The Strong Women Podcast

The words we sing matter. They ‘catechize’ us, training us to see the world in a certain way and set our affections on something. Today I’m talking with Caroline Cobb, whose Scripture-saturated songs combine Truth and melody. Tune in for a conversation about the formational power of music and being intentional about the narratives we allow to shape our lives.   Psalms: The Poetry of Prayer by Caroline Cobb  Advent for Exiles by Caroline Cobb  Song: A Breath of a Prayer by Michael Card  The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien  The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson  The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom    You can provide foundational support to the Colson Center by becoming a Cornerstone Monthly Partner. The support of dedicated Monthly Partners helps us invest in believers worldwide as they seek to live with clarity, confidence, and courage. Monthly Partners provide our most dependable level support and get exclusive benefits from the Colson Center in return. To become a Cornerstone Monthly Partner, go to colsoncenter.org/swcornerstone.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Christianity isn’t based on blind faith, but on the reality that Jesus lived, died, and rose again. Today I’m joined by apologist Sean McDowell to talk about all the evidence we have for the resurrection of Jesus, and how we can wisely engage with seekers and skeptics about the hope we have in Christ.    Show Notes:  Chasing Love: Sex, Love, and Relationships in a Confused Culture by Sean McDowell  Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God's Design for Marriage by Sean McDowell   Evidence for the Resurrection: What it Means for your Relationship with God by Sean McDowell and Josh McDowell  The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas  More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell Foxe's Book of Martyrs by John Foxe On the Resurrection series by Gary Habermas   The Church Affiliate program brings the Colson Fellows Program to your local church. Pastors and church leaders can go through the Colson Fellows Program for free, so they are able to launch a Church Affiliate cohort and bring worldview training to their church members. For more details, visit colsoncenter.org/church.    Summit Ministries’ 12-day Student Conferences are for young adults who refuse to settle. It’s for those ready to take risks, ask big questions, and push past what’s comfortable. There, you’ll find friends who understand and mentors who will help you discover what it truly means to live with purpose. Register for Student Conferences using code STRONG25 for $200 off. Go to summit.org/promotions/strong women.   Educators—your worldview matters. It shapes your school. It shapes your classroom. It shapes your students. Are you cultivating a thoroughly Christian worldview? The Rooted Educator Worldview Summit is designed to help you do that. Join ACSI and the Colson Center June 16-18 in Grand Prairie, TX for this year’s Worldview Summit. The lineup of speakers is one you don’t want to miss: Dr. Larry Taylor of ACSI, author and speaker Brett Kunkle of Maven, author and speaker Alisa Childers, and more! This event is designed to help you cultivate your worldview so you can shape your students’ faith for a lifetime. Time is running out to register! Secure your spot today at acsi.org/rooted.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

