You listen to the sermons. You take the notes. You know the Scriptures. But is what you’re taking in changing how you live?

In this conversation on The Lauren Turner Podcast, we explore the gap between knowing God’s Word and doing what it says. James 1 challenges us to become doers of the Word—and in a world overflowing with spiritual content, that challenge hits home.

Are we becoming spiritual gluttons—constantly fed, but never changed?

We walk through a simple process for putting truth into practice: receive with humility, reflect on what God has shown you, and respond with action. Through the parable of the talents, we also consider whether the teaching poured into us is something we’re responsible for stewarding.

Sometimes obedience starts with one uncomfortable step: extending forgiveness, praying for someone who hurt you, or finally acting on what God has been telling you.

We also talk about spiritual blindness, the fear that keeps us from obeying, and the fellowship with the Father and fullness of joy waiting on the other side of obedience.

What has God already shown you that you haven’t acted on yet?

Subscribe to The Lauren Turner Podcast for more conversations rooted in Scripture.

Scriptures referenced: James 1:19–27; John 9:39–41; Matthew 7:21–23; Matthew 13:3–9; Psalm 1:2; Psalm 119:11; Psalm 145:5; Matthew 25:14–28; Psalm 139:23–24.

#TheLaurenTurnerPodcast #DoersOfTheWord #SpiritualGrowth

You’ve heard “authority in Christ”—but do you know what it actually means?

In Episode 9 of The Lauren Turner Podcast, we open Scripture to explore the difference between power and authority—and why understanding that difference changes how you approach spiritual warfare.

From Satan’s fall to the sons of Sceva, we examine what happens when authority is separated from obedience and a relationship with God. We also explore how Jesus, the second Adam, restored through obedience what Adam lost through disobedience—and what His delegated authority means for believers today.

In this episode:
• Why Satan’s power and his authority are two different things
• How disobedience cost biblical leaders their authority
• Why using Jesus’ name requires more than knowing the words
• How intimacy with Jesus and obedience shape our spiritual lives
• What resisting the devil looks like—and why humility matters

If you’ve ever wondered what authority you have in Christ, where it comes from, or how to walk in it, this conversation is for you.

Subscribe to The Lauren Turner Podcast for more conversations rooted in Scripture.

Key Scriptures: Luke 10:18–19; Romans 13:1; Acts 19:13–16; John 15:5; John 10:17–18; Jude 9.

#TheLaurenTurnerPodcast #AuthorityInChrist #SpiritualWarfare

What do you do when God feels silent and your prayers seem to go unanswered?

David, Habakkuk, Job, and even Jesus cried out to God in seasons when heaven seemed dark. The silence can feel especially painful in a culture where we expect immediate answers—but God’s quietness does not mean He has abandoned us.

In this episode of The Lauren Turner Podcast, Lauren explores what Scripture teaches us about walking through seasons when we cannot hear God clearly. Sometimes the silence invites us to wait and trust. Other times, God may be waiting for us to obey something He has already told us to do.

Through David’s prayer in Psalm 139, we learn how to invite the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal anything standing between us and God. Lauren examines how disobedience and selfish ambition can create distance in our relationship with Him—and how the stories of Adam and Eve and Jonah remind us that turning back is always possible.

Not every quiet season is correction, however. Sometimes silence becomes sanctification. When God doesn’t give us a play-by-play, our faith grows as we learn to trust His character instead of relying on what we can see, hear, or understand.

In this episode:

• What to do when God feels distant
• Why unanswered prayer does not mean God has left you
• How to practice honest biblical self-examination
• Whether disobedience could be delaying your next step
• How silence develops deeper faith and trust
• Why waiting on God is never wasted time
• How to hold onto hope when heaven feels dark

Even when you cannot hear the Shepherd, He has not stopped caring for His sheep. God promises never to leave or forsake you. He is present in the silence, faithful in the waiting, and working even when you cannot see it.

Scriptures referenced: Psalm 13:1–2, Habakkuk 1:2–4, Job 13:24, Job 23:8–10, Psalm 139:23–24, Genesis 3, James 4:4–10, Proverbs 3:5–6, Joshua 24:15, Jonah 2, Lamentations 3:25–26, Psalm 62:5–8, Jeremiah 17:7, Romans 15:13, Psalm 56, Matthew 28:20, Deuteronomy 31:6, Isaiah 41:10, Luke 12:27, and Psalm 100:3.

Subscribe or follow The Lauren Turner Podcast for biblical teaching, honest conversations, and faith-filled encouragement for everyday life.

What do you do when life leaves you angry, grieving, and bitter toward God?

