If your feed is all wins and you feel stuck in sweatpants, there’s a wiser way to live. Why does everyone else seem ahead while I’m stuck? Is God holding out on me? Today we name the ache of comparison and learn a Jesus-centered path from envy to contentment.

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim to talk candidly about the “everyone’s doing great—except me” mindset fueled by social media highlight reels, missed opportunities, and life-stage FOMO. They ground the conversation in Scripture (Psalm 16’s “lines in pleasant places,” and 1 Timothy’s “contentment is great gain”), and wrestle with ambition vs. contentment (Calvin’s “station” meets American hustle). Along the way, they offer practical gratitude rhythms, honest friendship, and the courage to celebrate others—especially when it stings.

Key Takeaways

• Comparison poisons joy. The endless feed breeds hustling for worth and victim thinking; naming it is step one.
• Biblical reframing helps. Psalm 16 and 1 Timothy 6 invite us to see God’s good boundaries and pursue contentment as “great riches.”
• Gratitude is a discipline, not a vibe. Build the muscle (à la “thousand gifts”) with small, daily reps.
• Ambition ≠ idolatry. Hold creative drive and contentment together with humility and discernment.
• Suffering needs presence, not platitudes. Sit near, listen long, and notice where God adds strength in the storm.
• Celebrate others on purpose. Choosing to rejoice with a peer is a character check that loosens envy’s grip.

Action Steps / Practical Applications

✅ 10-Minute Gratitude Walk: Phone down; tell God three specific thanks from today.

✅ Social Feed Reset: Mute/unfollow one envy-triggering account; take a 24-hour scroll fast.

✅ Accountability Text: Tell a friend you’re practicing gratitude and check in after two days.

✅ Celebrate a Win: Congratulate a peer—no comparing, no caveats—pray blessing over their influence.

✅ Gratitude Reps Plan: List 5 thanks daily this week; next week aim for 10.

If you’ve ever whispered, “Lord, I don’t get it,” this conversation is for you. Does doubt mean I’m failing at faith—or could it become the very path to deeper trust? What do we do when questions collide with grief, church hurt, or cultural pressure?

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for a transparent look at doubt—not as betrayal, but as fuel for faith when we don’t stop there. They explore Thomas’ encounter with Jesus, the “dark night of the soul,” and the difference between what we feel and what is real. The conversation models how to bring questions to Scripture and community, landing with a simple practice: Name it. Kneel it. Neighbor it. (Mark 9:24; John 9 referenced).

Key Takeaways

• Doubt ≠ unfaithfulness; it can propel deeper faith when we pursue truth rather than stall out.
• Jesus meets doubters (Thomas) with presence and invitation: “Stop doubting; start believing.”
• Expect seasons when God “lets go” to grow us—the classic dark night of the soul.
• Learn to separate feelings from reality; process emotions while anchoring in what’s true.
• Thoughtful study and community counsel can shorten the “leap” of faith without removing it.

Action Steps / Practical Applications

• ✅ Name it: Write out one real doubt this week in a sentence or two.
• ✅ Kneel it: Pray Mark 9:24—“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.” (take it on a walk/drive).
• ✅ Neighbor it: Share your question with a trusted friend/small group and ask them to sit in it with you.
• ✅ Go deeper, not darker: Set aside 30 minutes to read, reflect, and ask a mature leader for resources.
• ✅ Sort “feel” vs “real”: Jot two columns; process emotions while listing truths you can stand on.

When the headlines—and your own thoughts—won’t stop buzzing, Jesus meets you with real peace and a next step.

Why does the future feel so shaky—and what do we do when “what-ifs” spiral into paralysis? For students and young adults juggling school, work, and relationships, anxiety can feel like the air we breathe.

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for an honest conversation about anxiety—how it shows up in our bodies, feeds on doomscrolling, and shrinks when we right-size our worries in community. They explore Jesus’ repeated invitations to “be not afraid,” the promise of “I am with you”, and a practical reframing: move from what if to so what if… and then what? The pair name both spiritual and everyday helps—gratitude, planning ahead, small risks that build resilience, and asking friends to carry burdens with you.

Key Takeaways

· Anxiety vs. worry: anxiety can be paralyzing and bodily; naming it helps us choose a faithful response.

· With-you promise > outcome control: Scripture’s comfort is not “nothing bad will happen,” but “Jesus will be with you in it.”

· From what-if to so-what: play the fear forward with God—often you’ll see you can survive it, and you won’t be alone.

· Right-sizing through community: sharing others’ burdens shrinks our problems to their proper size.

· Resilience is trained: small, uncomfortable steps (plus basic planning) quiet the mental noise.

Action Steps / Practical Applications

· ✅ Name & pray: list your top three fears this week; pray “Jesus, be with me in these.”

· ✅ Gratitude swap: when rumination starts, note three people or graces presently “showing up.”

· ✅ So-what journal: write the feared scenario → “so what if… then what?” until you identify the next faithful action.

· ✅ Plan for peace: use a simple planner to reduce avoidable stress for the week ahead.

· ✅ Invite help: text a friend or small-group leader and share one burden for prayer and perspective.