Women World Leaders' Podcast

In Julie Harwick's last podcast for Women World Leaders (Episode 551 - A Warning from the Ancients), she talked about the dangers of succumbing to false teaching because of the way culture so easily infiltrates the Church. Join her today as she looks more closely at how the modern Church came to be and begins to ask some hard questions, finding further confirmation that it’s very different from the Church described in the New Testament. **** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. In my very first podcast with Women World Leaders I shared how I came to faith. It’s not very glamorous or exciting, but it is kind of different and I’ll share some of it again because it’s relevant to our topic. I grew up in a very devout Catholic home. My dad had attended Catholic school and mass on every Sunday of his life. My mom converted in order to marry him and they made sure I was baptized in the Church before I was even a week old. He was so devout that even on vacation, we would seek out the nearest Catholic parish and make sure we went to mass either Saturday night or Sunday morning. And of course, that meant I had to go to catechism for five long years. But in spite of his unwavering commitment to the Catholic faith, my dad was a seeker. He read the bible and many other Christian books and listened voraciously to a variety of Christian radio programs. He encouraged me to go to an after-school bible club when I learned about it in the fall of first grade. At my very first visit to the Good News Club, I heard a clear presentation of the gospel and responded without hesitation. For the next six years, it was the highlight of my school week and I threw myself wholeheartedly into everything it had to offer: bible stories, scripture memorization and songs. So on Monday afternoons I got filled up on the bible and on Saturday mornings, I got filled up on Catholic teaching. But the deeper I got into each one, the more discrepancies I discovered between them. Full disclosure here: I wanted to go to Good News Club where I was rewarded for my efforts with lots of candy, interesting bible stories and a fun time with my friends. I did not want to go to catechism which offered no candy and kept me from the finest tv viewing of the week – the one 4-hour block of programming designed just for me at a time when no one else in the household wanted to watch. So, I may have been approaching catechism with a negative predisposition, but there was no denying the questions that began to pop up in my elementary school brain. Why do I have to memorize and repeat prayers? I talk to God all the time about whatever pops into my head…in words that we both understand. What in the world does “blessed is the fruit of thy womb” mean anyway? When I summoned the courage to ask a nun why I should pray to Mary, her answer mystified me. “Mary will tell Jesus and Jesus will tell God,” she explained. It immediately brought to mind the game of telephone that we often played when the class had to stay inside for recess. Those messages always got completely messed up, so why wouldn’t I just tell God directly? When a nun asked me whether I believed that the fancy box with curtains all around it on the altar actually held the body of Jesus, I knew how I was supposed to answer, but I just couldn’t. First of all…gross. Second of all, I knew there were Catholic churches in every city everywhere in the world, so how could there be enough of Jesus’ body for all of them? In Good News Club I had learned the story of the Last Supper and even my 8-year-old mind could grasp that Jesus was saying that the bread was meant to represent His body. I had many questions and I grew more and more skeptical of what I was learning on Saturday mornings. I must’ve shared my questions with my parents. I certainly let them know how much I...

Doors are designed to keep some things in, some things out, or even just block things altogether in our lives. However, there are some doors we keep closed for far too long, missing out on an opportunity to experience the next phase of our lives. What might happen if you dare to open the door to the strange, the new, and the unexpected? What setup is lying behind The Open Door? Today's podcast host is Dr. Jia Conway.

Join host Tewannah Aman for her podcast, "In Christ, I Can!" How many of us struggle with feelings of insecurity and inadequacy? Philippians 4:13 is a verse that many know well, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” But how often do we freeze up? How many times have we not gone through a door? Or we haven’t taken advantage of an opportunity? Do I hear a resounding yes and amen? I can relate. We have had many who have criticized and condemned us, and that has created a fear of rejection and a fear of failure deep within us. Those times when someone made us feel so insecure and inadequate, telling us things like: “You aren’t good enough. You are a failure. Why even try? You are hopeless and helpless.” And the list goes on. When we accepted Jesus, we were adopted into His family. We are children of God and daughters of the King. But the tapes that have been playing in our heads don’t just disappear. Wouldn’t that be nice? We are now on a journey called the process of sanctification. That is when we seek God and His Word to renew our hearts and minds (Romans 12:1, 2). It is allowing His truths to transform us into the image of Christ. Walk with me as I share how God has enabled me to work through and overcome those fearful times that still can come back to haunt me. And let’s look at Moses and how he struggled with deep feelings of fear and insecurity. When God called him, he practically refused. He tried to convince God He had chosen the wrong person. We are in good company. God empowered Moses to deliver the Israelites. Even though he was scared, he went through the door anyway. He trusted the Lord. And the Holy Spirit kicked in, and that is what He wants to do in each of our lives. He wants to reveal His power in and through us. He wants to heal, redeem, and restore the brokenness from our past. So that you can be used to achieve great and mighty things for His Kingdom. May You seek Him with your whole heart (Jeremiah 29:11-13). God has chosen you. He has a purpose and plan for your life. How exciting is that?!! Now, go rock the world for Jesus.

