Fighting an Exhausting Battle—A Man’s Guide to Healing, offers men a pathway toward that same kind of lasting transformation.
In this episode, Davey and Drew explore the deeper roots of sexual addiction, the vital role of compassion and self-awareness in the healing process, and why authentic community is so powerful in breaking cycles of addiction.
If you or someone you love has struggled to find freedom from pornography, this conversation offers hope—reminding us that lasting freedom begins by understanding our identity in Jesus.
How do you break free from an abusive cycle when it feels like there’s nowhere else to turn? How can God take the pain of the past and transform it into purpose as you rebuild your life after trauma?
For former public official, TV show host, and speaker Carolene Mays, imagining the life and leadership she would one day have seemed impossible while trapped in an abusive marriage. Escaping that relationship wasn’t easy—but on the other side, God took her pain and transformed it into a story of resilience and influence. Today, Carolene has served in politics, built successful businesses, hosted a television show, and mentored countless women and minority leaders to thrive. Throughout it all, she shares the struggles she endured and how God used every hardship to shape her path—truly showing that He wastes nothing.
In this episode, Davey and Carolene explore how to overcome the trauma of abuse, why noticing who needs encouragement matters, and how leadership in any context is ultimately an overflow of what God is doing within us.
If you’ve ever wondered how God might be connecting your past to the work He has for you now, this conversation will inspire you as you see how God takes our pain and uses it to transform us into leaders who uplift and empower others with purpose.
How do we begin to move through the pain we’ve buried for so long? And how can our willingness to be vulnerable create space for others to share their own stories honestly?
Pastor Chris Durso never imagined how a single question could uncover years of suppressed pain. During a therapy session, the simple prompt—“How was your childhood?”—opened the door to long-buried memories of sexual abuse he experienced as a child at the hands of someone within the church. What followed was not only the resurfacing of those moments, but also the unexpected weight of PTSD and the beginning of a difficult, yet transformative, journey toward healing.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Chris to talk about what it looks like to confront childhood trauma, how to navigate PTSD in the context of community, and why authenticity in the church is so essential for true healing.
If you’ve ever experienced wounds from your past resurfacing in unexpected ways, this conversation is a reminder that even in the most painful parts of our story, Jesus is present—and healing is possible.
What happens when the escape you turn to begins to take over your life? How do you begin to heal the deeper wounds that often lie beneath addiction?
For author and podcaster Jonathon Seidl, the descent into alcoholism was rooted in unresolved childhood pain. After experiencing his father leaving at a young age, navigating an often difficult relationship with his stepfather, and enduring childhood sexual abuse, alcohol became a way to numb what he hadn’t yet faced—or invited Jesus to heal.
In his book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic: A Candid Conversation on Drinking, Addiction, and How to Break Free, Jonathon shares his raw and honest journey through disordered drinking and his path toward freedom.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Jonathon to explore the connection between escapism and addiction, the impact of trauma, and what recovery can look like through a Gospel-centered lens.
If you or someone you love has struggled with alcohol—even as a believer—this conversation offers a powerful reminder: there is hope. When we stop avoiding our pain and bring it honestly before Jesus, true healing can begin.
How does God heal the mind? And what happens when faith and science meet in the middle of our pain?
For decades, conversations about mental health and faith often felt disconnected. But psychiatrist Dr. Karl Benzio has spent his life exploring how Scripture and neuroscience actually point to the same truth: God designed the mind with incredible capacity for healing, renewal, and transformation. Drawing from years of clinical work with trauma, addiction, and mental health struggles—as well as global work in crisis zones—Dr. Benzio has seen first hand how the way we see our circumstances and the beliefs we hold can literally reshape our brains.
In this episode, Davey and Dr. Benzio discuss how our belief systems shape our decisions, how decisions influence our brain through neuroplasticity, and how God uses community, truth, and spiritual practices to renew our minds.