Naomi lost her home, her husband, and both of her sons. When she returned to Bethlehem, she asked the people to call her Mara—meaning “bitter”—because she believed her life had become empty. But Naomi’s story wasn’t over, and neither is yours.

In this episode of The Lauren Turner Podcast, Lauren walks through Naomi’s journey in the book of Ruth and what it teaches us about trusting God through hardship. Even in her anger and grief, Naomi made the decision to turn back toward the Lord. She couldn’t yet see what He was doing, but God was already working through her pain.

We also explore the importance of faithful community. Ruth’s loyalty helped pull Naomi out of despair, reminding us that who we allow to speak into our lowest seasons matters.

Lauren shares practical biblical encouragement for walking through trials, including:

• How to acknowledge painful feelings without believing destructive lies
• Why trials produce endurance, character, and hope
• How to preach truth to your own soul as David did
• Why feeding your spirit matters before hardship comes
• How bitterness can blind us to the blessings already in front of us
• What it means to offer God a sacrifice of praise in the in-between

Naomi couldn’t see it at the time, but God was using her loss to bring Ruth into the family line that would lead to King David—and ultimately to Jesus. What felt like the end of Naomi’s story became part of something far greater than she could imagine.

If you’re walking through disappointment, grief, or a season that doesn’t make sense, this episode will encourage you to keep turning toward God. He is still present, still working, and still able to redeem your pain.

Scriptures referenced: Ruth 1:1–22, Ruth 4:13–17, John 16:33, Psalm 46, James 1:2–4, Romans 5:3–5, Job 1:6–12, Psalm 103:1–2, James 4:7, Psalm 116:14–17, and Isaiah 41:10.

Subscribe or follow The Lauren Turner Podcast for biblical teaching, honest conversations, and faith-filled encouragement for everyday life.

The enemy knows Scripture—but do you know how to use God’s Word when the battle comes?

In this episode of The Lauren Turner Podcast, Lauren explores the Sword of the Spirit, the only offensive weapon in the armor of God. Through Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, we learn how to recognize the enemy’s lies and answer them with biblical truth.

God’s Word also protects us defensively. Scripture reveals who God is, exposes beliefs that contradict His character, and transforms the way we think and live. But simply knowing Bible verses isn’t enough. The Pharisees knew the law and were still trapped by religion. To wield the Sword of the Spirit effectively, we must approach Scripture with humility and invite the Holy Spirit to teach us.

Lauren also examines why we can trust the Bible—including manuscript evidence, archaeology, fulfilled prophecy, and its internal consistency—and shares practical ways to make Scripture part of your daily life through Bible apps, audio Bibles, reading plans, and study resources.

Finally, the Sword of the Spirit was given to fight the enemy—not to attack other believers. When disagreements arise, we are called to pursue truth with love, follow biblical reconciliation, and pray for one another. No friendly fire.

In this episode:

• How to fight the enemy’s lies with Scripture
• Why the Bible is both an offensive and defensive weapon
• Why we need the Holy Spirit to understand God’s Word
• Evidence that supports the reliability of the Bible
• Practical ways to build a daily Bible-reading rhythm
• How to speak truth without weaponizing Scripture against others

Scriptures referenced: Ephesians 6:10–17, Hebrews 4:12, Luke 4:1–4, Psalm 119:11, 2 Timothy 3:16, Matthew 23, Matthew 7:7, John 6:63, 2 Peter 1:20–21, Luke 22:50–51, and Matthew 18:15–17.

Subscribe or follow The Lauren Turner Podcast for biblical teaching, honest conversations, and faith-filled encouragement for everyday life.

Are you living with confidence in your salvation—or still trying to earn God’s love and approval?

In this episode of The Lauren Turner Podcast, Lauren explores the Helmet of Salvation and why it is essential to the armor of God. Just as a helmet protects a soldier’s most vulnerable area, the confidence of our salvation protects our minds from condemnation, hopelessness, and the enemy’s lies.

Through Ephesians 6:17, the story of the prodigal son, and other powerful passages of Scripture, Lauren explains that salvation is an invitation to accept—not a reward for good behavior. She unpacks what it means to be justified, made new, and continually formed into the likeness of Christ.

You’ll also discover how salvation brings deliverance, lasting hope, and joy that doesn’t depend on your circumstances. No matter your past or how far you believe you have wandered, the Father’s arms remain open.

It’s time to stop striving, accept what Jesus has already accomplished, and live with the confidence that you are forgiven, covered, and secure in Him.

Subscribe or follow The Lauren Turner Podcast for biblical devotions, honest conversations, and faith-filled encouragement for everyday life.