There’s a reason the New Testament has so many warnings against false teaching. Join host Julie Harwick for a comparison between the church we see in Acts and the church we know today that shows how quickly we can get off base. **** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. I recently had the opportunity to visit three of my bucket list places and God used it to teach me some valuable spiritual lessons in a way I hadn’t anticipated. History has always fascinated me and especially as it pertains to the bible, so when I found a good deal on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise, I jumped at the chance to visit Athens, Rome and Ephesus. Israel is at the very top of my bucket list and I had hoped to go back in 2021, but thanks to Covid that never came to be. And since October 7, the prospect of visiting any time soon doesn’t seem very good either. But there are plenty of important biblical events that took place in the three ancient cities our cruise visited. I was especially eager to see Ephesus since I had heard that it held some of the best-preserved ancient ruins in the world. We were to see where the Apostle John was believed to be buried and where Mary, the mother of Jesus had lived under John’s care. We would see the temple of Artemis where the book Acts details a near riot that broke out because of Paul’s preaching in Ephesus. When John wrote the book of Revelation, he praised the church at Ephesus for standing firm in their faith despite false teachers and many hardships. But he also admonished them for forsaking the love for Christ that they had once had. We walked for hours among the ruins of homes, government buildings, temples, baths, the second largest library of the ancient world and a massive amphitheater. I was awed to think that I was walking the very path that John and Mary had probably walked together a thousand times and I was seeing what they saw. But my spirit was uneasy when I entered the small stone house believed to be where Mary lived and I was encouraged to light a candle and pray to her. After walking through her home we came to a spigot of water coming out of a stone wall which was believed to have healing properties because of its location near her home. I have tremendous respect for the woman chosen by God to bear and raise His son. That honor sets her apart as an example for all women to emulate, but it doesn’t make her divine or worthy of our worship. When we reached the tomb where the disciple Jesus loved was thought to be buried, it was surrounded by the remains of what had once been an extremely ornate, costly shrine. Somehow, it didn’t seem like the appropriate resting place for the simple fisherman who had stood at the foot of the cross when all the other disciples were in hiding and had given the next 70 years of his life to spreading the gospel to anyone who would listen. In Rome we visited the catacombs, a series of underground tombs where early Christians were buried and believed to have hidden during times of persecution. Our guide was well-educated but made it clear that he saw no difference between the faith of these early believers and the pagans that preceded them. To him, their beliefs seemed equally rooted in nothing but fantasy. He theorized that the early Christians who suffered persecution under tyrants like Nero were the first to be buried in these tombs. Because they were martyrs, they were considered to be particularly special to God and therefore would be among the first to be resurrected. Christians who came after them wanted to be buried near them to improve their chances of being among the first to be resurrected. I’m not sure if that’s actually true, but if it is, it smacks of pagan superstition, not solid biblical teaching. At the Vatican, we were told about the holy doors. Every 25 years, the Vatican declares a Jubilee...

When the worst tragedy of life hits, how does one cope? Our guest, Renee Scheidt, a biblical teacher and author who holds a master's degree in theology and music, shares her tragic story of pain and suffering. Despite two major trauma experiences in her life, she was able to move forward through each one. Listen to find out how God intervened and delivered hope and healing in her darkest hours of living.

In a world where we compete to "BE" for everything and "everyone," sometimes we need to be reminded as God's daughters, that we are HIS CHOICE! Join Dr. Jia Conway for this empowering and inspirational message.

