
Hope + Help Podcast
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. A production of the Institute for Biblical Counseling & Discipleship, show host Christine Chappell invites Christian authors, ministry leaders, and seasoned biblical counseling professionals to help listeners apply the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyday challenges.
Latest episodes

Sep 25, 2023 • 37min
Hope + Help for Loneliness with Shannon McCoy
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Shannon McCoy about the topic of loneliness. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What is a biblical understanding of loneliness?
• Why does loneliness seem to be such a prevalent experience for people today?
• What are some reasons why we might feel disconnected from others? From God?
• What are some harmful ways we might be tempted to cope with our feelings of loneliness?
• How does the gospel of Jesus Christ apply to our experiences of loneliness?
• What are some helpful steps someone take when they feel lonely?
• Is loneliness something we can completely eradicate from our lives this side of Heaven?
• How might the local church be proactive in its approach to addressing loneliness in their congregation?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: https://ibcd.org/loneliness-shannon-mccoy
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Sep 11, 2023 • 24min
Hope + Help for Teens and Suicide with Julie Lowe
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Julie Lowe about her minibook, Teens and Suicide: Recognizing the Signs and Sharing the Hope. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• Why do today's teens seem so vulnerable to suicide?
• What is the mindset of a teen who is vulnerable to suicide?
• What are some warning signs that caregivers can watch for in their teen?
• How might caregivers compassionately engage teens who are struggling in this way?
• How does the gospel of Jesus Christ offer hope to a teen who is vulnerable to suicide?
• Why is it wise to open lines of communication between teens and caregivers about the topic of suicide?
• In what words of comfort and counsel do the Scriptures offer to caregivers to help them face the fears they have for their teen?
• What role does the local church have to play as we seek to care for teens who are vulnerable to suicide?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: https://ibcd.org/teens-suicide-julie-lowe
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Aug 28, 2023 • 42min
Hope + Help for Overcoming Anger with Jim Newheiser
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Jim Newheiser about his minibook, Help! My Anger is Out of Control. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What is a biblical definition of anger and what are its common characteristics?
• Is it true that circumstances and/or people "make" us angry?
• Why is it that angry people are prone to being blind to their sinful anger?
• What are some of the ways anger can manifest in our daily life and relationships?
• What hope is there for someone who feels like their anger is out of control?
• What are some practical ways we can address our inclinations to sinful anger?
• How does the gospel inform the way we think about anger that is directed at self?
• What role does Christian fellowship and discipleship play as we seek to overcome anger by grace?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: ibcd.org/overcoming-anger-jim-newheiser
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

May 22, 2023 • 41min
Hope + Help for Angry Grief with Brad Hambrick
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Brad Hambrick about his book, Angry with God: An Honest Journey through Suffering and Betrayal. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• How is "angry grief" different than selfish anger?
• Why might anger be a commonly misunderstood or overlooked part of the Christian’s grieving process?
• What does it mean to be angry with God instead of at him?
• How can it be helpful to approach our angry grief as “a life-shaping (but not necessarily life-defining) experience and a difficult journey”?
• How does Psalm 44 apply to the pain and confusion of angry grief?
• Why is it important to distinguish between what feels real and what is true when processing angry grief?
• What does it look like to accept and embrace a "partial understanding" in angry grief?
• Why is it important to not only process our anger with God, but also with the help of a trusted friend?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: ibcd.org/angry-with-god-brad-hambrick
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit https://ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

