Joyful Journey

One of the seemingly confusing concepts in Scripture is the fear of the Lord. If God loves and cares for us, how could we fear Him, and why would we need to?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn explore what it means to fear the Lord by examining the Scriptures. They discuss how we often fear many things in life, and how these fears can be misplaced. The ladies guide us to understand why fearing the Lord actually leads us to find hope in Him.

One of the many blessings of accepting Christ is our union with Him—but what does it truly mean to be one with Christ?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn take a closer look at what it means for a Christian to be united with Christ. Union with Christ is often overlooked or misunderstood because it can feel abstract or hard to grasp, yet it’s key to understanding the rich blessings we receive through salvation.

We as humans are naturally limited in our strength, and there’s much we cannot accomplish through our own power. What wisdom does the Bible offer about our inherent human weakness?

In this week’s episode, Janet and Jocelyn explore the concept of weakness and what Scripture reveals about the limitations we were created with. The ladies discuss how embracing our weaknesses can actually point us toward our perfectly strong Savior, Jesus Christ, who deserves all honor and glory.

Anger can sometimes feel overwhelming, leaving us wondering about its true origins. What does the Bible say about anger, and is it possible to experience it in a righteous way?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn sit down with Dr. Robert Jones, professor and department chair of Biblical Counseling at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. As an accomplished author and adjunct professor at Faith Bible Seminary, Dr. Jones shares his insights on the root of anger, helping us understand where it stems from and where our sinful anger is actually directed.

Our lives are filled with choices, some easy and some difficult. What does the Bible say about how God views our decisions and their impact on our journey?

Janet and Jocelyn dive into the powerful consequences of following God's ways this week. Through heartfelt conversation, they explore Scripture and reveal how God consistently expresses His desire to bless those who walk the path of righteousness.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Our hosts, Janet & Jocelyn, had the opportunity again this year to record a special live episode at our church’s Biblical Counseling Training Conference in Lafayette, Indiana. Janet and Jocelyn answer audience questions submitted online. We enjoyed meeting many of our listeners and we hope this can be a blessing to those who weren’t able to attend live. For more information about the Biblical Counseling Training Conference, follow this link: faithlafayette.org/BCTC.

The topic of conceiving and bearing children can often feel difficult to discuss - but it doesn't have to be. What does scripture say about our desire to build families?

This week Janet and Jocelyn welcome Dr. Dan Wickert, an OB-GYN and chairman of the hospital board for the Western region of the Sisters of St. Francis. He shares insights on our desire to have children, and how to approach medical challenges to conception through the lens of God's word.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Navigating life with a child who has special needs can be an overwhelming journey, filled with unique challenges and emotional complexities. How does faith provide guidance when confronting the realities of suffering and disability?

Janet and Jocelyn welcome back Tirzah Birk, a mother of four who brings profound insights from her personal experiences. In this continuation of their special needs parenting series, Tirzah offers a deeply compassionate exploration of disability and suffering, viewed through the lens of God's sovereign love and ultimate purpose. She helps listeners understand how scripture can transform our perspective, providing hope and comfort even in life's most challenging moments.

Every family touched by special needs walks a unique path, filled with its own distinct challenges, moments, and daily realities. But in the midst of these circumstances, is there room for joy? 

Janet and Jocelyn welcome Tirzah Birk, a mom of 4 whose husband is a pastor at Faith Church in Lafayette, IN. Tirzah shares her heart about the everyday challenges faced by parents of children with special needs, showing just how many families walk this path together. With gentle wisdom, she turns to scripture's comforting words, finding hope and guidance for parents processing the unique struggles, stress, and grief that come with caring for children with special needs and disabilities. We pray this two-part series brings comfort and encouragement to all families walking the special needs journey.

Exciting new scripture challenge for 2025! Join us as we read through gospels throughout the year looking for Jesus.

This week brings our yearly "Ask Us Anything" episode, where Janet and Jocelyn dive into your questions and point us back to Scripture along the way. Thank you for all your great questions – we hope this episode lifts your spirit as we gear up for an exciting lineup of topics in 2025.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

In this week's special episode, Janet and Jocelyn discuss the hope of Christmas. They remind listeners of God's redemptive plan, which He fulfilled through the Christmas story.

The light of the Christmas story is not merely an addition to an already-illuminated world, but rather the sole hope and radiant light that illuminates the path to a relationship with the Holy One, the Prince of Peace, the true Light of the World.

Caring for family members with dementia can be exhausting, difficult, and can even feel hopeless. What guidance can we find in the scriptures to support those caring for individuals with dementia?

