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One phone call can split your life into “before” and “after.” That’s where our conversation with author Benedicta Gbaruk begins, in the middle of unimaginable family loss and the kind of regret that keeps you awake asking, “What did I miss?”

If you’ve ever carried fear, doubt, or worry while trying to hold a family together, you’ll hear your own questions reflected with honesty and hope.

Benedicta shares her journey through a serious car accident that leaves her young daughter with a traumatic brain injury, the months in the hospital, and the daily pressure of medical reports that seem final. She also opens up about losing her mother in 2020 and then losing her baby while pregnant, and how those layers of grief forced her into total dependence on the Holy Spirit as Comforter and Guide.

We talk about the very real tug of family regrets, why pain can isolate us, and how God often sends help through people and timing we never could have arranged.

We also get personal about marriage, anger, and submission, not as a religious rule, but as learning to submit to God first so our words stop tearing down the home we’re called to build. Benedicta explains how Scripture became her pathway to spiritual clarity, how compassion changes the way we see others, and why she believes God can turn pain into purpose. She also shares where to find her book, Discovering Grace and Peace Amid Family Regrets, and what she wants every listener to remember when the wilderness season feels endless.

If this brought you encouragement, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so more people can find Release Doubt Reveal Purpose.

Please note that a correction is needed. In our interview, Benedicta, referenced Ephesians 3:17 when speaking about Paul’s prayer concerning spiritual understanding. The passage she was thinking of God giving us wisdom and revelation and enlightening the eyes of our hearts is Ephesians 1:17–18.

To connect with or purchase Benedicta Gbaruk's book, visit her website at: https://www.benedictagbaruk.com/

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To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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God can feel loud one season and silent the next, and that shift can mess with your confidence, your purpose, and even your desire to pray.

Sylvia Worsham sits down with Donna Kirkwood, author of He Is the Vine, to talk about what it really looks like to stay connected to Jesus when you’re tired, busy, grieving, or stuck in a wilderness season.

Donna shares how her faith grew over time, how ministry found her before she felt “ready,” and why opening a winery became an unexpected spiritual lens. We dig into the vineyard picture of spiritual growth: cultivation, planting, pruning, and learning that even good fruit sometimes needs to be cut back so better fruit can grow. If you’re a chronic “yes” person or a people pleaser, this conversation helps you do a heart check and get your life back in alignment with what God is actually asking.

We also get practical: returning to the last place you felt close to God, creating stillness in a 5 a.m. hour, and using a simple filter for discernment: does it line up with Scripture and glorify Him? Donna connects grief to the fermentation process, and she offers approachable Bible study tools like choosing a readable translation and using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). We even talk Christian marriage and what it means to put Christ at the center through daily choices and outserving each other.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who feels spiritually dry, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

If you want to connect or purchase 'Donna's book, visit her website at: https://donnakirkwood.com/ or on Instagram @ddkirkwood

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To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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A divorce can feel like an ending, but sometimes it’s the first quiet doorway to a different kind of life. I’m sitting down with author Eli Brackenbury, whose newly released book Finding God at Fifty begins with an ordinary morning in an empty house and an unexpected, unmistakable peace. What follows is a raw, grounded conversation about what happens when you stop trying to muscle your way through pain and start practicing daily surrender to God.

We talk about the difference between religion and relationship with Jesus, especially for anyone carrying religion trauma or fatigue from feeling like you have to perform to be loved. Eli shares how chasing recognition, career wins, and even education still left him unfulfilled and how a simple “be still” message became a turning point for spiritual growth, identity in Christ, and a new direction in midlife.

If you’re navigating grief, rebuilding after divorce, questioning your purpose, or stuck in the same patterns, we break down practical steps for daily surrender you can try tomorrow morning. We also get honest about wilderness seasons, storms, and the fear of change, plus how faith can deepen when you stop demanding certainty and start taking the next right step.

Subscribe for more conversations like this, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find Release Doubt, Reveal Purpose. What’s one small “right turn” you can take this week?

If you want to connect with Eli or purchase his book, visit his website at: https://elibrackenbury.com/ or connect with him on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elibrackenbury/

Support the show

To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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Burnout can look like success right up until the moment your body refuses to cooperate. We’re joined by Jobert Abueva, originally from the Philippines, who shares what happened when years of nonstop global travel and high-stakes performance finally caught up with him and dropped him into a breaking point in a Hong Kong hotel room.

What follows isn’t a quick fix. It’s an honest look at how sustainable change actually happens when you’re exhausted, lonely, and tired of living for everyone else’s definition of winning.

We dig into Jobert’s three-question reset for any transition:

What’s working? What can I set down? What lessons are these years trying to teach me?

From journaling and facing hard patterns to stepping away from a draining role and returning to a childhood passion for writing, Jobert lays out practical ways to reconnect with your values, your mental health, and your sense of purpose. We also talk about achievement culture, people pleasing, and why the “clues” to your authentic self often show up early, then get buried under pressure and expectations.

Jobert breaks down his book, The Janus Plan , and the six-step approach he uses to reflect on the past, set meaningful goals, declutter life’s noise, build supportive rituals, and revisit commitments throughout the year. If you’re searching for work-life balance, a faith-informed reset, and a clear framework for personal growth without guilt or performative hustle, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review to support the show. What’s one thing you’re ready to set down today?

To connect with Jobert visit his website: https://joberteabueva.com/book/

Support the show

To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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Your body doesn’t “randomly” fall apart. Sometimes it raises its voice after years of being ignored. Sylvia Worsham sits down with author and coach Kristen Renee Appleby to unpack how chronic stress, perfectionism, and hiding our authentic selves can trap us in a fear-based survival loop and how that loop can show up as inflammation, panic, burnout, and even autoimmune disease.

