Proverbs 31 Ministires

"Forgiveness is possible, but it won't always feel possible. It's a double-edged word, isn't it? It's hard to give. It's amazing to get. But when we receive freely from the Lord and refuse to give it, something heavy starts to form in our souls." - Lysa TerKeurst, Forgiving What You Can't Forget This month on the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, listen to Chapter One of Lysa TerKeurst's new book, Forgiving What You Can't Forget. Related Resources: - Want to listen to Chapter Two of Forgiving What You Can't Forget? Sign up to be a Podcast Insider! Our free, monthly Insider email includes a bonus video from our hosts, journal prompts to dig deeper, a sneak peek at what's coming up, and more! - Take the next step by signing up for our free, online Bible study of Forgiving What You Can't Forget! The study starts January 19, 2021. Click here to sign up and order a copy of the book. - Do you have a dream to write? COMPEL Writers Training will help you get started on your writing goals this year with tools and res

What's your role when your friend is going through a hard season? When she gets the cancer diagnosis, suffers a miscarriage or loses a family member?   On this episode of the podcast, Marissa Henley shares how her friends loved her well while she was battling cancer. She breaks down the different levels of friendship, helps you identify your role based on your level of friendship, and gives practical tips on how to practically — and appropriately — love your friend through suffering. Related Resources: - Get access to an exclusive conversation with Marissa and the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast co-hosts by becoming a Podcast Insider! It's free, and each month you'll get insider updates on the podcast you can't get anywhere else. Sign up here. - If you have a friend or loved one walking through a cancer diagnosis, grab a copy of Marissa's book, Loving Your Friend Through Cancer. - Maybe you're the one walking through a season of your world being turned upside down. In Lysa TerKeurst's book, It's Not Supposed t

Do you struggle to find a reason to worship these days? We get it ... this year has been tough. So how do we worship when there's so much to be worried about?  Today on the show, our friend Lara Casey from Cultivate What Matters shows us how writing out Scripture is a pathway to praise. When we write the Word, we retain the Word. And being able to recall the Truths in God's Word and rejoice in who He is in the middle of any circumstance is what worship is all about. We hope this episode leaves you equipped and encouraged to cultivate a life of worship, starting with a simple habit.Related Resources: - Our next Online Bible Study, Write the Word: Cultivate Worship starts November 30! Click here to sign up. And purchase your copy of the Write the Word: Cultivate Worship Journal, only available at Proverbs 31 Ministries! - We want to connect with our podcast listeners each month! Sign up to be a Podcast Insider, and each month you'll receive bonus content, journal prompts and more. - Connect with Lara on her web

Complaining and contentment are both contagious.   And these days, it's easy to get caught up in complaining. But how do we choose contentment over complaining? On this episode of the podcast, Melissa Spoelstra walks us through the book of Numbers, where we see the Israelites wrestle with this same problem. She'll show us the secret to contentment in the Word of God, and how it renews our mind and transforms us from the inside out. Related Resources: More than ever, we need a place to quietly learn God’s Word so we can apply and share the Truth. Download our FREE First 5 app and start the first five minutes of your day with biblically based teachings that help you understand Scripture on your own! Join Melissa Spoelstra for a week of intentional contentment with her FREE 7-Day Contentment Project. If our podcast has made a difference in your life, would you consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts.Click here to download the transcript for today's episode.

A note from Proverbs 31 Ministries: Some content in this episode is not appropriate for children, and may serve as a trigger due to circumstances in your past. Please use discretion before listening.  When the unimaginable happens ... the deep heartache, the parenting hardship, the bills that keep coming and your finances aren't enough ... where is Jesus?  On this episode of the podcast, Max Lucado gives us proof that Jesus never leaves us and is more present than ever in the stormiest seasons of our lives. As we look at the miracles of Christ as recorded in the Gospel of John, Max reminds us God is nearer than we know.Related Resources: Have you had a hard time focusing on your writing this year? Now more than ever, the world needs the hope-filled message God has given you to write. It's not too late to refocus and pursue your next step as a writer before this year ends. COMPEL Writers Training provides the tools and resources to help you in the process, as well as opportunities to get your work published. R

