Feeling sidelined because of your age, declining health, or retirement? In this episode, discover why you’re never too old to be used by God, and how your later years can actually be your most fruitful.

Have you ever started to feel like your best days of being useful to God are quietly slipping behind you?

Our culture sends a loud message that value is tied to youth, speed, and earning power. When you retire from your career, experience declining health, or watch a younger generation take the reins, it is so easy to feel sidelined and forgotten. You begin to absorb the lie that your time for productivity is over, leaving you wondering if you still have anything meaningful to contribute.

In this episode, we look at the inspiring story of Jim Annis, an 80-year-old man who refuses to spend his retirement in a recliner. Instead, he spends his days covered in sawdust, building hundreds of handmade wooden toys to donate to the Salvation Army every Christmas. Through his beautiful example and the powerful promise of Psalm 92:14, you'll see how God views aging completely differently than the world does. Moses, Caleb, and Anna prove that God doesn’t issue expiration dates on His callings. Your assignment may change, but your purpose remains.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

1. Why retiring from your career doesn't mean you are retiring from your calling
2. How Psalm 92:14 promises that you can remain "vital and green," producing fruit even in old age
3. The unique and desperately needed gifts that only older believers can bring to the Church

You are never too old to be used by God. Instead of disqualifying you, age positions you to offer wisdom forged through decades of walking faithfully with Him.

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Are the mistakes of your past playing in your mind like a broken record? In this episode, discover how God redeems your history, breaks the chains of regret, and creates a brand-new pathway in the wilderness of your life.

Have you ever felt like your worst mistakes and sins are constantly following you around, reminding you of who you used to be?

Some of us carry memories that replay like a broken record, things we did, things done to us, choices we desperately wish we could undo. The enemy loves to drag us back to the worst chapters of our lives and whisper that we are too far gone, too broken, or too hypocritical to ever truly change. It’s exhausting to live under the constant shadow of your own regret.

In this episode, we explore the powerful story of Zach Williams, a man whose rock-and-roll lifestyle had devolved into a nightmare of drug addiction and broken relationships. He had dug a hole of sin so deep he thought a clean slate was impossible. But on a tour bus, hearing a song about redemption, the truth of God’s grace cut through his shame, leading him to abandon his tour, fly home, and surrender his life to Christ.

Through his story and the promise found in Isaiah 43:18-19, you'll see that the past is real, but it is never the final word over a life surrendered to Christ. God doesn’t just forgive our past; He paves a new pathway through our wilderness and brings rushing rivers to our dry wastelands.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

1. Why the enemy works so hard to keep your focus locked on your past failures
2. How Isaiah 43:18-19 invites you to stop letting your history dictate your future
3. The practical, powerful way to talk back to shame and embrace your new identity in Christ

You are not your worst mistake. God is doing something new, and it's time to step into the freedom He has prepared for you.

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

There is no loss quite like losing the person you built your life with. In this episode, discover how God draws near to the brokenhearted, sitting with you in the ashes of your grief when well-meaning words fall short.

What do you do when the person you built your entire life with is suddenly gone, and you’re left staring at an empty chair?

When you lose your husband or wife, the pain is unimaginably deep because the connection was so deep. In the rawness of that loss, people around you often don't know what to do with deep grief. Wanting to fix your pain, well-meaning friends may offer neat theological explanations or familiar clichés like "they're in a better place" or "time heals all wounds," silently expecting you to hold it together.

But to a grieving widow or widower, those words usually feel painfully hollow, dismissing the sheer magnitude of the loss. God does not minimize your grief, nor does He ask you to hurry up and get over it. In this episode, we explore the heartbreaking story of Simon Thomas, who suddenly lost his wife to illness and had to navigate a shattered world. Through his honest journey and the deep comfort of Psalm 34:18, you'll see that Jesus is a Savior well acquainted with sorrow. He doesn't offer empty platitudes. He offers His presence, weeping with you and sitting right there in the ashes.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:

1. Why well-meaning clichés often do more harm than good for a grieving spouse
2. How Jesus’s reaction to the death of Lazarus reveals God's true response to our heartbreak
3. A gentle, permission-giving way to bring your raw, unfiltered pain to God today

Healing doesn't mean you'll eventually forget, but you can learn to take the next step, trusting the God who holds your spouse in eternity, and holds you in the in-between.