If you’ve been pushing through exhaustion while telling yourself you’re fine, this conversation offers a different lens: what if your symptoms are communication, not betrayal?

Kristen shares her story as a high-achieving corporate professional and avid runner who faced a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, years of flare-ups, and the exhausting cycle of trying to “fix” symptoms without changing the foundation. We talk nervous system regulation, why imagination and purpose can feel impossible when you don’t feel safe, and the surprisingly powerful practice of returning to the present with “I’m safe right now.” Together, we explore how beliefs formed in early life become patterns that shape health, relationships, and career and how healing starts when we stop bypassing pain and learn to sit with it.

The conversation also connects physical wellness to financial wellness. Kristen explains how scarcity, avoidance, and low self-worth can create a “money wound,” and she breaks down how her book, Healing the Money Wound, applies the same rebuild framework through a focused 12-day reset, webinars, and community support. You’ll walk away with practical micro-shifts, a clearer understanding of the stress-inflammation connection, and real hope that change is possible one choice at a time.

If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with a friend who’s running on empty, and leave a review so more people can find the path from doubt to purpose. What’s one small shift you can make today to feel safe in your body?

To connect with Kristen Renee visit her website at https://kristenreneehealing.com/shop/ or connect with her on Instagram @kristenreneehealing

Support the show

To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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A six-year-old girl had never slept in a bed, and when one finally arrived, she hugged the post and kissed it like it was her mom. That moment is the spark behind Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit taking on a problem most people never even see: child bedlessness, kids sleeping on floors, couches, pallets, or in overcrowded rooms because a bed slips behind rent, food, and survival.

We sit down with founder Luke Mickelson to trace how a farm kid from Idaho, wrestling with fear, doubt, and a quiet faith fog, stumbled into purpose through a simple act of service. Luke shares the first bunk bed build with his Boy Scout troop, the “tiny moment” that pushed him to build again with his own kids, and how a single Facebook post revealed just how widespread the need was in his own community. From there, the story expands into the real mechanics of scaling a nonprofit: creating local chapters, supporting volunteers, partnering with agencies, and building a model that communities can copy to serve families fast.

We also dig into what makes volunteer programs actually work, why the volunteer experience matters as much as the mission, and Luke’s three-step “tiny moments” framework for turning compassion into action. If you care about kids, community service, nonprofit leadership, or finding purpose through serving others, this conversation will stay with you. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can help get kids off the floor and into a bed.

To learn more about Luke and his amazing organization visit his website: https://lukemickelson.com/ or Sleep in Heavenly Peace's website at: https://shpbeds.org/

Support the show

To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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Your dream finally comes true and then, in the second week, your body collapses. That’s where Lara Silverman’s story starts, and it’s why this conversation goes straight to the questions most of us whisper in the dark: What do you do with faith when healing doesn’t come, when God feels silent, and when your old life is gone?

We talk with Lara, a Stanford Law grad and former federal prosecutor, about living with a rare neurological vertigo disorder that has kept her largely bedridden for years. She shares the humbling details of disability, the exhaustion of endless treatments, and the moment God calls her not just to endurance, but to acceptance.

From there, we grapple with jealousy, bitterness, and the daily task of surrender, using Scripture as an anchor when emotions surge and comparisons rob us of joy.

Then the plot twists.

Laura meets Matt, a brilliant scientist, missionary, and youth pastor who is also facing terminal cancer. Their relationship becomes a “mutual grief” love story, followed by the crushing reality of widowhood. Laura explains how God sustains her through community, timely encouragement, humor, worship, and a deeper theology of suffering, and she shares what she’s creating next, including a screenplay inspired by her memoir Singing Through Fire.

If you’re searching for Christian encouragement for grief, chronic illness, trusting God in hardship, surrender, and purpose in suffering, this one will stay with you.

Subscribe, share with a friend who’s carrying a heavy load, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show.

To purchase Lara's book or connect with her visit her website at: https://larasilverman.com/ or to view her cinematic book trailer visit: https://youtu.be/TDcUeQrbVZk or to purchase her book, Singing Through Fire visit this link: https://books2read.com/singingthroughfire

Support the show

To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com

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Something tries to keep this conversation from happening, and that becomes part of the point.

When fear, doubt, and worry flare up right as you’re moving toward growth, it’s easy to assume you’re failing or that the people around you are the problem. I sit down with Michael J. Muccio, speaker and author of Evil’s First Breath, to talk about what’s really happening beneath the surface and how intimacy with God becomes a practical, daily way to overcome spiritual pressure.

Michael shares the story behind a vision he received 35 years ago and why he waited to write it, plus what he learned about pride, self reliance, and the “slow rebellion” that can pull any of us off course. We explore the origin of evil through a first principles thinking lens, then bring it straight into real life: marriage conflict, identity attacks, anxiety, and the moment by moment choice to cast your cares on God. We also unpack what humility actually is (and what it is not), using Scripture like 1 Peter 5:7, Galatians 2:20, and John 15 to ground the conversation in clear spiritual practice.

You’ll walk away with simple steps you can use immediately: how to pray when emotions spike, how to stop spirals of blame, how to build gratitude without slipping into toxic positivity, and how to invite the Holy Spirit into decisions and relationships. If you’ve been craving deeper Christian spiritual growth, stronger discernment, and a faith that holds up under stress, this one is for you.

Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a reset, and leave a review so more people can find the show and step into their purpose.

To connect or work with Michael J. Muccio visit his website at: https://michaeljmuccio.com/ or go directly to Amazon to purchase have his latest book, Evil’s First Breath.

Support the show

To download a free chapter of host Sylvia Worsham's bestselling book, In Faith, I Thrive: Finding Joy Through God's Masterplan, purchase any of her products, or book a call with her, visit her website at www.sylviaworsham.com