If you’ve ever wondered how faith intersects with mental health—or how God can bring healing to your mind, emotions, and story—this conversation will help you see that the path to transformation may be closer than you think.
How do you get back up after a life-shattering loss? How do you find hope when you must surrender to God the life you thought you’d have?
Courtney Pray Duke was living her dream with her husband, Andrew, and their three young children when one day changed everything. As she was putting the finishing touches on Thanksgiving preparations, Andrew—an avid cyclist—went out for a bike ride. Just a few hours later, Courtney received the call that divided her life into a before and after: her husband had been hit by a vehicle and did not survive.
In the depths of unimaginable grief, Courtney clung to God and slowly discovered the hope she had in Him in her darkest season. She shares that journey through heartbreak, faith, and restoration in her book, And She Got Up: Shattered by Loss, Restored by Jesus.
In this episode, Davey talks with Courtney about the power of surrender in the midst of pain, how to discern where God is leading when life takes an unexpected turn, and why remarriage after loss can be both beautiful and complicated as families blend and grief continues to be honored.
If you’ve ever wondered how you could possibly get back up after being shattered by loss, this conversation will point you to the healing and hope that can be found as Jesus restores us—step by step—along the journey.
How does discipleship shape the way we make sense of pain and suffering in our lives? Why is Scripture so important—not only for our own spiritual growth, but also for the growth of our children?
As a military wife, Hunter Beless began to recognize her own need for deeper discipleship amid the challenges and constant transitions of military life. She started seeking out conversations with those who could disciple and encourage her in her faith. Eventually, she decided to share those conversations with the women in her own circle and beyond through her podcast, Journeywomen. What she couldn’t have anticipated was how essential those spiritual investments would become when she faced the sudden and tragic loss of her father to cancer. In that season of deep suffering, the roots of her faith helped sustain her.
Hunter has not only pursued discipleship in her own life, but she has also spent significant time thinking about how to disciple her young children. In her most recent book, Jesus Loves You More, Hunter helps kids understand the depth of Christ’s love for them as they grow in their desire to know Him.
In this episode, Davey and Hunter talk about the profound role discipleship plays in the life of a believer, how we can wrestle with and trust in the sovereignty of God during seasons of suffering, and practical ways we can teach our kids Scripture so that when they face hardship, they know where to return—to God’s truth and His love for them.
If you are longing for relationships that will stir your affection for Jesus in the midst of pain, this conversation will encourage you to seek out people who can speak into your life and help strengthen your faith as you follow Him.
How do you find a way forward when shame from sexual abuse threatens to keep you stuck? What do you do with pornography and sexual addiction when they’re intertwined with the wounds you’ve carried for years?
For podcast host and entrepreneur Ken Freire, finding freedom from pornography and the lingering shame of childhood sexual abuse was anything but easy. The road was marked by isolation, secrecy, and deep internal struggle. But as Ken began to experience real healing, his pain was transformed into purpose. Today, he helps others navigate addiction, suffering, and restoration by sharing the stories of men who have found freedom on his podcast called Shame(less).
In this conversation, Davey sits down with Ken to talk about the isolation that often follows abuse and addiction, how to confront the shame surrounding pornography, and what it truly means to apply the gospel to our stories of brokenness.
If you’ve ever felt bound by the pain of your past, this episode is a powerful reminder that freedom is possible, shame does not get the final word, and you can step into a life marked by healing and hope.
What do you do when you find yourself living a life that was never your plan? How do you navigate the heartache of divorce and come out the other side stronger?
Author and speaker Vaneetha Risner was no stranger to suffering long before her husband told her he had met someone else and wanted a divorce. After having walked through polio as a child, losing her infant son due to medical negligence and receiving a debilitating post-polio diagnosis, Vaneetha had already endured profound loss. Yet divorce brought its own distinct grief—one she had to walk through while caring for her teenage daughters and navigating her own heartbreak. In her book, This Was Never the Plan: Walking with God through the Heartache of Divorce, she shares the practical wisdom and steady faith that carried her through.
