The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast

If you were to walk through your home and make a stack of all the “advice” books you own, there’s a good chance that stack would be pretty tall! There is a book available for every subject you could ever need: time management, pregnancy, parenting, relationships, dieting, exercising, overcoming anxiety… the list goes on! But where do you find real wisdom for living?   It’s easy to want a simple formula that leads to a quick fix. For example, if we were to read the dieting book and closely follow the instructions, then the outcome should be to lose weight, right? But if we are really honest with ourselves, we often take the same approach to God’s Word when it comes to seeking wisdom in a specific area of life.  In this week’s episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, Karen McNary shares how to gain wisdom by being connected to the giver of all wisdom… our Heavenly Father!You’ll discover…Wisdom doesn’t mean that you’ll always know how to make the right decision. But, “wise” is what you become when you stay connected with God and apply His Word to every area of life.How to determine if, and when, you should seek wise counsel from a trusted friend by first going to the Lord for guidance first.Seeking wisdom and principles for life doesn’t have to start and stop with the book of Proverbs, but can be found starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation.To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related ResourcesFind a place to process what you’re learning each day as you discover how to apply godly wisdom to your everyday life. Study the book of Proverbs with us in our FREE First 5 mobile app! All you need to do is download the app on iTunes or Google Play to get started.Take your study of the book of Proverbs a little deeper by purchasing our Study Guide. Each Study Guide includes daily study questions and historical context to help you unpack Scripture. Purchase your copy today! 

How do we embrace what seems so glaringly imperfect in the process of becoming more like Jesus? In Lysa TerKeurst’s new book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, she says “Anytime we feel not good enough we deny the powerful truth that we are a glorious work of God in progress.”   In this episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, you’ll have the opportunity to listen to one of our favorite chapters, "Paintings and People," from Lysa’s newest book. In this chapter Lysa takes us through her own experience of feeling not good enough, and teaches us how to trust God with our imperfections on this side of eternity.   You’ll discover…Sometimes you might be expecting a perfection from yourself or others that even God Himself doesn’t expect.Time spent showing up and bringing compassion to a friend is never wasted time.Being honest with yourself and your friends (rather than trying to cover up your imperfections) will strengthen the way you see yourself and your relationships.To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related Resources:Purchase your copy of It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered today!Sign up for the FREE It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way Online Bible Study hosted by Proverbs 31 Ministries and journey through the book with a solid community to support you. 

When things don’t go the way we want and life doesn’t turn out the way we thought it should, it’s easy to wonder why. In Mark 14, Jesus prays “Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Those words read well, but they’re hard to live out.   In this episode, Lysa TerKeurst will teach us what it really means to exchange our will for God’s will and builds off her last episode titled, “The Birthplace of Disappointment.” We already learned that the human heart was created in the context of the perfection of the Garden of Eden. Today, we’ll discover that there’s a physical reality we see, and at the same time, there’s the miraculous God is working.   You’ll learn…Because God is working in the midst of your hurt, you can trust that your hurt will someday be made right. When God leads you to something hard, He will also lead you through something hard because He won’t leave you.Trading your will for God’s will isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a daily surrender.To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related resources:Click here to listen to Lysa’s teaching titled, “The Birthplace of Disappointment.” Purchase your copy of Lysa’s latest book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way and learn what it means to find unexpected strength when life’s disappointments leave you shattered.Make a donation to Proverbs 31 Ministries today to help us continue to provide free resources (just like this podcast) for women around the world to connect with God’s Truth on a daily basis. 

The hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul” was first published almost 150 years ago. Those words are often sung in church or hung on the walls in our homes ... but if we were really honest with ourselves, could we say they’re absolutely true?   Every day we get to decide what we let in our minds and what we keep out, how we spend our time, and what we give our attention to. In today’s episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, author and First 5 writer Nicki Koziarz tackles the topic of dealing with comparison and what we can do to be able to respond, “Yes ... my soul is well.”  In this episode you’ll learn…When you’re trying to please someone, the end goal will always be hard to reach.  Your human heart ultimately desires a relationship with God, and to fill that desire with lesser things will make your soul unwell. The temptation to compare yourself to someone else on this side of eternity may never go away, but you can take practical steps to avoid falling into the temptation today!To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related Resources:Follow along with Nicki’s ministry and Fixer-Upper Farm journey on Instagram at @NickiKoziarz.Purchase Nicki’s book Why Her?: 6 Truths We Need to Hear When Measuring Up Leaves Us Falling Behind and learn practical steps you can take as you tackle comparison in your own life.Like what you’re hearing? Leave the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast a review on iTunes so other women will be exposed to the Truth of God’s Word! 

Have you ever set out to do something you knew you were supposed to do, only to find it wasn’t as easy as you thought it would be? Perhaps you think you’re not good enough, or that there’s no room for you because there’s someone else already doing what you feel led to do.   If you feel like your opportunities are shrinking, or if you’ve gotten a “sign” that you should quit because you’ve messed up too much for God to use you — this episode is for you. Glynnis Whitwer, Proverbs 31 Ministries' Executive Director of Communications, gives a message on the three things you need to know before you give up on your calling.   You will discover… God isn’t in the business of dividing opportunities; He’s in the business of multiplying them.“Success” in God’s Kingdom is based on obedience, and “failure” is quitting before God tells you to quit.Your pain will be your biggest platform because it’s the place where you experienced God’s greatest power.To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related Resources:At Proverbs 31 Ministries, we offer professional and biblical training by industry experts for women who are called to write, speak and lead, through our She Speaks Conference and COMPEL Writers Training membership site. Click the links to learn more!