When we wake up, we're most likely not going to say, "I'd like to be uncomfortable today." We crave comfort, but growth will never come from it.  What if instead of looking at discomfort as an inconvenience, we chose a new perspective: a mindset that God will use discomfort to shape us and make us more like Him? On this episode of the podcast, our friend Alexandra Hoover shares why God allows discomfort. You'll learn that by remembering who God is, we can see our discomfort as something to lean into instead of run away from. Related Resources:Sign up for our Encouragement for Today devotions for daily, biblical encouragement to help your filter your everyday life through the Truth of God’s Word.Check out our FREE resource library! We've got tons of topical study resources you can download to use for whatever you're going through right now.Connect with Alex on Instagram at @alexandravhoover, or on her website here.  Click here to download the transcript for today's episode.

Do you ever find yourself replaying and reliving the details of the deep hurt in your life?   Whether you’ve experienced pain through an event or a collection of hurt that built over time because someone wasn’t who they were supposed to be, didn’t do what they were supposed to do, or didn’t protect you like they should have protected you, your heartbreak deserves a safe place to be processed. In this episode, Lysa TerKeurst unpacks three crucial perspective shifts that will empower you to start changing the way you see the most painful parts of your situation. Related Resources: If you enjoyed this episode, take it a step further with "5 Healing Perspectives for your Hurt or Heartbreak," a free resource from Lysa TerKeurst. This resource will help you stop feeling held captive by the hurt by using specific scriptures and reflective questions to help you move forward today. You can click here to get your free download! When pain feels deeply personal, do you find it hard to keep your reactions biblical? You ar

When life's seasons change or we are walking through a time of transition, it's easy for our relationship with God to feel dry — or maybe just plain hard. But what if our time with God actually has less to do with quieting everything around us, and instead has everything to do with making an appointment to quiet things within us? On this episode of the podcast, Shae Tate, special projects content manager for Lysa TerKeurst, walks through scriptures throughout the Bible that show us what pursuing God looks like in different seasons. We hope this episode gives you a new perspective to help you walk through that dry place and meet with the Lord in a fresh, new way.Related Resources: Let's face it: This year has felt a little out of control. It seems impossible to keep anxiety, worry and stress from taking up permanent residence. Now more than ever, we need reminders that God really is in control. Worry might have defined much of your 2020, but let worship define the rest of your year. Written by members of our C

Question to consider: Do I have to honor my parents when it seems impossible?  One of the Ten Commandments is “honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12). But sometimes, obeying that commandment feels exhausting and impossible. During this episode of the podcast, we learn from Lysa TerKeurst and Joel Muddamalle about the difference between obeying and honoring your parents. We’ll tackle expectations and boundaries during different seasons of parent/child relationships and how to navigate those seasons as they change. Whether you are the child or parent in the relationship (or both), this episode will help answer the question: How do I honor my parents when it feels impossible? Related Resources:- When we hear or read a teaching or sermon that challenges us, it's natural to ask, "Now what?" What do we do with the information we’re given? How should this affect us? How should it change or transform us? That’s why we created “Now What?” A Guide to Process & Apply Biblical Messages to help you take action w

Have you ever been asked to mentor someone, or maybe wanted someone to mentor you, but found it kind of awkward or wished someone told you what to do?  Join Lysa TerKeurst and her friend Shelley Giglio from Passion City Church as Shelley breaks down what mentorship is and what it isn’t. With wisdom from years of experience, she will show us the value of these relationships, and will equip us with tools to flourish in them. Our hosts, Kaley and Meredith, even get to ask her some questions directly related to mentorship in their different stages of life. We promise, you don’t want to miss this episode!Related Resources: Check out these resources by Shelley and her team at Passion City Church. You can visit flourishmentor.com to learn more about Flourish and how to purchase it. There are also free resources for beginning your mentoring journey! Follow Shelley and her team at The Grove @shelleygiglio and @pcc_thegrove on Instagram. Sign up for our Encouragement for Today devotions for daily, biblical encourage