You don’t have to choose between studying theology and being passionate about Jesus. In fact, our study of God should lead to love for God. Today I’m joined by theologian, Bible teacher, and author Phylicia Masonheimer, who shows us the beauty of studying theology for the love of Christ. No matter your circumstances, education, or age, you have an invitation to grow in the love and knowledge of God every day.   Every Woman a Theologian Podcast: Verity with Phylician Masonheimer  When Life and Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James  Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy  Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë  Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung    Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.    Hey, listeners! You’ve probably heard me talk about the Colson Fellows Program here on Strong Women. I'm excited to let you know that the Colson Fellows team hosts one-hour, live, informational webinars that allow you to hear an overview of the program and get your questions answered. The webinars are hosted by the Vice President and Dean of the Colson Fellowship – my good friend, Michael Craven. If you enjoy the conversations we have on Strong Women and want to think more deeply about your place in God’s story of redemption, the Colson Fellows Program might be for you. Colson Fellows will take you on a deep dive study of Christian worldview through books, devotionals, meetings with likeminded peers, and more. If you’re interested, but have questions about the workload, cohort formats, or anything else, I encourage you to sign up for the next live, Colson Fellows informational webinar. You can find a full list of webinar dates and register today at colsonfellows.org/webinar.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Take a peek at the Colson Fellows Program through three women who are in the middle of it! Brooke Colón, the Colson Fellows Director, gives us a glimpse at the Program and how it can transform your faith. Then, Martha and Grace, two current Colson Fellows-in-Training, share how the Program has challenged their thinking and strengthened their faith.    How Now Shall We Live? by Chuck Colson  Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis  Knowing God by J.I. Packer  2025 Colson Center National Conference      Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.   Do you ever feel like culture is changing faster than you can keep up with? Like you’re unsure of how to live like a Christian in this time and place? There’s good news: You're not alone. Faithful cultural engagement isn’t about having all the answers to the latest issue being discussed on social media. It’s about WHO we are becoming, how we see the world, and, most importantly, how we live in the world as the people of God. Come and cultivate deep roots for a chaotic world at the next Lighthouse Voices event on April 15 at 7PM MT. John Stonestreet will be answering the question, “What does Christian faithfulness look like in a time of unprecedented cultural change?” He will walk through four pillars that can help us understand this moment and live in it with hope and purpose in Christ. Register to attend in-person at the Focus on the Family Welcome Center, or via livestream. This event is free, but space is limited, so register today at colsoncenter.org/lighthouse.   Mental illness and suicide rates have reached critical levels in our culture. As Christians, we have an opportunity to share the hope and healing of Christ with those who feel hopeless. That’s why the Colson Educators created Hope Always: How to be a Force for Life in a Culture of Suicide. In this free online course, Dr. Matthew Sleeth explores today's mental health challenges, highlights how Scripture speaks to sufferers, and provides practical guidance for how we can talk about suicide prevention in our families, churches, and schools. Sign up for Hope Always today and learn how to be a force for life in the places God has called you. You can sign up today at colsoneducators.org.    The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc   

Step into the enchanted world of the 12th-century nun Hildegard von Bingen. This multi-talented woman was a musician, playwright, abbess, and visionary (tune in to find out what that means!). Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson returns to explore how Hildegard’s life and work can shape our spiritual imagination and invite us to know God and participate in His world more fully.  The Identity Project  Breakpoint  The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis  Heavenly Participation by Hans Boersma  Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers   Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.   Summit Ministries’ 12-day Student Conferences are for young adults who refuse to settle. It’s for those ready to take risks, ask big questions, and push past what’s comfortable. There, you’ll find friends who understand and mentors who will help you discover what it truly means to live with purpose. Register for Student Conferences using code STRONG25 for $200 off. Go to summit.org/promotions/strong women.   The Church Affiliate program brings the Colson Fellows Program to your local church. Pastors and church leaders can go through the Colson Fellows Program for free, so they are able to launch a Church Affiliate cohort and bring worldview training to their church members. For more details, visit colsoncenter.org/church.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them. Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on social media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Lent is a time for reflection and reorientation toward Jesus. Good music can help us with both of these things. Today I get to talk with singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken about the practice of Lent and how hymns can help us face our humanity and bring it all to Jesus.   The Maker of the Mountain: A Story About What God is Like by Sandra McCracken and Tim Nicholson  Summit Ministries' 12-day Student Conferences are for young adults who refuse to settle. It’s for those ready to take risks, ask big questions, and push past what’s comfortable. There, you’ll find friends who understand and mentors who will help you discover what it truly means to live with purpose. Register for Student Conferences using code STRONG25 for $200 off. Go to summit.org/promotions/strong women. The Colson Center will be in Greenville, South Carolina on Thursday, April 3rd for its next Breakpoint Forum Live! My husband John Stonestreet will be speaking, along with Dr. Katie McCoy and Dr. Andrew Walker. The topic for the evening is, “A New Sexual Revolution: Living as Image Bearers, Male and Female.” Our culture today is confused about what it means to be male and female because it’s lost sight of what men and women are for. God’s Word tells us that God created men and women to bear His own image in the world. Join us for this event to learn how to recover a Christian vision for living as embodied, male and female image bearers of God before a watching world. This is a free event, but spaces are limited. Secure your spot by registering today at  colsoncenter.org/greenville.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc     