Comparing is an exercise in futility and can actually be very harmful…and yet we all do it. Would we be so inclined to give in to this trap if we really understood God’s perspective? Join host Julie Harwick as she explores this topic. *** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. In the summer of 1981 I, along with nearly every other female on the planet, was captivated at the prospect of a royal wedding. Charles and Diana fever was spreading with every print publication in the checkout line and every television or radio news broadcast. The elusive prince had finally selected his princess from all the fairest maidens in the land. Lady Diana Spencer was part of the nobility, but she was a kindergarten teacher for heaven’s sake; what could make her more relatable than that? As we watched her walking through the Scottish Highlands with her prince, showing the world her royal engagement ring and answering some of the hundreds of questions being shouted to her by the press, we imagined what it might be like to be her. Nearly every little girl dreams of being a princess: wearing beautiful gowns and tiaras, dancing the night away at elegant balls, living in incredible luxury, being adored and admired by the people and especially by a charming prince! Diana Spencer was about to have all those dreams come true. When she walked down that long aisle of St. Paul’s Cathedral with angelic flower girls monitoring her enormously long train, we couldn’t help but envy her. Her face didn’t show the excitement we felt, but we wrote it off to nerves and shyness. Years later, we discovered that her lack of enthusiasm on her wedding day was due to something much deeper than nerves or shyness. What had appeared to be a dream come true to her adoring public was becoming more and more of a nightmare to the young princess. We could see the distance that was growing between her and her prince, but we couldn’t see the depression and sense of betrayal that led to bulimia and five separate suicide attempts. We had never considered what it might be like to have to put on a happy face and make unrelenting royal appearances while being hounded by paparazzi and reporters in the midst of an emotional crisis. The life that had seemed so idyllic and desirable turned out to be anything but that. How many times have we looked at someone else’s life with envy, thinking that, in comparison to the life we’re living, they seem to have it all. Our human tendency to compare what we have with others goes way back. In fact, 20% of the 10 commandments God gave to Moses have to do with comparison and envy. We are cautioned not to covet a neighbor’s spouse or possessions. If we already have a spouse or possessions, what would make us want someone else’s? The only possible answer is that we’ve compared the two and theirs looks better. The ancient Israelites struggled with it and so do we…especially with the advent of social media. Author Srinivas Rao says, “ There’s always someone who has more…more fans, followers, traffic, likes, etc. Social media-fueled comparison is a game in which there is no endpoint. It causes us to lose sight of the fact that we are getting a deliberately, highly- filtered, one-dimensional view of someone’s life.” A study published by security and research firm Kapersky Labs surveyed over 16,000 people and concluded that sites like Facebook, X and Instagram can often leave people feeling upset or “bitter” rather than happy and content. Contentment is elusive - especially for those who spend a lot of time on social media. Google reports that in a study involving 1500 Facebook users, more than 60 percent felt inadequate or jealous after comparing themselves to others on Facebook. Social media can be a great way to maintain long distance relationships, share important milestones and events with...

Please join us as today's guest, founder of Guard Your Heart Ministries, shares her transparent story of how she dealt with wounds from childhood which led her to accept toxic relationships. Tewannah Aman's personal Redemption Story provides an example of developing healthy, Christ-centered relationships for a future of freedom and love.

In today’s episode, Tawana Lowery shares about a God dream she had and what it taught her about how we should Vote for our Spirit instead of our Flesh. This is one vote that impacts our influence for eternity.

It’s easy to get discouraged by all the darkness we see closing in on us. There are so many things wrong in this world, but the darker the night, the brighter the light. Today, host Julie Harwick gives many examples of believers shining brightly in the midst of darkness and reminds us that we have been called to do the same. **** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. It’s been going on for 80 years, but this was my first experience attending. It was fascinating, exhausting, sometimes disheartening, but also inspiring and encouraging – kind of a microcosm of life on this planet. I was there to represent Barnabas Aid, a ministry to the Suffering Church. Very, very few people approached our little booth to learn more about the Persecuted Church. Most who did approach, were eager to promote their own ministries which wasn’t a bad thing, because they were also willing to hear about mine. But in order to effectively represent Barnabas Aid, I had to try to make eye contact with someone passing slowly enough to ask, “How familiar are you with the Persecuted Church?” Some pretended not to hear me or mumbled, “I’m good.” But fortunately many were willing to listen and consider getting involved. There were people from all over the world there and it was interesting to note that nearly every foreigner I encountered was well-acquainted with the Persecuted Church. Americans were far more likely to know little to nothing, but that’s probably because suffering for your faith is not a normal part of being a believer in this country. I was most encouraged by meeting people from Morocco, India and Pakistan who had actually worked with our organization in those countries. Hearing their stories made the work of Barnabas Aid more real to me and allowed me to put faces with the people we serve. The disheartening part came from some of the booths I encountered where televangelists were selling supplements guaranteed to give you energy and good health and others just seemed to be all about glitz and glamour. There may be nothing wrong with these ministries. It was just hard not to notice the contrast between them and less flashy ministries whose sole focus was bringing the gospel to people who hadn’t heard or fighting for the lives of unborn babies. Overall, it was very encouraging to see the massive convention center filled with people who are devoting their lives to God-honoring businesses or ministries. Every form of media was represented: radio, television, film, podcasts, video games, books and social media. All appeared to be committed to using every method possible to grow the Kingdom of God. I was especially encouraged to see that the booths next to me and across from me were both engaged with reaching Muslims for Christ and supporting Muslim Background Believers who live under restrictive and even dangerous conditions. Islam is the world’s second largest religion and it’s estimated that there are nearly 2 billion Muslims worldwide. One organization, Cresent Project, has a vision to equip 100,000 believers, many of them from a Muslim background to reach 120 counties where Muslims have never heard the gospel. At Lighthouse Arab World, I talked with Johnny, a Lebanese man who was born into a Christian family but has a great love for Muslims all over the Arab world. He told me about the crushing inflation that his native country is suffering and how his ministry is helping to alleviate that suffering while pointing people to Jesus. He also told me a fascinating first-hand account he had heard about a Christian missionary who attempted to evangelize a remote tribe in Tunisia. These devoted Muslims were mostly hostile toward him and wanted nothing to do with the gospel he was...

