Marked with Angie Elkins and Andrea Lennon

Today we welcome Vaneetha Risner to discuss her new Bible study, Desperate for Hope. Have you ever asked, Why am I going through this? What if this never gets better? Does God really care about me?  When life falls apart, it’s easy to feel alone and slip into despair—disillusioned with God, hopeless about the future, and doubting your faith. In her 7-session study, Vaneetha tackles the hard questions and offers a scriptural framework to help you find hope in your pain. She will be a gracious guide through this difficult topic, walking with you as you meet women in the Bible who suffered loss, and sharing her own experiences of longing and grief. In the end, you’ll find that the answers to your deepest questions can be found in the character, goodness, and sovereignty of God. Listen in to learn more about Vaneetha’s study and how experiencing God and suffering has marked her.ABOUT VANEETHA RISNER Vaneetha Risner writes and speaks about finding hope in suffering. Desperate for Hope: Questions We Ask God in Suffering, Loss, and Longing as well as her memoir, Walking Through Fire, encourage readers to turn to Christ in their pain. Vaneetha and her husband, Joel, live in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she blogs at vaneetha.com. She is a regular contributor to Desiring God and has been featured on Family Life Today, Joni & Friends, and Christianity Today.Show Notes:Desperate for Hope Lifeway Women’s Leadership Forum Going Beyond Simulcast Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

As a conclusion for the When You Pray series of podcast episodes, we’re offering something a little different today. This episode is a guided prayer episode. So, you might want to come back to it another time or take a moment to get into a posture of prayer before listening, both in your physical posture—you may prefer to sit, kneel, or walk—and in the posture of your soul. You’ll hear the women of When You Pray lead you through different kinds of prayers with space built in for you to voice your own prayers to God. You might prefer to say those out loud or grab a notebook to jot them down. Feel free to pause the podcast at any time. We’d recommend listening to this one at normal speed. The music in today’s episode was licensed through our friends at Musicbed. JACKIE HILL PERRY is a Bible teacher, writer, and artist. She is theauthor of Jude: Contending for the Faith in Today’s Culture; Gay Girl,Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been;and Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him. Athome she is known as wife to Preston and mommy to Eden, Autumn, Sage, and August.JEN WILKIN is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God. Jen is the author ofTen Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands; Women of the Word; None Like Him; In His Image; and Bible studies exploring the Sermon on the Mount and the books of Genesis, Exodus, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and 1, 2, 3 John. You can find her at jenwilkin.net.JADA EDWARDS is a Bible teacher and discipler. She has committed her life to equipping women of all ages, at all stages, with practical, biblical truth to help them live authentic and transparent lives. Jada is the author of several books, including The Captive Mind; Be Bold; andThirst, and she is a contributing author to World on Fire. She and her husband Conway planted One Community Church in 2008, where she currently serves as the creative services director and women’s director.Jada and Conway are parents to Joah and Chloe, and they live in Allen, Texas.KRISTI MCLELLAND is a speaker, teacher, writer, and college professor. She has dedicated her life to discipleship, to teaching people how to study the Bible for themselves, and to writing about how God is better than we ever knew by explaining the Bible through a Middle Eastern lens. Kristi is the author of the Bible studies Jesus and Women: In the First Century and Now and The Gospel on the Ground: The Grit and Glory of the Early Church in Acts. She also hosts the K-LOVE podcast Pearls with AccessMore. Kristi regularly leads biblical study trips to Israel, Turkey, Greece, and Italy. For more information about Kristi and what she’s up to, visit: newlensbiblicalstudies.com. KELLY MINTER is a Bible teacher and author of numerous Bible studies, including Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faith through the Spiritual Disciplines and Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy. Along with her love of Scripture, she has great affection for the local church and is privileged to minister to the vulnerable and forgotten withJustice & Mercy International. Currently pursuing an MA in biblical and theological studies at Denver Seminary, Kelly lives in Nashville.JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD is the author of nineteen books and Bible studies, including her latest, Amos: An Invitation to the Good Life. She’s the founder and featured Bible teacher of Fresh Grounded Faith women’s events, and she also hosts the 4:13 Podcast. 

