Is your phone feeding your soul or quietly draining it? In this episode, discover how guarding your heart from comparison, outrage, and distraction online shapes who you become and determines the course of your life.

Have you ever opened your phone to relax and walked away feeling worse than when you started?

Most of us don't set out to feel anxious, envious, or angry. But we scroll ourselves right into those emotions without even noticing. Other people's highlight reels make our lives feel small. Outrage-filled comment sections hijack our peace. Algorithms designed to capture our attention quietly shape our hearts in ways we never intended.

In this episode, we look at the story of Amelia, a young woman who realized her phone wasn't helping her unwind; it was feeding insecurity and envy one scroll at a time. She made a counter-cultural choice: she deleted the app and walked away. Through her story and the wisdom of Proverbs 4:23, you'll see that what you let into your heart shapes who you become. Guarding your heart isn't about being anti-technology; it's about being pro-presence, choosing to fill your soul with what leads to life instead of what quietly poisons it.

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

1. How the content you scroll is shaping your thoughts, emotions, and spiritual health more than you realize
2. Why Proverbs 4:23 calls you to guard your heart "above all else" and what that looks like in a digital age
3. Practical ways to set boundaries, replace unhealthy inputs, and fill your heart with what actually leads to life
4. Sometimes the most faith-filled thing you can do is remove an input that's quietly stealing your peace.

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/152

Need Prayer? Leave me a voicemail:

https://www.dailydevotions.com/voicemail

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at...

Think you need more money before you can be generous? In this episode, discover how generosity isn't about the size of your bank account, it's about the posture of your heart and trust in God's provision.

Have you ever thought, "I'll start giving more once I have more"?

It's easy to believe that generosity is something reserved for people with extra margin, those who have paid off their debts, built up their savings, and finally feel "comfortable." But that day rarely comes. There's always another bill, another goal, another reason to hold back. And slowly, fear disguises itself as wisdom while your grip on money gets tighter.

In this episode, we look at the story of Dave and Sharon Ramsey, who made a decision that defied logic: surrounded by bills, creditors calling, and bankruptcy looming, they chose to tithe first. Through their story and the truth of 2 Corinthians 9:6–7, you'll see that generosity isn't about having enough—it's about trusting the God who is enough. When you decide in your heart, give without reluctance, and release your resources cheerfully, something shifts, not just in your finances, but in your soul.

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

1. Why waiting until you're "comfortable" to be generous usually means you'll never start
2. How 2 Corinthians 9:6–7 reframes giving as a heart posture, not a financial formula
3. A simple way to ask God what He would have you give and take the first step of cheerful generosity
4. Generosity isn't something you graduate into; it's something you grow into, one open-handed decision at a time.

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/151

Need Prayer? Leave me a voicemail:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/voicemail

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Struggling with questions about your faith and wondering if it's okay to doubt? In this episode, discover how honest doubt brought to Jesus isn't the opposite of faith, it's an invitation for Him to meet you where you are.

Have you ever had a question about your faith that you were afraid to say out loud?

Many of us were taught, directly or indirectly, that "good Christians don't doubt." So when hard questions creep in, about God's existence, about why He allows suffering, about whether any of this is really true, we bury them. We smile on Sunday and wrestle alone in the dark. Over time, that buried doubt doesn't go away; it festers into quiet cynicism or secret unbelief.

But what if doubt isn't the enemy of faith? What if it's actually an invitation? In this episode, we look at the story of Os Guinness, a man raised by missionaries who found himself unsure if Christianity was real or just inherited. Instead of hiding his questions, he pursued them honestly, and found that Jesus met him there. Through his story and the desperate prayer of a father in Mark 9, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!", you'll see that honest doubt brought into the light can become the very place where your faith grows deeper.

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

1. Why buried doubt tends to fester, while honest doubt brought to Jesus can strengthen your faith
2. How the father in Mark 9 models a prayer you can pray when belief and unbelief are mixed together
3. Practical ways to bring your real questions to God and to a trusted community without shame
4. Doubt doesn't have to be the end of your faith story. It can be the beginning of a deeper one.

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/150

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Have you ever felt completely invisible, like no one notices your struggle? Discover how God met Hagar in the desert and why He sees, knows, and loves you right where you are.

Have you ever felt completely invisible, like your struggles go unnoticed and no one is coming to help?

Many of us carry heavy burdens in silence, wondering if anyone sees what we're going through. We show up, we serve, we keep going, but deep down, we feel overlooked and forgotten.

The truth is, feeling unseen can make you question your worth and even God's care for you. But Scripture reveals a God who goes looking for the forgotten, calls them by name, and meets them right where they are.

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

1. The powerful story of Hagar, a forgotten slave girl who gave God a name no one else in Scripture ever gave Him
2. Why being seen by God doesn't always change your circumstances, but always changes you
3. How to experience God's presence in your loneliest, most invisible moments
4. You are not invisible. You are seen, known, and loved by El Roi—the God who sees.