In this episode, Davey and Vaneetha talk about where to begin when a marriage unravels unexpectedly, how to confront the shame that often accompanies divorce, and what it truly looks like to trust God in the midst of deep pain and healing.
If you or someone you love is living a story that feels nothing like the one once imagined, this conversation offers the hope that no matter what you’ve experienced, joy can return—and healing can emerge in the most unexpected places.
What does the gospel speak into our suffering? How can the Bible anchor us with hope in our deepest pain?
Author and co-founder of She Reads Truth, Amanda Bible Williams has helped countless people understand the importance of Scripture in their everyday lives. But it was through her own journey—adoption and raising a medically fragile child—that God’s Word became even more personal and powerful. As she parents her son Toby, who has faced significant medical challenges due to congenital heart issues, and as she has walked through other profound losses, Amanda has returned again and again to God and His Word to find the strength and hope she needs to keep moving forward. Her latest book, The Bible Is for You: A Devotional Journey Through Every Book of the Bible, co-written with She Reads Truth co-founder Raechel Myers, guides readers through every book of Scripture and reveals the unchanging truth that transcends our circumstances.
In this honest conversation, Davey and Amanda discuss the unique challenges parents of medically fragile children face, how to encounter God in the midst of suffering, and why the Bible is essential when we find ourselves in life’s valleys.
If you’ve struggled to read the Bible—especially in seasons of difficulty or pain—this episode invites you to discover the comfort and steady hope that await when you immerse yourself in the timeless truths of Scripture.
How do we make sense of the pain others have caused us in light of the choices we’ve made? What do we do when we find ourselves somewhere we never intended to be?
Christian recording artist Nicole C. Mullen opens up about the pain she endured in an abusive marriage. As she reflected on her journey, she came to understand that while she was never responsible for the abuse or betrayal she suffered, some of her own decisions contributed to the painful paths she walked in her life. Rather than allowing that realization to trap her in shame or despair, Nicole discovered a deeper truth: God offers fresh mercy and the power to choose what is right, no matter our past. She shares these lessons in her book, It’s Never Wrong to Do the Right Thing: Courageous Stories to Inspire Godly Decisions.
In this hope-filled conversation, Davey and Nicole talk about the reality that healing is a process, the lasting impact our choices can have on our lives and the powerful role other people’s stories play in helping us navigate our own.
If you’ve ever felt like your life has drifted too far off course or that your decisions have taken you somewhere you can’t return from, this episode is a reminder: it’s never the wrong time to do the right thing.
How can the Church move from constantly referring people in pain elsewhere to becoming the first place people turn for healing? What would it look like to create spaces where everyday believers are equipped with the tools to step into the hurt of those they encounter?
Social researcher Shaunti Feldhahn and psychologist Dr. James Sells recognized that the mental health crisis in our country was at an all-time high, and they wanted to understand how churches were responding to those who are hurting. As they dove deep into the research, they discovered a striking contrast: some churches were effectively equipping lay people to care for and minister to those in need, while many church leaders felt overwhelmed, unsure of where to even begin. Through their research, they identified key principles that helped churches succeed in caring for hurting people, which they captured in their book, When Hurting People Come to Church: How People of Faith Can Help Solve the Mental Health Crisis.
In this episode, Davey, Shaunti, and Dr. Sells discuss why it is critical for the Church to be on the frontlines of healing, how to cast a vision for the Church as a place of help and hope, and what it truly means to be present with people in their pain.
If you are a church leader or part of a church community, this conversation will encourage you to take meaningful next steps toward building communities that bring hope and healing to those who need it most—and to see how this kind of care can become one of the most powerful ways to share the good news of the gospel with those around us.
WARNING: This episode contains conversations about suicide ideation and may not be suitable for all listeners/viewers.
How do you get back up when life seems determined to knock you down? What does it look like to move toward the fire of adversity and pain in our lives instead of running from it?