We’re offering a special series on prayer related to the newly-released Bible study When You Pray: A Study of Six Prayers in the Bible. This 7-session study from Lifeway Women combines the voices of six incredible Bible teachers: Kelly Minter, Jackie Hill Perry, Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Jada Edwards, and Kristi McLelland. Over three MARKED episodes, you’ll hear from each of these authors in pairs about the types of prayers taught in the study: The Lord’s prayer, petition, praise, lament, intercession, and unity.  In the last episode of the series, we’re inviting you to put what you learned into action through a time of guided prayer right here on the podcast. Join us! KELLY MINTER is a Bible teacher and author of numerous Biblestudies, including Encountering God: Cultivating Habits of Faiththrough the Spiritual Disciplines and Ruth: Loss, Love & Legacy. Along with her love of Scripture, she has great affection for the local church and is privileged to minister to the vulnerable and forgotten with Justice & Mercy International. Currently pursuing an MA in biblical and theological studies at Denver Seminary, Kelly lives in Nashville and is an adoring aunt, flower and vegetable grower, and unfancy cook.JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD is the author of nineteen books and Bible studies, including her latest, Amos: An Invitation to the Good Life. She’s the founder and featured Bible teacher of Fresh Grounded Faith women’s events, and she also hosts the 4:13 Podcast where she shares practical encouragement and biblical wisdom to equip women to live the “I can” life of Philippians 4:13. She’s a boy mom, an obsessive audiobook listener, a C. S. Lewis junkie, and a dark chocolate lover! Jennifer has been blind since age fifteen, and she lives every day with confidence and joy knowing that earth is short, and heaven is long. She lives in Springfield, Missouri, with her very own Dr. Phil and their diva dog, Lucy.Show Notes:When You PrayLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

We’re offering a special series on prayer related to the newly-released Bible study When You Pray: A Study of Six Prayers in the Bible. This 7-session study from Lifeway Women combines the voices of six incredible Bible teachers: Kelly Minter, Jackie Hill Perry, Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Jada Edwards, and Kristi McLelland. Over three MARKED episodes, you’ll hear from each of these authors in pairs about the types of prayers taught in the study: The Lord’s prayer, petition, praise, lament, intercession, and unity.  In the last episode of the series, we’re inviting you to put what you learned into action through a time of guided prayer right here on the podcast. Join us!JADA EDWARDS is a Bible teacher and discipler. She has committed her life to equipping women of all ages, at all stages, with practical, biblical truth to help them live authentic and transparent lives. Jada is the author of several books, including The Captive Mind; Be Bold; and Thirst, and she is a contributing author to World on Fire. She and her husband Conway planted One Community Church in 2008, where she currently serves as the creative services director and women’s director. Jada and Conway are parents to Joah and Chloe, and they live in Allen, Texas.KRISTI MCLELLAND is a speaker, teacher, writer, and collegeprofessor. She has dedicated her life to discipleship, to teaching people how to study the Bible for themselves, and to writing about how God is better than we ever knew by explaining the Bible through a Middle Eastern lens. Kristi is the author of the Bible studies Jesus and Women: In the First Century and Now and The Gospel on the Ground: The Grit and Glory of the Early Church in Acts. She also hosts the K-LOVE podcast Pearls with AccessMore.  Kristi regularly leads biblical study trips to Israel, Turkey, Greece,  and Italy. For more information about Kristi and what she’s up to, visit: newlensbiblicalstudies.comShow Notes:When You PrayLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels. 

We’re offering a special series on prayer related to the newly-released Bible study When You Pray: A Study of Six Prayers in the Bible. This 7-session study from Lifeway Women combines the voices of six incredible Bible teachers: Kelly Minter, Jackie Hill Perry, Jen Wilkin, Jennifer Rothschild, Jada Edwards, and Kristi McLelland. Over three MARKED episodes, you’ll hear from each of these authors in pairs about the types of prayers taught in the study: The Lord’s prayer, petition, praise, lament, intercession, and unity.  In the last episode of the series, we’re inviting you to put what you learned into action through a time of guided prayer right here on the podcast. Join us! JACKIE HILL PERRY is a Bible teacher, writer, and artist. She is the author of Jude: Contending for the Faith in Today’s Culture; Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been; and Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him. At home she is known as wife to Preston and mommy to Eden, Autumn, Sage, and August.JEN WILKIN is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. She has organized and led studies for women in home, church, and parachurch contexts. Her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God. Jen is the author of Ten Words to Live By: Delighting in and Doing What God Commands; Women of the Word; None Like Him; In His Image; and Bible studies exploring the Sermon on the Mount and the books of Genesis, Exodus, Hebrews, 1 Peter, and 1, 2, 3 John. You can find her at jenwilkin.net.Show Notes:When You PrayLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

Dean Inserra joins us on the podcast today as we discuss the local church, why it’s important for us as Christians to invest locally, what we can do to help visiting churchgoers feel at home in our churches and ways we can help our culturally Christian friends see what they’re missing about Jesus. We hope you’ll join us!ABOUT DEAN INSERRA Dean Inserra is a graduate of Liberty University and holds a M.A. in Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the founding pastor of City Church. Dean is passionate about reaching the city of Tallahassee with the Gospel, to see a worldwide impact made for Jesus. He is married to Krissie and they have two sons, Tommy and Ty, and one daughter, Sally Ashlyn.Show Notes:Getting over Yourself The Unsaved Christian Pure Marks of a Disciple Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels. 