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/149

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Tired, discouraged, and tempted to give up? In this episode, discover how fixing your eyes on Jesus gives you strength to keep running your race, one faithful step at a time.

Have you ever felt so worn out that taking even one more step in your faith felt impossible?

Maybe you've been faithfully serving, parenting, working, or walking with God for a long time, and now the weariness has caught up with you. The distance ahead feels overwhelming. The energy is gone. And you're wondering if it's okay to just stop.

In this episode, we look at the story of Shawn Thomas, a lifelong runner whose serious illness left him bedridden for nearly a year. When he finally began to recover, even walking to the mailbox was exhausting. But instead of giving up, he made a choice: slow down, shorten the stride, and focus on one step at a time. That became his picture of Hebrews 12:1–2—the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint, and perseverance often looks like "just take the next step."

Through his story and the encouragement of Hebrews 12, you'll see that finishing the race doesn't require superhuman strength. It requires fixing your eyes on Jesus, stripping off the weights that slow you down, and trusting Him with the finish line, one faithful step at a time.

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

1. Why the Christian life is described as a marathon requiring endurance, not a sprint requiring speed
2. How fixing your eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects your faith, gives you strength when you're depleted
3. Practical ways to strip off the weights and sins that trip you up and slow you down

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/148

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Feeling pressure to "be strong" and hide your grief? In this episode, discover how God draws near to the brokenhearted and why bringing Him your tears is an act of faith, not weakness.

Have you ever felt like you had to hold it together, even when you were falling apart inside?

Maybe you've been taught that strong faith means smiling through the pain, that crying is a sign of weakness, or that you need to "be strong" for everyone around you. Over time, that pressure to perform can leave you carrying grief you've never fully processed, pushing down tears that need to be released.

In this episode, we look at the heartbreaking story of Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman, who lost his 5‑year‑old daughter, Maria, in a tragic accident at home. Instead of putting on a brave face for the cameras and fans, he and his family walked straight into their grief, crying, questioning, and learning to meet God in the middle of the ache. Through his example and Psalm 34:18, you'll see that God doesn't stand at a distance when you're broken—He draws near.

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

1. Why the pressure to "be strong" often keeps us from the honest grief God invites us to bring to Him
2. How Psalm 34:18 promises that God is close to the brokenhearted and rescues those whose spirits are crushed
3. The difference between pretending everything is fine and bringing your tears to God as an act of faith

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/147

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Struggling with secret habits and temptations no one else knows about? In this episode, learn how God faithfully provides a way out of every temptation, and why you never have to fight your private battles alone.

Have you ever felt like your biggest spiritual battles happen when no one is watching?

It's easy to look put together in public, at church, at work, with friends, while quietly wrestling with things you've never told anyone. Over time, those secret struggles start to feel heavier, and you wonder if you're the only one fighting this hard or if God has somehow run out of patience with you.

In this episode, we look at 1 Corinthians 10:13 and the story of Billy Graham's "Modesto Manifesto," a set of guardrails he and his team created in 1948 to protect themselves from the temptations that had destroyed other ministers. You'll see that God doesn't just forgive sin after the fact; He actively provides a way out before you fall, if you're willing to look for the door and walk through it.

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

1. Why the temptations you face are not unique to you, and how that truth brings both comfort and hope
2. How God's "way out" often shows up in practical boundaries and humble choices made long before the heat of the moment
3. The power of bringing your secret struggle into the light with one safe, trusted person

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/146

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.

Ever feel like your job or daily chores don’t “count” spiritually? In this episode, discover how every task, seen or unseen, can become worship when you do it for the Lord, not for applause.

Have you ever wondered if what you do from 9 to 5 really matters to God, or if He only cares about what happens at church?

It’s easy to treat your job, housework, or daily responsibilities as just “getting through the day,” while thinking worship only happens when you’re singing or reading your Bible. Over time, that divide can make most of your life feel spiritually empty, even if you’re working hard and doing good things.

In this episode, we’ll look at the story of accountant Phillip Gallson, who turned an ordinary desk job into a lifelong ministry by treating every client and every tax return as service to Christ. Through his example and Colossians 3:23–24, you’ll learn how to see your own work, no matter how “ordinary” it feels, as part of your worship, done for the Lord rather than for people.

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

1. Why God cares deeply about how you show up in your job, chores, and everyday responsibilities
2. How Colossians 3:23–24 reframes your work as worship when you remember who your true Boss is
3. Simple ways to approach even your most routine tasks as offerings to Jesus, not just items on a to‑do list

Share This Episode:

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/145

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

https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/support/

Connect with Bart

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dailydevotionsforbusylives

Website: https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Subscribe to the Newsletter

If you’d like weekly encouragement delivered straight to your inbox, plus a free copy of my eBook Making Time for Jesus, sign up for the Daily Devotions for Busy Lives newsletter at https://www.dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/subscribe.