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Feel like an outsider in a place that's supposed to feel like home? In this episode, discover why God placed you in the body of Christ on purpose, and why the church isn't complete without the parts that feel like they don't fit.

Have you ever walked into church and felt like everyone else belonged except you?

Maybe you're single in a couples-focused church. Maybe you're divorced and don't fit the family ministry mold. Maybe you're new, introverted, from a different background, or just a little different from everyone around you. Whatever the reason, the very place that preaches belonging can sometimes feel like the loneliest room you walk into. And that pain cuts deeper than feeling like an outsider anywhere else, because church is supposed to be home.

In this episode, we look at the story of Lisa Harper, who has been honest about what it's like to be a single woman in a church world built around couples and families. Family Sundays, couples' retreats, and Mother's Day sermons reminded her that her life didn't match what the church brochure seemed to expect. She loved Jesus and His people, but sometimes she felt invisible in her own faith community. Instead of walking away, she stayed and eventually became a powerful voice for making room for every kind of person in the body of Christ.

Through her story and 1 Corinthians 12:18–20, you'll see that God designed the body of Christ for diversity, not uniformity. He put each part just where He wants it. That includes you, especially when you feel like you don't fit.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. Why feeling like an outsider at church is more common than most people admit
2. How 1 Corinthians 12 reveals that the body of Christ isn't complete without the parts that feel like they don't belong
3. Practical steps for leaning in when you feel invisible, and for welcoming those who might be sitting alone

You're not an accident in the body. God placed you there on purpose, and the church isn't complete without you.

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Praying for healing that hasn't come and wondering if God still cares? In this episode, discover how God's grace sustains you daily when chronic pain or illness doesn't go away, and why your faithfulness in weakness is never wasted.

Have you ever prayed for healing over and over, and nothing changed?

You've asked God to take the pain away. You've believed. You've trusted. But you still wake up every morning managing the same condition, the same limitations, the same exhaustion. And somewhere in the silence, a quiet voice whispers, "Maybe your faith isn't strong enough. Maybe God doesn't care." That voice is a lie, but it's one many believers living with chronic pain or illness wrestle with every day.

In this episode, we look at the story of Andrew Wilson, a man whose chronic health condition limits his energy and capacity in ways most people never see. Some days, a single conversation drains everything he has. He's prayed about it. He's wrestled with it. But the condition hasn't gone away. Instead of seeing his limitations as a barrier, he began to see them as the place where God's power actually rests—and he learned to serve God faithfully within his limitations rather than resenting them.

Through his story and 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, you'll see that not every prayer for healing ends with a miracle, but that doesn't mean God has failed you or that your faith is deficient. Paul asked God three times to remove his thorn. Each time, God's answer was the same: "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." God's grace isn't just a theological idea; it's the real, daily sustaining power to get out of bed, face the pain, and keep trusting Him one more day.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. Why unanswered prayers for healing don't mean God has failed you or that your faith is lacking
2. How Paul's thorn in the flesh reveals the difference between God removing the problem and God sustaining you through it
3. The freedom that comes from serving God faithfully within your limitations instead of resenting them

Not every story ends with a miracle—but every story can be sustained by grace. And God's power shines brightest through your weakness.

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Always the strong one everyone calls on but quietly running on empty yourself? In this episode, discover why the person everyone leans on still needs someone to lean on, and how God can send you an Aaron and Hur to hold up your arms.

Have you ever cared for everyone around you and then realized nobody was caring for you?

You're the one your family calls in a crisis. You're the shoulder everyone cries on. You're the dependable one who holds it all together, at home, at church, at work. And you do it because you love the people in your life. But over time, constant giving without receiving drains your soul dry. You smile on the outside while running on fumes on the inside. And nobody thinks to ask how you're doing because you've always been the strong one.

In this episode, we look at the story of Barbara Rainey, who found herself caught between aging parents who needed more help and growing children who still needed their mom. She was flying back and forth, managing medical decisions from a distance, carrying guilt in every direction, and quietly falling apart under the weight of being the one everyone leaned on. Those years nearly broke her—not because she didn't love her family, but because she never stopped giving long enough to receive.