For author and pastor Shawn Johnson, the challenges of growing up in a home marked by addiction, battling his own addiction and suicide attempts, and later facing crippling anxiety and panic attacks felt like more than enough fires to walk through. But recently, he found himself facing an entirely new one: an incurable brain disease that has forced him to lean fully into pain, surrender control, and trust God more deeply than ever before. In his new book, Kiss the Fire: 7 Ways to Get Back Up When You Want to Give Up, Shawn shares his journey and offers hope-filled wisdom for continuing forward when everything in you wants to quit.
In this honest and vulnerable conversation, Davey and Shawn discuss how God uses the pain of our past to prepare us for the purpose ahead, why stepping out of hiding and sharing our struggles can be so powerful—especially as leaders—and how community sustains us when new challenges arise in our lives.
If you feel surrounded by the flames of pain, trauma, and uncertainty, this episode will help you keep moving toward hope—and show you how to kiss the fire.
WARNING: This episode contains conversations about suicide ideation and may not be suitable for all listeners/viewers.
How do you find hope again when the pressure of life builds to an unbearable level? What does it look like to find confidence in God’s love instead of worldly success?
Like many leaders, Pastor Charles Metcalf found himself at a breaking point. After the challenges of 2020 left him spiraling and the relentless pressures of life in ministry caused him to question his calling—and even led him to consider ending his own life—he knew something had to change. Through the support of friends who encouraged him to get the help he needed, a reframing of his spiritual life around how God truly saw him, and the development of new, healthy rhythms, Charles began to emerge from the fog of anxiety and depression. In that healing, he encountered a life-changing truth: God chose him. That message ultimately became the foundation of his book, God Chose Me: Untouchable Confidence for the Unstoppable Christian.
In this episode, Davey and Charles discuss how many leaders find themselves at a crossroads under the pressure of ministry, why we need friends to point us back to Christ when we’re at our breaking point, and how simple shifts can lead to lasting healing.
If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed, wondering how you could possibly keep going, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone—that God sees you, and most importantly, that God chose you for whatever He has called you to do.
How do we model the way God brings each of us into His family? How can we faithfully support families who choose to grow their families through fostering or adoption?
For Pastor Andrew Hopper, adopting a child with special needs has opened his eyes to a deeper understanding of what it means for each of us to be adopted into the family of God. Through navigating complex medical needs, the pain often associated with adoption, and the work of shaping a church culture that actively supports adoptive and foster families, Andrew has seen firsthand how God reveals the gospel through adoption and foster care. In his book, Chosen: Building Your Family the Way God Builds His, he offers a practical and compelling framework for how churches can become places of genuine care and support for families who foster or adopt.
In this conversation, Davey and Andrew explore what it looks like to give our children what they truly need—even when it doesn’t align with our expectations, the unique challenges of parenting a child with medical needs, and how the church can learn to be “rope holders”: people who provide meaningful, practical support to those walking the road of adoption and foster care.
If your family has been built through adoption or fostering, or if you want to learn how to better care for a family that has, this episode offers practical insight into embracing adoption and foster care as acts of faith, mission, and ministry.
How do you begin to disrupt the toxic family patterns you experienced as a child? What do you do with the dissonance between the outward appearance of your life and the reality of what was?
For Amy Duggar King, life was lived in two very different worlds. One appeared happy and carefree, marked by regular appearances on her extended family’s reality TV show, 19 Kids and Counting. The other was dark and frightening, shaped by toxic narcissistic patterns and abuse that she and her mother endured at home with her father. As Amy grew older, she began to recognize that the abuse she experienced in her family of origin was not isolated. Some of her cousins—who seemed to be living the peaceful, picture-perfect life she longed for—were navigating their own pain behind the scenes. Over time, Amy came to understand that what meets the eye is not always the full story. Through deep personal processing, she began breaking generational cycles and dismantling toxic family patterns. She shares her story in depth in her book, Holy Disruptor: Shattering the Shiny Facade by Getting Louder with the Truth.