If you were to have a conversation with a friend right now, would you be able to say that everything in your life has turned out the way you expected it would? Probably not. Life happens, and even though your expectations might have been realistic, your reality lends you to wonder...   Why this? Why now? Why me?  So, where does disappointment come from? And why, as God’s children, do we wonder if our God really is a good God with good plans for our life?  In this episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, Lysa TerKeurst gives a message on this hard topic based on her newest book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered.   Whether you’re in the middle of a disappointment, or fearing one is lurking right around the corner, you’ll discover…Trusting God with the outcome of your story is a crucial lesson to learn in order to navigate disappointments.When you keep your eyes on Him, your joy doesn’t have to depend on a person, place or circumstances being made right. If your story isn’t turning out the way you thought it would, God will show you an even more glorious story that can be written.To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related Resources:It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst is available now wherever books are sold! Purchase your copy today at p31bookstore.com.Check out our exclusive It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way resources to use as a reminder of finding unexpected strength in your everyday life. 

Have you ever sat down and opened your Bible, only to find you don’t really know where to start? Perhaps you read a chapter and then just move on, not knowing what would come next in actually studying the passage? Or, maybe there are passages in the Bible that are confusing, so you just keep go back to the same familiar ones?    What if there were just four simple steps to having a deep personal Bible study, every time?   In today’s episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, our Director of Theology, Joel Muddamalle, teaches four simple steps that will enable you to have a great personal Bible study. Using Mark 6 as a guide, Joel will help you dive deep into Scripture in a fresh, relevant way that you can apply to any passage in the Bible.   You’ll discover…You don’t have to be a theology expert to learn what God’s Word means; you just need to start with where you are!Identifying key themes, common elements, characters and locations in each passage you read will help you connect the dots from Genesis to Revelation.Taking the crucial step to imagine yourself in the passage you read will help you connect to Scripture emotionally, just like you would in any other book!To read the transcript for this episode click here.Related Resources:Ready to start studying the Bible in a fresh way? Download our FREE First 5 mobile app and join us each weekday for a relevant, but challenging teaching on one chapter of the Bible at a time. Take your Bible study and personal application to the next level by purchasing one of our First 5 Study Guides. Each Study Guide is written by one of our First 5 writers or staff members and includes exclusive charts, maps and study questions to help you dig deeper into Scripture. 

Whether you are a student, a wife, a mother or a caretaker of aging parents, we all want to fulfill that special calling God has placed on our lives. But how do you do that in the midst of running errands, caring for your loved ones and fulfilling the role your current season requires?   In this episode of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast, Lisa Allen answers that question by giving a practical teaching on making room for the assignment God has for you. You’ll discover...Making time for your connection to God results in a heart-posture that spills over into your role each day.Creating margin in your schedule by not living deadline-to-deadline, allows you to react to life’s surprises without becoming overwhelmed.Being fully present in a hands-on season of life (even if it means your calling starts to simmer) is okay because that season won’t last forever.God is equipping and developing your character in the midst of your season right now.To read the transcript for this episode, click here.Related ResourcesAt Proverbs 31 Ministries, we offer professional and biblical training by industry experts for women who are called to write, speak and lead, through our She Speaks Conference and COMPEL Writers Training membership site. Click the links to learn more!

When you read about Solomon’s life in 1 Kings 3:3 it says, “Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places.”   Except.  The word “except” means that Solomon’s affections weren’t fully placed on the Lord. Instead, some of his affections were placed on things of this world that were idols. In today’s episode, Lysa TerKeurst and friends dive deep into their own misplaced affections to help you understand that although today’s idols are different than Old Testament idols, the struggle is still the same.  You’ll discover…When our needs are met somewhere else other than within our relationship with the Lord, there are consequences.Waiting on the Lord to heal your wounds or provide for you in your time of need will be hard, but His timing and provision are better than any quick fix.You’re never too far from God to choose to give all of your affection to the Lord.To read the transcript for this episode, click here.Related Resources:Order Lysa TerKeurst’s book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, and receive the first three chapters immediately to get started reading today! Download the FREE First 5 app and start giving your first five minutes of each day to the Lord. Are these messages making an impact on your life? Leave us a review on iTunes and tell us about it! 

When you look for examples of worship in the Bible, you’ll find everything from songs sung in corporate worship to deep prayers uttered in the midst of hard circumstances. Today, most of us relate worship to attending church and singing songs together. But what if worship is something we can do every day in the seemingly insignificant moments of life?In today’s episode Meredith and Kaley talk with two special guests: Mack Brock, a worship leader and songwriter, and Joel Muddamalle, the Director of Theology at Proverbs 31 Ministries. You’ll hear both Mack and Joel’s perspective on worship and learn practical ways to worship in your day-to-day life.Through this conversation on worship, you’ll discover…Breakthrough happens when you bring all of who you are — your hurt, frustration, joy and celebration — to the One who stands above it all.You’ve been called and appointed to a specific assignment on this earth, and the way you live your life is a form of worship.God is in every moment, and every moment can be worshipful if you remember to point your attention back to Him.Related Resources:Download our free First 5 mobile app and spend the first moments of your day with God before the hustle of your to-do list begins. We also have study guides to help you dig a little deeper into God's Word. Purchase Mack Brock’s album, Greater Things, available now on all music platforms. Click here to view the transcript.