In this episode, Janet and Jocelyn interview Keri Allen, a former special education teacher who served as the primary caregiver for her father from his early-onset frontotemporal dementia (FTD) diagnosis until his passing in 2024. Keri offers a biblical perspective on dementia and directs listeners to the ultimate source of hope for Christians—Jesus Christ.

In today’s episode, Janet and Jocelyn explore the importance of giving thanks in all circumstances. Whether in easy or difficult times, the Lord's steadfast love never fails. Together, they share Biblical wisdom on maintaining a thankful heart through every season.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Idolatry might seem like something relegated to ancient cultures worshiping statues of stone, bronze, or gold, but how does it manifest in modern-day culture?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn dive deep into idols of the heart. While they've touched on this topic in previous episodes, it deserves its own dedicated discussion. Heart-idolatry can stem from virtually any desire—even those that appear "good." The ladies explore how idols subtly enter our lives and offer guidance on identifying which ones may have taken root in your heart.

In our hyper-connected era, many children grapple with worry and anxiety. How can parents nurture faith and peace in their kids amidst these challenging times?

Janet and Jocelyn discuss parenting anxious children with Dr. Amy Baker, Ph.D., Resource Director at Faith Church, board member of the Bible Counseling Coalition, and ACBC certified counselor. They explore using God's Word, particularly the Psalms, to counter anxiety.

What are "boundaries" in relationships, and are they biblical? Many counselees use this term, but its meaning isn't always clear.

Janet and Jocelyn examine the origins of "boundaries" and explore biblical teachings on relationships, particularly how loving our enemies intersects with setting personal limits. Can Christians set biblical boundaries in relationships?

"Judge not that you be not judged" is often invoked by Christians feeling scrutinized. But what does Scripture actually say about discerning right from wrong versus being judgmental?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn welcome Dr. Rob Green - author, pastor, and counselor. As MABC Department chair at Faith Bible Seminary and an ACBC fellow specializing in marriage and reconciliation, Pastor Rob explores how prioritizing personal standards over biblical ones can turn righteous discernment into unwarranted judgment of others.

What do you do when all hope seems to be lost? How can Christians support one another through times of discontent and despair?

In this episode, Janet and Jocelyn explore the challenging topics of discontent, self-pity, and despair. They discuss the root causes of these struggles and suggest that discontent with God often lies at the heart of the matter. The hosts examine the concept of biblical contentment and highlight the hope we can find in trusting God's sovereignty. Janet and Jocelyn remind listeners that God's plans, though sometimes difficult to understand, are ultimately better than we could imagine for ourselves.

Adoption offers a picture of the spiritual adoption Christians experience in Christ. However, for many adopted children, this journey can also involve deep sorrow and grief over the separation from their birth families.

This week, Janet and Jocelyn have the honor of hosting Pam Bauer, a graduate of Faith Seminary’s MABC program. Pam and her husband have adopted 12 children from Russia. Pam dedicates herself to counseling children in her community. Together, they discuss how adoptive parents can nurture a biblical understanding of God’s foreknowledge and sovereignty in their children. By grounding them in these truths, adopted children can better comprehend and embrace their place within their adoptive family, viewing it through the lens of our spiritual adoption into God’s family.

Despite being more connected than ever through social media, many people today are struggling with what some have termed “the loneliness epidemic.” But what guidance does the Bible offer on the topic of loneliness?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn explore loneliness from a Christian perspective, reflecting on how Christ’s example can shed light on our feelings of isolation. They delve into the roots of loneliness, emphasizing that we are inherently designed to be relational beings.

Pride can easily take root in the hearts of Christians, often unnoticed. Humility is frequently seen as the remedy for pride, but how can Christians genuinely cultivate this virtue?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn interview Dr. Stuart Scott, a seasoned educator who has taught at Southern Seminary and Masters Seminary, and is now collaborating with Bob Jones University to establish a counseling center. Dr. Scott delves into the distinction between pride and humility, explaining that pride centers on oneself, while humility focuses on others. He emphasizes the subtlety of pride and offers practical advice on how to identify and overcome it, helping Christians to shift their focus towards God and others.

Often in the Christian life, we are called to encourage others spiritually by affirming their right choices. However, it can be challenging to avoid the pitfalls of flattery. What does Scripture say about affirming others in spiritual matters?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn discuss how to genuinely affirm others on their spiritual walk. They explore the importance of motivation, emphasizing that affirmation should aim to glorify God and build others up, not seek personal gain. By grounding our affirmations in Scripture, we can encourage other believers in a way that honors God and promotes spiritual growth.