In this episode, Davey and Amy discuss what narcissism can look like in families, the lasting effects of spiritual abuse, and what it means to become a Holy Disruptor—someone who courageously breaks cycles and patterns in the light of God’s truth.
If you’ve ever wondered how to undo the toxic patterns you grew up in, this conversation will encourage you to shatter the shiny facade and bring holy disruption to the places that need it most.
How can you believe you are highly favored when you experience great loss? What does it look like to trust that God still loves you when tragedy strikes your family?
Kurt and Denette Schaer had already seen how God can redeem suffering—having walked through Kurt’s infidelity and experiencing radical healing in their marriage. But even that couldn’t fully prepare them for the heartbreak they would face years later with the loss of their teenage son, Logan. The grief they endured was unimaginable, and yet God sustained them through it. Their journey also led Denette to wrestle deeply with the idea of favor—what it meant for her family in the midst of profound loss—which she explores in her book, Highly Favored?: Discovering Hope in the Shadows of Grief.
In this episode, Davey sits down with Kurt and Denette to talk about staying faithful in difficult circumstances, the different ways grief can manifest within a marriage, and how our testimonies can become powerful tools in the healing journeys of others.
If you’ve ever wondered how God’s favor rests upon you in seasons of pain, this conversation will remind you that even in difficulty and heartache, His love and favor endure.
WARNING: This episode contains conversations about suicide and suicide ideation and may not be suitable for all listeners/viewers.
How do you experience Jesus fully after coming to Christ? How can you continue to experience Him when life is full of pain and difficulties?
Naeem Fazal has an incredibly powerful testimony of how he first encountered Christ. Born into a Muslim family, Naeem experienced a supernatural experience as a young adult that forever changed the trajectory of his life. The cost was significant as he grew to know Jesus more intimately—eventually becoming a pastor—and faced being disowned by his loved ones. Later, he walked through his father’s attempted suicide and the sudden loss of his brother-in-law, moments that ultimately allowed him to show his family how they, too, could encounter Jesus in a personal and transformative way. In his book, Tomorrow Needs You: Seeing Beauty When You Feel Hopeless, he explores how fear can be our greatest enemy and how life with Jesus leads us into a new way of living—not from fear, but from love.
In this episode, Davey and Naeem talk about the supernatural and spiritual warfare, the differences between the Western and Eastern Christian experience, and how to navigate the estrangement that can arise when you choose to follow Christ.
If you’ve ever longed for a deeper connection with Jesus in the midst of hardship, this conversation will encourage you that—even in your wrestlings—you can find the intimacy with Him that your heart desires.
What does suffering offer us when it comes to spiritual awakening? How can we experience a movement of God after walking through a season of pain?
In 2023, Pastor Zach Meerkreebs was an ordinary pastor serving at a local seminary, still walking through the emotional pain from the loss of his infant daughter, Esther, three years prior. On what seemed like an ordinary day, he delivered a chapel message at Asbury University and stepped off the stage, feeling as though his words had fallen flat. Little did he know, God would use that moment to ignite a movement of the Spirit, launching over two weeks of continuous revival at a small university in rural Kentucky. Through that experience, Zach came to see how God can use anything—and anyone—to bring revival. He tells this story in his book, Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility.
In this episode, Davey and Zach talk about what God does in our wrestlings after pain, how He works through our weakness, and how to faithfully steward our encounters with Him.
If you’ve ever wondered whether God will move again in your life or community, this conversation will remind you that when we humble ourselves, we position our hearts to encounter God in ways we never expected.
How do you trust God in seasons of waiting? How do you testify to His faithfulness when the outcome isn’t what you hoped for?
Pastor and author DawnCheré Wilkerson never expected her long journey through infertility to become such a significant part of her story. Yet, as she found herself in an extended season of waiting, God invited her to share honestly about both the pain and the promises she discovered along the way. Though she eventually welcomed four children, DawnCheré encountered a unique beauty available only in seasons of anticipation—and learned that even in the wait, God continually reveals who He is. She captures this experience in her book, Slow Burn: The Work and Wonder of the Wait.