Professor and counselor Kristin Kellen, joins us today on the podcast to discuss her book, Counseling Women, a biblically grounded resource addressing common struggles that women face. We discuss issues such as depression, anxiety, infertility, trauma, abuse, disordered eating, and much more. Undergirded by a strong theological foundation, Kellen interweaves many practices of mainstream therapy alongside Scripture’s teachings to provide a wise and balanced discussion.Kristin L. Kellen (MA, EdD, PhD) is an Assistant Professor of Biblical Counseling at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (SEBTS). Her focus is counseling children, teens, and their families.  Kristin is the co-author of The Gospel for Disordered Lives, set to be released in October of 2021.Show Notes:Association for Biblical Counselors Christian Counseling & Educational FoundationAnchored Hope Lifeline Suicide Hotline: 988 Counseling WomenLearn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

It’s spring! Kelly and Elizabeth share what they love about this season and what they are looking forward to. Bible studies, fellowship, podcasts, events, and travel are just some of the topics they discuss on today’s podcast. I hope you’ll join us!Kelly King is the Manager of Magazines/Devotional Publishing and Women’s Ministry Training for Lifeway Christian Resources. She is the author of Ministry to Women: The Essential Guide to Leading Women in the Local Church and contributor to the Lifeway Women’s Bible, as well as the Lifeway Women Advent and Easter studies. In addition, she is the co-host of the MARKED podcast for Lifeway Women. She has a Master of Theology degree from Gateway Seminary and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Ministry degree.Elizabeth Hyndman reads, writes, and argues about the nuances of punctuation. Officially, she’s an Editorial Project Leader at Lifeway. She managed to find a job where she uses both her English undergraduate and her seminary graduate degrees every day. Elizabeth grew up in Nashville, sips chai lattes every chance she can get, and believes everyone should have a “funny picture” pose at the ready. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.Show Notes:Group Me Marco PoloLifeway Women Live Going Beyond LiveGloryYou LeadLeadership ForumSimulcast EventsLifeway Women SymposiumCruise with Lifeway  Israel trip with Kristi McLellandLifeway Women Academy Gideon Bible Study Fellowship Ruth Everyday Theology Entrusted The Armor of God With us in the Wilderness Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels. 

This week we welcome Rebecca McLaughlin, author of Navigating Gospel Truth. The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are four accounts of one extraordinary life. Each book tells the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These book aren’t fairytales, fiction, or legend; they are gospel truth. How does reading the Gospels change the way we think about God? How does navigating the truth found in those books help us to navigate the culture with truth?  Listen in to find out!ABOUT REBECCA MCLAUGHLINRebecca McLaughlin holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She is the author of Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (2019), which was named book of the year by Christianity Today, and of 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity (2021), The Secular Creed: Engaging 5 Contemporary Claims (2021), Is Christmas Unbelievable? Four Questions Everyone Should Ask About the World’s Most Famous Story (2021), Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels (2022). She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, Bryan, her two daughters, Miranda and Eliza, and her son, Luke. Show Notes:Navigating Gospel Truth – Bible Study Book with Video Access – Lifeway Navigating Gospel Truth – Teen Bible Study Book – Lifeway Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion – Kindle edition by McLaughlin, Rebecca. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Jesus though the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord – Kindle edition by McLaughlin, Rebecca. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. The Confronting Christianity Podcast on Apple Podcasts When Mary Met the Angel – WSJ 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity – Kindle edition by McLaughlin, Rebecca. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua.

Have you wondered what it’s like to be on stage at a Lifeway Women Live event? Join us today as we sit down with the emcees of Lifeway Women Live, Juliana Wilson and Nikki Lawrence. Hear how the Lord has impacted their lives in this role and how they help connect everyone in the room as sisters in Christ. Enjoy!JULIANA WILSON is the social media and influencer marketing specialist for Lifeway Women and also serves as an emcee for Lifeway Women Live. She is passionate about encouraging women and girls to dig into God’s Word and pursue an active relationship with Christ every day. Juliana loves Instagram-worthy ice cream, coffee dates, and traveling with her husband, Ben. Look for them on NBC’s hit obstacle course show: American Ninja Warrior!NIKKI LAWRENCE is a connector by nature.  By day, she is a Corporate Executive and by night a Mistress of Ceremony at conferences, fundraisers and events across the country.  Her passion is to see women walk boldly in whatever God has called them into.  In her free time she is daydreaming of home décor, road tripping with friends or playing with her niece and nephews.  Learn more at lifeway.com/joshua. Learn more at lifeway.com/angels.