Meditation is frequently recommended in popular culture as a way to alleviate stress and anxiety while fostering a sense of calm. The Bible, however, provides specific guidance on what authentic, biblical meditation and contemplation should entail.

This week, Janet and Jocelyn explore the tenets of biblical meditation and contemplation, highlighting how they differ from worldly perspectives. They delve into the key aspects we should focus on when meditating on scripture and discuss how contemplation of God should inspire us to love and honor Him more deeply

Parents often feel overwhelmed, unsure, and nervous about speaking with their kids about sex, but what principles about “the talk” can we find in scripture?

This week, Janet and Jocelyn explore how Christians can approach conversations about sex with their children. They share personal examples of discussing the beauty of biblical sex, highlighting how their approaches varied based on each child's unique needs. Additionally, they address common obstacles to having these important conversations and offer strategies for overcoming them by emphasizing a biblical perspective of sex within marriage.

We welcome special guest, Aaron Birk, to the podcast to talk about the sovereignty and providence of God. In this episode, we talk about this beautiful, theological topic that can be difficult to grasp. We answer some of the big questions about God’s sovereignty.

Aaron is the pastor of global missions for Faith Church and Pastor of Faith West Ministries. Aaron oversees Faith Church West, international student and family ministries, missionaries, and short-term missions. Aaron is married to Tirzah and has four children.

In this episode, we welcome special guest Dr. Dan Wickert to the podcast to discuss a highly requested topic, postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a common experience of moms that is not always well-understood. 

As an OBGYN doctor and certified biblical counselor, Dr. Wickert brings deep knowledge and experience as Janet and Jocelyn discuss this sensitive and complex issue from a medical and spiritual perspective.

Fear can often seem all-consuming and overpowering, especially in our fallen, sin-cursed world. How can Christians see fear in light of the Bible?

Today’s episode features a returning guest–  renowned author Dr. John Henderson, an associate pastor at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. In addition to being a professor of Biblical Counseling at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he is a board member for the Biblical Counseling Coalition and the Association of Biblical Counselors. This week’s episode focuses on how Christians should relate to and consider fear and anxiety from a biblical perspective.

Christians can often be tempted to bristle underneath the authorities God has given us. It can be hard to submit to certain authorities in our lives, and sometimes it can be hard to discern how far submission should go. 

This week, Janet and Jocelyn discuss a biblical basis for authorities and submission–not only in marriage, but throughout the Christian life. 

Humans will inevitably experience suffering which is often labeled as “trauma”, but how would the Bible define trauma? 

Today’s episode features renowned author Dr. John Henderson, who is an associate pastor at University Baptist Church in Fayetteville, AR. In addition to being a professor of Biblical Counseling at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he is a board member for the Biblical Counseling Coalition and of the Association of Biblical Counselors. Dr. Henderson discusses a biblical description of trauma, and speaks from the Psalms about how to find God’s grace to process times of trauma in our lives. 

Christians know that the main focus of Easter is Christ’s resurrection providing salvation, but what does salvation really do?

Janet and Jocelyn discuss the benefits of salvation not only to the believer, but God’s self-glorifying plan of redemption. This week we are reminded that salvation of sinner is ultimately to the praise of God’s glorious grace. 

In popular culture, the conscience is often depicted as a little voice that tells you what you should do. How does the Bible describe the conscience? Does our conscience interact with our emotions?

This week on the podcast, we welcome special guest Dr. Andrew Naselli to discuss the conscience, the topic of his book entitled– Conscience: What is it, How to Train it, and Loving Those That Differ. Dr. Naselli is a pastor, author, and professor of systematic theology and New Testament for Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis. He is married to his wife Jenny and they have four daughters.

Our hosts, Janet & Jocelyn, had the opportunity again this year to record a special live episode at our church’s Biblical Counseling Training Conference in Lafayette, Indiana. Janet and Jocelyn answer audience questions submitted online. We enjoyed meeting many of our listeners and we hope this can be a blessing to those who weren’t able to attend live. For more information about the Biblical Counseling Training Conference, follow this link: https://www.bctconference.org/

In American culture the word love can be overused, seem trite, and easily misused. Biblical love, on the other hand, is love as exemplified in the life of Christ and how he selflessly cared for the souls around Him. 

In today’s episode, Janet and Jocelyn discuss how biblical love cares for the souls of others by making it easy for them to pursue righteousness. 

Our hearts are constantly crying, “More, more!” Rarely do we find ourselves completely at peace with the circumstances in our lives. So what is it about humanity that makes it so difficult to be content? And what even is contentment - just feeling happy all the time even as the world crashes down around you?