In this conversation, Davey sits down with DawnCheré to discuss how to remain tenderhearted as a leader, how to discern when to begin sharing your story, and how to recognize what God is forming in you during seasons of waiting.
If you’re in a chapter where your heart longs for something yet unseen, this episode will remind you that God is at work in every season—and that there is wonder woven into the wait.
How do you engage with the Word of God when your world is falling apart? What does Scripture offer us in our deepest pain?
Pastor and author David Platt has built his life and ministry on the foundation of God’s Word—through his own personal struggles, challenges, and questions. As an adoptive father, David has witnessed firsthand the power of Scripture in guiding him as he shepherds the hearts of his children through trauma and hurt. As a pastor, he’s experienced the necessity of coming to the Bible with a heart longing for deeper intimacy with Jesus. And as a follower of Christ, he knows it is God’s Word that continually draws him into a fuller understanding of who God is. Out of this passion, David wrote How to Read the Bible: A Simple Guide to Deeper Intimacy with God, to help others engage Scripture in meaningful and transformative ways.
In this episode, Davey talks with David about the call to adoption and what it looks like to lovingly shepherd the hearts of hurting children, why Scripture is indispensable in the life of every believer, and how to respond when God feels absent in seasons of pain.
If you’ve ever wondered why Scripture matters—especially when you’re walking through suffering—this conversation will help you see how foundational God’s Word can be in revealing who He is and sustaining you in your most difficult moments.
Listen to the latest Nothing is Wasted podcast episode below…
Episode 422 - The Bible Is For You in Suffering with Amanda Bible Williams
What does the gospel speak into our suffering? How can the Bible anchor us with hope in our deepest pain?
Author and co-founder of She Reads Truth, Amanda Bible Williams has helped countless people understand the importance of Scripture in their everyday lives. But it was through her own journey—adoption and raising a medically fragile child—that God’s Word became even more personal and powerful. As she parents her son Toby, who has faced significant medical challenges due to congenital heart issues, and as she has walked through other profound losses, Amanda has returned again and again to God and His Word to find the strength and hope she needs to keep moving forward. Her latest book, The Bible Is for You: A Devotional Journey Through Every Book of the Bible, co-written with She Reads Truth co-founder Raechel Myers, guides readers through every book of Scripture and reveals the unchanging truth that transcends our circumstances.
In this honest conversation, Davey and Amanda discuss the unique challenges parents of medically fragile children face, how to encounter God in the midst of suffering, and why the Bible is essential when we find ourselves in life’s valleys.
If you’ve struggled to read the Bible—especially in seasons of difficulty or pain—this episode invites you to discover the comfort and steady hope that await when you immerse yourself in the timeless truths of Scripture.
How do we begin to understand the landscape of our soul in light of our spiritual journey? What does it look like to live a more integrated life—one that honors the connection between mind, body, and spirit?
For pastors and authors Cyd and Geoff Holsclaw, these questions became deeply personal as they explored their own spiritual formation and the hidden forces that shape the way we relate to God, ourselves, and others. Drawing from the science of attachment and its profound spiritual implications, they have examined how our earliest experiences of connection can influence our understanding of God, our relationships, and the way we navigate the world. In their book, Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection, they offer a compelling framework for cultivating deeper intimacy with God and greater wholeness in our lives.
In this conversation, Davey, Cyd, and Geoff explore why faith and healing can sometimes feel disconnected, how attachment theory provides a powerful lens for understanding our spiritual lives, and what it looks like to navigate the terrain of our souls with compassion, honesty, and grace.
If you've ever wondered how your past experiences continue to shape your relationships, your faith, or the way you see yourself and God, this episode offers both insight and hope. No matter what terrain you've traveled, healing and transformation remain possible through Christ, deeper self-awareness, and the secure connection we were created to experience.