Finding Meaning in Painful Experiences

In times of profound crisis, where do we turn? How do spiritual practices and Christian wisdom help us navigate life’s most challenging seasons? In this episode, Russell Moore sits down with Westmont College president Gayle Beebe to explore themes from his book The Crucibles That Shape Us. Together, they unpack how moments of intense pressure and uncertainty—whether personal, professional, or spiritual—can become transformative experiences that deepen our faith and character.

Drawing from decades of pastoral and educational leadership, Beebe shares insights about facing crossroads with wisdom, courage, and resilience. Moore and Beebe discuss practical ways to maintain spiritual equilibrium during upheaval, the role of community in crisis, and ways to discern God’s presence in our darkest hours. This conversation offers hope and guidance for listeners wrestling with their own crucible moments, and it also explores how Christian formation happens not despite our trials but often through them.

Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include:

• The Crucibles That Shape Us: Navigating the Defining Challenges of Leadership by Gayle Beebe 
• Traces of God by Diogenes Allen
• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix by Edwin H. Friedman
• “Four Quartets 1: Burnt Norton” by T. S. Eliot
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

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