Through her story and Exodus 17:12, you'll see that even Moses, doing exactly what God called him to do, ran out of strength. His arms grew tired, and he needed Aaron and Hur to hold them up. Accepting help wasn't weakness. It was the reason Israel won the battle. The person everyone leans on still needs someone to lean on, and ultimately that someone is God Himself.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. Why caregiver fatigue is not selfishness or a lack of faith, it's the natural result of giving more than you're taking in
2. How Exodus 17:12 gives you permission to sit down, ask for help, and let others hold up your arms
3. Two practical steps you can take this week to receive care instead of just giving it

You don't have to hold your arms up forever. God never asked you to be superhuman; He asked you to lean on Him.

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Feel unqualified to teach your kids about God because you don't have all the answers? In this episode, discover why your children don't need a perfect parent; they need an honest one who talks about God in the mess of everyday life.

Have you ever tried to lead a family devotional and felt like a complete failure?

The kids are squirming. The toddler is melting down. Your patience is thin. And the nagging voice in your head says, "Maybe I should just leave the spiritual stuff to the professionals at church." Many Christian parents feel the pressure to have polished theological answers and model flawless faith. When reality doesn't match that standard, we feel disqualified.

In this episode, we look at the story of Justin Earley, a dad who describes the exact scene many parents know all too well: messy devotionals, wandering attention, and the nagging feeling that he wasn't qualified to lead his family spiritually. But instead of giving up, he discovered that his kids needed his presence more than his perfection. He began building tiny, repeatable rhythms into everyday life: a short Scripture reading at breakfast, a simple prayer at bedtime, a spoken blessing at the door, and those honest, imperfect habits shaped his children's faith more than any polished curriculum ever could.

Through his story and Deuteronomy 6:6–7, you'll see that God doesn't ask you to run a Sunday service in your living room. He asks you to talk about Him in the mess of everyday life, at home, on the road, at bedtime, and in the morning. Your kids need to see you pray when you're scared, repent when you're wrong, and trust God when you don't understand. That kind of honest, stumbling faithfulness teaches more about real faith than any rehearsed lesson ever could.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. Why the pressure to be a "perfect" spiritual leader is keeping many parents from starting at all
2. How Deuteronomy 6:6–7 reframes discipleship as a running conversation woven into everyday life, not a scheduled program
3. One small, repeatable rhythm you can start this week to begin integrating faith into your family's daily routine

Your kids don't need a theologian for a parent. They need a mom or dad who shows up before God, honestly, day after day, in the beautiful mess of real life.

Share This Episode:

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.

Quietly grieving a friendship that ended, faded, or fell apart? In this episode, discover how God is sovereign over every season of your relationships, and why He remains the one Friend whose faithfulness never fades.

Have you ever lost a close friend and felt like nobody understood how much it hurt?

We grieve when someone dies. We grieve when a marriage ends. But when a friendship fades or falls apart, most people don't even recognize it as a real loss. Nobody sends a card. Nobody brings a casserole. You're just expected to move on. But it’s still painful. You miss the inside jokes and the long conversations. You knew each other so well that neither one of you had to explain yourself.

In this episode, we look at the story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, two founding fathers who risked their lives together to build a nation. They shared dreams, trusted each other through dangerous years, and forged a deep friendship. Then politics tore them apart. After the bitter 1800 presidential election, they stopped speaking to each other for over a decade. Two men who once stood side by side as allies became strangers. How could a friendship forged in revolution become so fractured over political disagreement?

Through their story and Proverbs 17:17, you'll see that not every friendship will necessarily last forever, and that truth can be painful. Some friendships are for a season. Some end because of betrayal or conflict. But God is sovereign even over the relationships that shift, and He Himself remains the Friend who never leaves. When friendships change, you have permission to grieve, but you never have to let go of the One whose faithfulness never fades.

BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU'LL DISCOVER:

1. Why the grief of a lost friendship is real even when nobody else acknowledges it
2. How to discern between friendships that are meant for a season and friendships worth fighting to restore
3. The comfort of knowing that Jesus is the one Friend who will never drift, never betray, and never fade

Not every friendship lasts forever, but God is sovereign over every season, and He Himself remains the Friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Share This Episode:

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Need Prayer? Leave me a voicemail:

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Want to keep these devotions coming? Please consider supporting this podcast.

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Connect with Bart

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Feeling spiritually drained? Start here. Download your free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus here.