What are you longing for?  Maybe you're a single woman, and you're longing to get married? Or you are longing to start a family? Maybe you’re longing for a new season, healing or something else in your life to change? That thing deep down inside that you want, that you wonder if you will ever get, can be painful. But how often do we ask ourselves if Jesus is really enough to fulfill that longing?   Join Hannah Schindler and Joel Muddamalle from our First 5 team as they discuss the longings we see throughout the entire Bible, and how those longings are meant to point us to Jesus.  Related Resources:We have BIG news! For the first time ever, Our Online Bible Studies program and the First 5 mobile app are teaming up to study the Bible TOGETHER! The Answers to Your Deepest Longings: 40 Days Through the Bible starts September 7. Click here to sign up! P.S. The study is free! All you need is your Study Guide. With it you'll also get access to our community group so you can join women from all over as we study God's

Question to consider: Does prayer change God’s mind?  We often think if God answers our prayers in the way we want Him to, it validates He heard us, values and loves us. But we can easily become attached to our idea of what the outcome to those prayers should be. But what if prayer is supposed to release us from carrying the weight of the outcomes of our prayers? What if, instead, prayer is supposed to be us trusting God will provide peace no matter the outcome? Join Lysa TerKeurst and Joel Muddamalle as we unpack three truths to bring into our prayer lives and tackle the question: Does prayer change God’s mind? You might be surprised by the answer.Related Resources:- When we hear or read a teaching or sermon that challenges us, it's natural to ask, "Now what?" What do we do with the information we’re given? How should this affect us? How should it change or transform us? That’s why we created, “Now What?” A Guide to Process & Apply Biblical Messages, to help you take action with the next practical step t

What could church history teach me that would be helpful to me today? Those authors and what they wrote feel out of date, out of time, and out of context for life here and now. But let's consider a quote from Winston Churchill, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”   On this episode of the podcast, Joel Muddamalle shows us why it’s crucial to apply the good from history so we are able to prevent repeating mistakes. We will look at how people have responded heroically in the midst of tragedy and crisis that was outside of their control, just like any crisis we find ourselves in. More than that, this episode unpacks how we can respond with the hope of Christ in a desperate, hurting world.Related Resources: - Study Revelation: All Things New with us in our free First 5 app. And make sure to order the Experience Guide to go along with the study. You won’t want to miss this one! - We want to get to know you better! Will you take a few minutes to complete this short survey as one of ou

Do I have to get past all my weaknesses before God can use me?    At some point or another, we've all battled the negative narrative of I can't or I'm not worthy. But those lies we tell ourselves are not true. In each of us is a hidden potential that God is ready to use.  Today's guest, author Wendy Pope, teaches us about our own hidden potential using the story of Moses in the book of Exodus. Wendy shows us how to replace those lies with this truth: God will not allow our failures and past to exempt us from our potential. In fact, He'll use them! Related Resources: - Join us for the Hidden Potential Online Bible Study now for FREE!   - Purchase Wendy's book, Hidden Potential, from the Proverbs 31 Ministries Bookstore. Every purchase you make from us goes back to funding ministry initiatives, like this podcast!   - Connect with Wendy on Instagram and Facebook.  - We want to get to know you better! Will you take a few minutes to complete this short survey as one of our podcast listeners? Click here to dow

We all want to be happy. But what is true happiness? And how do we find it?  In this episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast we are joined by our friend, Derwin Gray, the lead pastor of Transformation Church and author of The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness. Using Jesus' famous Sermon on the Mount, Derwin helps us unpack three ways to find true happiness.  You'll learn that the happiness you long for is found in becoming the person you were created to be. This “happiness” is not found in what we accomplish; it comes through what God is accomplishing in us to make our hearts like His. Happiness can be found daily, by sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening and learning from Him.Related Resources: - Purchase Derwin's new book, The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness.   Here’s what our president, Lysa TerKeurst, said about Derwin’s book: "This book has the most solid teaching on happiness I've ever read. Not only is this message helpful but it's also refreshin

