The Strong Women Podcast

We’re taking a small break this summer to gear up for season six of the Strong Women podcast. During this break, we’ll be re-airing episodes we think you’ll enjoy! Many of us struggle with body image. Our bodies matter and we are called to care for them—but how do we do that without obsessing? Today, I chat about this with Lainey Greer, who uses her background of exercise science and systematic theology to equip believers with a Christian view of the body. We talk about the big picture of stewarding our health and what that looks like practically.   Lainey’s website: https://laineygreer.com/  Forsaken Body Podcast  Be Well: Learning to Steward Your Health by Dr. Lainey Greer  Lainey’s curriculum – Understand Healthy  Our Bodies Tell God's Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender by Christopher West  Purdue study on obesity among religious  Providence by John Piper  The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges   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 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 

We’re taking a small break this summer to gear up for season six of the Strong Women podcast. During this break, we’ll be re-airing episodes we think you’ll enjoy! Our world is so confused about what it means to be male or female. Some speak as if men and women are interchangeable, and others as if we’re totally different species. But God’s creation of men and women is bigger and better than these false extremes. This week, Dr. Abigail Favale joins me to talk about biblical sexuality, the goodness of our bodies, and the interdependence that God designed us to live out. The Genesis of Gender by Abigail Favale  Pope John Paul II on the Theology of the Body  The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution by Carl Trueman  Essays on Woman by Freda Mary Oben 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 

We are taking a small break this July to gear up for season six of the Strong Women podcast. But during this break, we decided to re-air some episodes that we thought you would enjoy. Our guest today is Rachelle Starr, founder of Scarlet Hope. At 21, Rachelle felt God calling her to minister to women trapped working in strip clubs in her city of Louisville, KY. Today, she shares some of the stories she’s witnessed over 16 years of building relationships through good food and introducing these women to the God who sees and loves them. Scarlet Hope is now in many major cities around the nation, working to bring the hope of the Gospel to places that are often overlooked.   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 

Do you have a stack of books in your house making you feel guilty? Maybe you don’t remember the last time you read a good book, or maybe you’re itching to find your next good read. Well, today’s episode with Maggie is all about reading. We chat about what we’re reading, how to develop our “reading muscles,” why reading is good for our souls, and more. Also, tune in to hear what’s planned for Strong Women this summer! Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton  The Chance by Karen Kingsbury  Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe  Emma by Jane Austen  Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott  Theo of Golden by Allen Levi   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 Parable of the Prodigal Son is really the parable of two brothers: one who’s ruled by unchecked desire, and the other who’s ruled by legalism and pride. I think a lot of us can resonate with both brothers. We feel torn between what we want to do and what we ought to do. But God designed these two things to be united within us! Using this parable as a framework, my friend Heidi White joins me again to talk about how we can not only do what’s right but also desire what’s right ... and find true freedom and joy as a result. The Divided Soul: Duty and Desire in Literature and Life by Heidi White  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery  Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni    On Strong Women, we celebrate God’s good design for women in every season of life. It’s all part of a bigger mission: to help the Church be the Church—by celebrating what’s good, resisting what’s evil, restoring what’s broken, and creating what’s missing. As we approach our June 30 fiscal year end, we need your help to keep that mission going. You can support the next year of Strong Women, as well as all the other resources from the Colson Center, by making your best gift today at colsoncenter.org/swchurch.  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 

If the Church is a “hospital for the sick,” then we should expect it to be full of people who are sinful, broken (just like we are), and different from us. This week, Katie McCoy and I talk about what our relationship with the Church has looked like throughout our lives, and why the Church is worth committing to, even in the face of church hurt. We discuss the trends we’re seeing in church traditions and demographics. We end the episode answering listener questions about when to leave a church, mentorship, being single in the church, and more. This episode and Q&A were recorded live at CCNC 2025.   Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics by Mary Eberstadt      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     

If everything belongs to God, how do we manage the things He’s given us in a way that honors Him and blesses others? How can we find out where He’s calling us invest our time, talents, and energy? Today’s guest, Dana Wichterman, joins me to answer these questions and encourage us to invest everything we have in the Kingdom of God. Impact Foundation  Crown  Stewards Not Owners: The Joy of Aligning Your Money with Your Faith by Dana Wichterman and Bill Wichterman   In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character by Jen Wilkin  None Like Him: 10 Ways God Is Different from Us (and Why That's a Good Thing) by Jen Wilken  The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn  The Pilgrim's Progress by Paul Bunyan    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

When Danielle Grandholm’s daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome, she and her husband found themselves without adequate support. This experience led them to start Rising Kites, a nonprofit dedicated to helping parents of children with Down syndrome. What began as an unexpected journey became a source of blessing as Danielle witnessed God’s providence and grace throughout the process, demonstrating how God can transform challenges into opportunities to serve others and experience His care.  Rising Kites  We’ll Paint the Octopus Red by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, Pam Devito (Illustrator)  The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton  The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese    Are you a Christian educator? If so, I’m guessing you want to do more than just impart knowledge to your students. You want to help them develop genuine faith and a Christian worldview that will shape their character and their life. If this resonates with you, I want to encourage you to check out the “Worldview Formation 101” course from the Colson Educators. This free online course will help you understand the purpose of worldview formation and give you practical steps to craft lesson plans that incorporate the Christian worldview. Even better, it will equip you to foster a school culture where your students’ faith is nourished. You can sign up for “Worldview Formation” 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 

We will all face hard things. Will we be the sort of people who resist the challenges and become resentful and bitter? Or will we see suffering as an opportunity to be open to the Lord and trust him? Today, my friend Maggie and I both share how Christ is meeting us in the suffering of a broken engagement and a loved one’s Alzheimer's diagnosis. We also dive into the habits of faith that prepare us to suffer well and how God redeems our suffering to help us know Christ more intimately.    The Secret to Joy-Filled Suffering with Joni Eareckson Tada  The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis  Another Glimpse by Sean Curran  The Book of Common Prayer    On Strong Women, we celebrate God’s good design for women in every season of life. It’s all part of a bigger mission: to help the Church be the Church—by celebrating what’s good, resisting evil, restoring what’s broken, and contributing what’s missing. As we approach our June 30 fiscal year end, we need your help to keep that mission going. You can support the next year of Strong Women, as well as all the other resources from the Colson Center, by making your best gift today at colsoncenter.org/swchurch.    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 

Kori Pennypacker is the founder and CEO of Bible2School. Today she joins me to share her journey from navy wife to ministry leader, demonstrating how women can lead with biblical conviction while keeping Jesus at the center. I know you’ll be encouraged by her testimonies of children encountering Jesus and how the program is creating ripples of faith in schools across the country.  Show Notes:  Bible2School  colsoncenter.org/SWMonthly  Little Book of Forgiveness: A Pathway to Freedom by Kenward Jones  Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise by Horst Schulze    On Strong Women, we celebrate God’s good design for women in every season of life. It’s all part of a bigger mission: to help the Church be the Church—by celebrating what’s good, resisting evil, restoring what’s broken, and contributing what’s missing. As we approach our June 30 fiscal year end, we need your help to keep that mission going. You can support the next year of Strong Women, as well as all the other resources from the Colson Center, by making your best gift today at colsoncenter.org/swchurch.    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