May 2, 2023 • 49min
Hope + Help for Overcoming Bitterness with Steve Viars
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Steve Viars about his book, Overcoming Bitterness: Moving from Life's Greatest Hurts to a Life Filled with Joy. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What is "bitterness" and how can we define it from a biblical perspective?
• What does it mean that “Bitterness is not first a response—it is first a reality"?
• What is the "power of bitter lament?"
• Is there a place for "bitter tears" in the life of a believer? What does God's Word say about this reality?
• What does bitterness have to do with the desires of a person's heart?
• What are a few key biblical principals to keep in mind as we seek to overcome bitterness with God's help?
• What does "courageous faith" have to do with melting away the bitterness in our hearts?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: ibcd.org/overcoming-bitterness-steve-viars
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Apr 3, 2023 • 43min
Hope + Help for Fearing Others with Zach Schlegel
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Zach Schlegel about his book, Fearing Others: Putting God First. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What is "fear of man" and how can we tell if it has become a pervasive problem in our life?
• What does it mean that "we obey what we fear"?
• What does Proverbs 14:26 have to do with the problem of fearing others?
• How can the Scriptures help to reframe the way we think about our fear of failure?
• What does defensiveness in personal relationships have to do with fearing others?
• What does it mean to “Compete to love, not to be loved"—a statement based on Romans 12:10, 15?
• What are some practical steps someone could take to address the fear of man they're wrestling with?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: ibcd.org/fearing-others-zach-schlegel
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Mar 20, 2023 • 38min
Hope + Help for Layered Losses with Vaneetha Risner
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Vaneetha Risner about her book, Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What are some of the questions, fears, or doubts about God we might wrestle with while walking through layered losses?
• How might well-intended encouragements be particularly unhelpful or hurtful to those navigating layered losses?
• How does biblical lament transform the way we engage God in the midst of loss?
• How might someone process the loss of identity they may feel as a result of their suffering?
• How might we think biblically about coming to accept continual loss?
• What can personal devotion time look like during spiritually dry seasons of loss and suffering?
• What does it mean for suffering to be a "gift" that we "steward?"
View the full show notes & links for this episode: ibcd.org/layered-losses-vaneetha-risner
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Feb 27, 2023 • 49min
Hope + Help for Counseling Medical Issues with Dr. Charles Hodges
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Dr. Charles Hodges about his book, The Christian Counselor's Medical Desk Reference. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What are some general guidelines a biblical counselor can use as they care for individuals who have been given a psychiatric diagnosis?
• Why is it important to think carefully about the dynamic between medicine and the doctrine of scriptural sufficiency?
• When is it appropriate for a biblical counselor consult their counselee's medical doctor?
• How can a biblical counselor care for someone who is labeled with obsessive compulsive disorder?
• Why do diagnoses of schizophrenia seem to be on the rise?
• How might a biblical counselor care for someone who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: ibcd.org/medical-desk-reference-charles-hodges
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Feb 13, 2023 • 37min
Hope + Help for Decision Anxiety with Michael Gembola
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Michael Gembola about his book, Anxious About Decisions: Finding Freedom in the Peace of God. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• What makes decision making "an arena for spiritual formation"?
• What role does risk play when it comes to making decisions?
• What are four counterproductive practices someone might engage in when experiencing decision-related anxiety?
• How do "mystical" and "magical" views of God's guidance serve to stoke decision anxiety?
• In what ways might culture and family upbringing influence our approaches to decision making?
• What might it look like to exercise the skill of decision-making when we find ourselves "sweating the small stuff?"
• What are some practical next steps a person could take if they find themselves battling decision anxiety?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: https://ibcd.org/anxious-about-decisions-michael-gembola
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit https://ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.

Jan 30, 2023 • 39min
Hope + Help for Sorrowing Moms with Katie Faris
In this episode of the Hope + Help Podcast, host Christine Chappell interviews Katie Faris about her book, God is Still Good: Gospel Hope and Comfort for the Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood. Some of the questions addressed in this interview are:
• Why is it helpful for a mother to take the time to grieve her unexpected sorrows?
• How does lament help moms to process their pain while they wait on God for help?
• How can a mom honestly address her grief-laden questions in a way that builds—not breaks—her faith?
• Which truths about God's character can help moms to process their difficult questions or discouraging doubts?
• How might a mom engage her anxiety in the midst of unexpected sorrow?
• How can a mom identify and address the discontentment she feels in response to her unexpected sorrows?
• What are some practical steps a mom can take today if she's feeling overwhelmed or discouraged?
View the full show notes & links for this episode: https://ibcd.org/god-is-still-good-katie-faris
The Hope + Help Podcast offers biblical conversations about life's challenging problems. The podcast accomplishes this by offering a mix of interviews with seasoned biblical counseling professionals and ministry leaders on a variety of topics. Hosted by Christine Chappell. To learn more about the show and to access helpful resources, visit https://ibcd.org/hopeandhelp.
Connect with host Christine Chappell at https://christinemchappell.com.
IBCD's Hope + Help Podcast is available on most podcast streaming platforms, so please don't keep the show a secret! If you know someone walking through a challenging season of life, please share the Hope + Help Podcast with them.