When life is hard and we see suffering all around, it's easy to wonder, does God really love me? And if God does love me, where exactly is He in all this? Is He really who He says He is, who I believed Him to be, who the Bible tells me about?  Today on the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, our guest, Kia Stephens, uses the story of Hagar in Genesis to tackle these difficult questions. In this episode, she will unpack five truths that we can believe about the love of God in the midst of our difficult situations.  You’ll learn that in the midst of feeling lonely, desperate and doubtful, God meets you right where you are with exactly what you need. Because He loves you, He sees you. He hears you. And He will restore you. Related Resources:Receive daily, biblical encouragement from women who get you and what you’re going through delivered straight to your inbox when you sign up for our FREE Encouragement for Today devotions.Connect with Kia, find out more information on “The Father Swap,” and more on her website at

When we go through trials, it’s easy to wonder, is this from God or caused by God? Am I under attack?  Today on the Proverbs 31 Podcast, Wendy Blight, our Online Bible Studies Biblical Content Specialist, addresses these questions in her teaching on the armor of God from Ephesians 6. Wendy shares a five-step process for praying through the armor of God, using the letters A-R-M-O-R. You’ll discover what each piece of the armor of God means, why you need it, and the importance of guarding your heart and mind on a daily basis.   Whatever you’re facing today, friend, you can rejoice knowing God’s already equipped you with what you need to stand victoriously.Related Resources:  Purchase Wendy's book, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner, to learn more about Wendy’s story and her relationship with the Lord. Our Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner Teaching Series includes teachings on fasting, spiritual discipline, studying and memorizing Scripture, and more! Click here to get access to the teachings. Click here to download Wend

Chances are, at some point or another, you’ve found yourself “in the middle of something” in life and you can’t help but ask the question: How long will this last? If you're reading this in 2020, maybe your “in the middle” is the COVID-19 pandemic, or maybe you find yourself in the middle of a battle with infertility or navigating a difficult family relationship.  No matter what "middle" we find ourselves in, it's hard to move forward when we don't know how long this season will last. In the midst of managing the tension, we can either spiral up or we can spiral down. On this episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, our co-host, Kaley Olson, shares Truth that's helpful to you right now.    "3 Things to Consider When You're in the Middle" uses Scripture to remind you of who God is, how He is faithful, what that means for us and how to share that with others.Related Resources: Check out our FREE resource library! We've got tons of devotions, prayers and other tools you can download. If you would like to

In times of uncertainty, our tendency is to hold tightly to everything we have. We want to feel safe and in control of the things we can control. But what if instead, we choose to let go, open our hands and pray prayers of surrender? What if God is calling us to trust Him more with everything?  In this episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, author and pastor Craig Groeschel sits down with Kendra Schwarz and discusses a two-word prayer that can change everything: Send me. You'll find that praying "send me" might not mean you'll be sent to another physical location, but it always means you'll be nudged out of your comfort zone. You'll learn why when you pray dangerously, you can't live life the same. And that's a good thing. Click the links below to check out the resources we mention in this episode of the podcast: Sign up for the FREE Dangerous Prayers Online Bible Study. Grab a copy of Dangerous Prayers by Craig Groeschel here. Click here to download the transcript for this episode.

We all want to know what God’s will is for our life, right? And wouldn't it be so much easier if there were a formula we could follow to know exactly what to do next?    In this episode of the podcast, Shae Tate offers a new approach to think about the term "calling" by beginning with our call to a daily relationship with the Lord. You'll learn that no matter what your mission field is — your school, home, career or ministry — God is calling you to use your story to bring others to Himself.    If this teaching was helpful for you, we’ve got a resource that we’d love to tell you about: “Thy Will Be Done.” This six-week devotional will help you trust God more as you process your “what’s next” questions with Him. Click here to download the transcript for this episode.