How do you keep trusting God when what you're experiencing doesn't look anything like what He promised?

In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us to take up the shield of faith—a piece of the Armor of God designed to extinguish the fiery arrows of the enemy. But what does that actually look like when you're facing fear, doubt, temptation, disappointment, or circumstances you simply don't understand?

In this episode, Lauren explores what biblical faith really means and why our faith ultimately rests not in our ability to believe perfectly, but in the unchanging trustworthiness of God.

Lauren also shares a deeply personal story from the beginning of her marriage. After believing the Lord had told her that Sean would not deploy, she watched him receive deployment orders, married him just days before he left, and found herself wrestling with anger, confusion, and whether she could still trust what God had said.

What followed became a defining lesson in her journey of faith: God remains faithful even when our own faith falters.

Through Abraham's faith, the father's cry of "I believe; help my unbelief," and Paul's picture of the Roman shield, Lauren unpacks how faith protects us from the lies, accusations, fear, and discouragement of the enemy.

In this episode:
• What the shield of faith represents in the Armor of God
• What biblical faith actually means
• How faith extinguishes the "fiery darts" of the enemy
• How to trust God when circumstances don't make sense
• What to do when you're struggling with doubt and unbelief
• Why God's faithfulness isn't dependent on the strength of your faith
• How Scripture helps expose the enemy's lies
• Why we need other believers when our own faith is weak
• What Abraham teaches us about believing God before seeing the promise
• How to keep clinging to God when you don't understand what He's doing

Faith isn't pretending that you never doubt. It isn't ignoring difficult circumstances or forcing yourself to feel certain.

Faith says, "Lord, even when I don't see it, I know You're working. I trust Your character and Your heart even when I don't understand. I'm choosing to stay submitted and keep clinging to You."

And when your prayer is simply, "I believe; help my unbelief," Jesus meets you there too.

📖 SCRIPTURES DISCUSSED

Ephesians 6:10–20
Hebrews 11:1
Matthew 4:3–4
Revelation 12:11
Romans 4:16–24
Luke 5:18–20
Acts 9:8–19
Proverbs 27:17
Mark 9:20–25

Subscribe to The Lauren Turner Podcast for conversations and biblical teaching about faith, family, purpose, and learning to walk boldly with God.

#ShieldOfFaith #ArmorOfGod #TrustGod #Faith #SpiritualWarfare

How do you protect your heart in the middle of spiritual warfare? In Ephesians 6, Paul tells believers to put on the full Armor of God—including the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of the gospel of peace.

Follow along with this episode and go deeper with the Righteousness & Peace Worksheet.

In this teaching, Lauren explores what those two pieces of spiritual armor actually mean and how we can put them on in everyday life.

The breastplate protected a soldier's most vital organs—especially the heart. In the same way, God's righteousness protects us from guilt, shame, condemnation, compromise, and the accusations of the enemy. But this isn't about trying harder to "be good." Our righteousness begins with what Jesus has already done for us and then transforms the way we live.

Lauren also unpacks the shoes of peace and why the gospel gives us the ability to remain grounded, prepared, and secure—even in the middle of a spiritual battle.

In this conversation, you'll learn:

• What the breastplate of righteousness represents
• The difference between imputed and imparted righteousness
• How righteousness protects your heart from spiritual attack
• Why righteous living isn't the same as self-righteousness
• What the "shoes of peace" mean in Ephesians 6
• How salvation gives us peace with God
• Why peace doesn't mean passivity
• How to remain spiritually alert, prepared, and grounded in Christ

The Armor of God isn't something we manufacture through our own strength. It belongs to God, and He gives it to us so that we can stand firm against the schemes of the enemy.

This week, ask the Lord to show you what it means to put on the breastplate of righteousness and walk in the shoes of peace. Invite Him to expose areas of your heart, mind, and actions that aren't aligned with Him—and ask Him to teach you how to rest securely in what Jesus has already accomplished.

📖 SCRIPTURES DISCUSSED
Ephesians 6:10–20
Isaiah 59:17
Proverbs 4:23
2 Corinthians 5:21
Matthew 5:6
Matthew 6:33
Proverbs 24:16
Deuteronomy 5:33
Psalm 37:25
Romans 3:10, 23
Ephesians 6:15
Acts 10:36
Colossians 1:21–22
Matthew 5:9
1 Thessalonians 5:6
Proverbs 3:5–6
Romans 15:13

Subscribe to The Lauren Turner Podcast for conversations about faith, family, purpose, and learning to walk boldly with God.

#ArmorOfGod #SpiritualWarfare #BreastplateOfRighteousness #Ephesians6 #ChristianPodcast