Janet and Jocelyn help us find a biblical definition of contentment and overview how we as believers can cultivate it in our hearts, even in the midst of the hardships of this world. 

Do we need our souls refreshed? Do we need to be made wise? Do we need joy in our hearts and light in our eyes? All of these things can be found in learning to love the Word of God.

Janet and Jocelyn walk us through Psalm 19, a psalm of David that shows the delight of deep affection for the truth of God’s Word.

It’s that time of year again: Ask Us Anything! You submitted questions to our team, and we chose as many as we could to respond to in this Q&A style episode to close out our Season 3 episodes for 2023.

Jesus has many names, but one of His Names that is mentioned most at Christmas is Immanuel, meaning “God with us”. Where does this Name come from, and how are we supposed to understand the prophetic work of Isaiah in light of the Christmas story?

Janet's husband Pastor Brent joins us to help teach us how the old testament prophecy in Isaiah 7 foretells the birth of Christ, who is “God with us”

(Find this prophecy in Isaiah 7:14)

The New Testament repeatedly calls the church community the body of Christ. That sounds simple enough, but it takes hard work to develop loving, Christlike relationships in our church community. 

Listen to this episode as Janet and Jocelyn discuss the importance of being involved in a church community. They discuss the different ways that a church community can help us all grow more like Christ in our journeys.

Thanksgiving is a time when we set aside a special episode to rejoice over the Lord’s blessings in our lives and to give thanks to Him as the Giver of all good gifts!

For our Thanksgiving special, Janet and Jocelyn share and explain their current favorite…

• Book

• Sermon

• Song

• Bible passage

We hope all our listeners are able to take some time to reflect and rejoice over God's faithfulness this season!

From the moment we open our eyes to when our head hits the pillow, our lives are filled with a million and one decisions, small and great.

As Christians, we want the choices we make to honor the Lord and to align with His wisdom and love as described in Scripture. This episode, Janet and Jocelyn consider how to make wise decisions that bring glory to God in the big and small moments of our lives.

If we’re being honest, who among us hasn’t broken the commandment “Thou shalt not covet?” We see what others have, and we want it for ourselves. It may even be a good thing we are wanting - but one that God has granted to others and not to us.

Janet and Jocelyn explore the struggle common to us all and ways to fight against the envy that wages war within our hearts.

Emotions can sometimes feel like they come out of nowhere. How can we react to and guide our emotions with Scripture? 

Jocelyn and Janet discuss where emotions come from, are emotions sinful, and how we can use scripture to handle our emotions in a biblical way. 

God created humanity to communicate with each other in a host of verbal, non-verbal, and written ways, but how can we be sure to let Scripture guide our interaction with others?

Janet and Jocelyn discuss biblical principles that should lead our communication with others. They use God’s relationship with us as an example to follow so we can connect with others in a wise and loving way.

The golden years. The empty nest. Retirement. The fall of life. While our culture views the 50’s and 60’s with a unique kind of anticipation and dread, Christians must be ready for the special gifts and challenges this season holds.

In this episode, Janet and Jocelyn discuss how women of God can praise and honor God throughout their 50’s and 60’s by choosing faithfulness, hope, and endurance through this unique season of life. 

Lingering grief and fear can take hold in the life of those who have experienced miscarriage. Like all difficult and unwanted experiences, the key to moving on after pregnancy loss is the hope we find in Christ.

Stephanie Green returns for part two of her interview about miscarriage. She discusses  the hope that families can find in the character of God, and how Christians can be good stewards of life’s painful and unpleasant challenges.

Statistics show that 1 in every 10 women experience a miscarriage. The loss of a child before birth carries a unique grief, along with physical and emotional suffering that leave a lasting impact on a mother’s body and soul.

Stephanie Green knows this pain all too well. Having walked through miscarriage herself and having spent years walking alongside others who have, Stephanie joins us to share her wisdom on enduring this suffering well and offering hope and help to those who walk through miscarriage.

We all need to eat. We're human, with physical bodies that need food to live! And to some degree or another, we all know what it's like to have a difficult relationship with food. How can we fight to honor the Lord with our bodies and the way we eat?

Janet and Jocelyn welcome Alexandra back to the podcast to discuss what the Bible has to say about food, disordered eating, and how we view our bodies.

There are a million and one things vying for our attention in today’s busy, constantly-on-the-go world. It can feel exhausting knowing what opportunities to accept and which ones to turn down — especially if it’s a choice between very good things! 

Janet and Jocelyn explore what biblical wisdom has to say about our decision-making and how to ensure we are giving our “best yes.”