Join me for a very musical episode with priest, musician, and songwriter Josh Bales! Josh and I explore how Lent helps us reckon with our brokenness. Tune in for a deep conversation on the beauty of liturgy and the deep hymns that can shape our worship during this season. Plus, Josh brings his guitar and breaks into song throughout the conversation!    Josh Bales: The story behind the album art for “Come Away From Rush and Hurry”     As of this month, the Identity Project is available for free! That’s right, over 200 videos from Christian experts on identity, sexuality, marriage, and more are available to you for free. We believe this platform is needed now more than ever, because our culture is so confused about identity, and that confusion is shaping the people we’re called to love and disciple. The Identity Project addresses important cultural questions about identity, relationships, and human flourishing from a distinctly Christian worldview, so you can be equipped to point those around you to a solid, biblical identity. The Identity Project features subject-matter experts like Laura Perry Smalts, Mark Regnerus, Katie McCoy, and more. So, join the Identity Project in this new chapter by exploring the platform and sharing it with others. Make your free account today at identityproject.tv.   Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Chirst's resurection with a deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

The season of Lent begins today, and you may be wondering, “What is Lent and why does it matter?” I’m answering your questions about Lent this week with my colleague Maggie, including: What’s the purpose of fasting and how can I practice it? How can I observe Lent non-legalistically? What’s the significance of Ash Wednesday? ... and more! Whether you’ve observed Lent before or not, I think you’ll find this discussion insightful!  The Songs of Lent  Knowing God by J. I. Packer   Strong Women Podcast Facebook Group    Lent is a time to reflect on our need for salvation, repent of our sins, and prepare to celebrate Chirst's resurection with a deep gratitude. Our team has created a free guide with weekly hymns, prayers, and artwork to help prepare your heart for Easter. Join the Strong Women community and download your free copy today at colsoncenter.org/lent.   The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women    Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc 

Have you ever heard of a “sandwich season”? That's what Kimberly Hudson calls the season of caring for adult children and aging parents at the same time. Through unpredictable days and changing family dynamics, the Lord has taught Kimberly the beauty of trusting Him with her family. Her gentle wisdom reminds us to be grateful for what’s right in front of us and lean on God as family relationships evolve.   Work is one of the biggest ways we reflect and worship God. Many people have forgotten the value of work, and feel a sense of meaninglessness. This month, we will send you the book Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen for a gift if any amount to the Colson Center. This book provides a biblical understanding of work, and why it is so meaningful. Go to colsoncenter.org/swfebruary to receive your copy. The Strong Women podcast exists to display the beautifully diverse ways God invites and equips women to participate in His story. Strong Women is a listener-funded program from the Colson Center that is only available for free because it has already been paid for by hundreds of listeners like you. To join the community of women who make this program possible, visit colsoncenter.org/swmonthly today.  The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center, which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/    Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly book list: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women   Join Strong Women on Social Media:    https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC   https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/   https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/

Quina Aragon is a spoken word poet who knows what it means to wrestle honestly with God and “pour out her troubles before him.” Through her journey with chronic illness, she has embraced the practice of lament in her prayers and poems. Along the way, she has learned that God brings beauty from the ashes of our pain, suffering, and questions. Tune in to hear her story and hear her perform one of her poems!  Love Has a Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God by Quina Aragon  Prophetic Lament: A Call for Justice in Troubled Times by Soong-Chan Rah  “To All the Poets” by Andrew Peterson  The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan Work is one of the biggest ways we reflect and worship God. Many people have forgotten the value of work, and feel a sense of meaninglessness. This month, we will send you the book Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life by David Bahnsen for a gift if any amount to the Colson Center. This book provides a biblical understanding of work, and why it is so meaningful. Go to colsoncenter.org/swfebruary to receive your copy. The Strong Women Podcast is a product of the Colson Center which equips Christians to live out their faith with clarity, confidence, and courage in this cultural moment. Through commentaries, podcasts, videos, and more, we help Christians better understand what’s happening in the world, and champion what is true and good wherever God has called them.  Learn more about the Colson Center here: https://www.colsoncenter.org/   Visit our website and sign up for our email list so that you can stay up to date on what we are doing here and also receive our monthly journal: https://www.colsoncenter.org/strong-women  Join Strong Women on Social Media:   https://www.facebook.com/StrongWomenCC  https://www.facebook.com/groups/strongwomencommunitycc/  https://www.instagram.com/strongwomencc/  https://linktr.ee/strongwomencc