Today's powerful interview is with Sarah Frazer, author, teacher, and mother of five. Sarah lacked confidence in her marriage, future, and having children. Hear her gripping story of how a trip to China to adopt a child allowed God to intervene. You will be encouraged to hear how God provided courage for Sarah in all the areas she suffered, leading her to be the woman of God she is today.

The Spirit of fear can come upon us in an instant or at times through decades of past trauma. Today's guest, Author Wendy Arelis from British Columbia, shares her story and provides helpful advice of how God saw her need and led her to overcome the layers of built up fears that once gripped her life.

Honesty is a character quality we look for in others, but do we actually scrutinize ourselves for honesty in the same way? How honest are we with ourselves, when it comes to being honest? Join Julie Harwick as she dives into this subject. **** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. A mom questions her 3-year-old who’s mouth is ringed with blue dye. “You’re telling me you didn’t have any candy today?” “I haven’t,” he answers sweetly shaking his head. “You can have one more time to tell me the truth,” she warns. “Really, I haven’t,” he responds as if he can’t imagine why she would ask such a thing. “Then what is all over your face," she asks. With a growing realization he says, as he attempts to look truly puzzled, “Oh, blue?”…”Well…. I forgot that I ate that.” It’s hard not to chuckle at this type of lying because it’s just further evidence that 3-year-olds are not as smart as they think they are. And they’re still in the process of learning that telling lies is not the way to get out of a sticky situation. But 3-year-olds grow up and unfortunately, lying often continues to be a part of their lives. We were all 3 once and our parents probably took lying very seriously and tried to teach us that it was wrong, but that doesn’t mean we never do it. While we might not be guilty of telling such a blatant lie as the 3-year-old, we may very well be guilty of misrepresenting, misleading, saying what someone wants to hear whether we actually believe it or not or exaggerating. If you’re not guilty of any of those yourself, you probably know someone who is. It’s not “technically” a lie, but it’s likely to cause the hearer to arrive at a slightly different conclusion than what is the actual truth. And generally, the motive for doing it is to manipulate a desired outcome. Sometimes, what is not said falls into this category. Many years ago, I had a co-worker who seemed to believe that she was in competition with me and needed to make our employer question my value. She was definitely within earshot when a supervisor asked me to leave the office to get some paperwork he needed. Later, when the owner asked her where I was, she answered, “She didn’t tell me where she was going.” That was a true statement. I hadn’t specifically told her where I was going, but there was no question that she knew. The way she answered made him believe that I had left without letting anyone know and that she didn’t know where I went. The information she gave him accomplished her intent of making me look irresponsible because he had a wrong impression of the situation. Have you ever confronted an older child about some item around the house being broken and gotten a vague response like, ”I haven’t used it”? In the back of your mind you’re wondering if they’re saying under their breath, “today.” The response might be technically true, but they certainly have more information that is relevant to the question, but it’s not in their best interest to share that. As kids get older, they get a little craftier at getting out of things they don’t want to do without actually telling a lie. “I would do my chores now, but I have a test to study for.” They may very well have a test to study for, but they have no intention of spending all their remaining waking hours studying for it. I once knew a boy who didn’t like to take a shower. He would turn on the shower, retrieve a book he had stashed in the bathroom cabinet and read for 15 minutes. Then he’d wet the washcloth and wipe it across the top of his head so his hair was wet and use it to dampen a towel. If he was specifically questioned about taking a shower, he would say that he had, because days earlier, he actually had. There are all kinds of get-arounds that can enable us to have our own way without drawing attention to what we’re carefully...

God has a calling for you, and it is better than you can ask or imagine. Will you answer in joy, trusting His wisdom and provision? Join Julie Jenkins as we study together Jesus’ response to the rich, young man as told in Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30. **** Thank you for joining for the Women World Leaders podcast! My name is Julie Jenkins, and I have the honor of walking through the Bible with you today as we study scripture and ask God to tell us what He wants us to know! If you are new to Women World Leaders, we are so glad you have joined us! We are a group of women on mission to share the gospel as we empower each other to walk in our God-given purpose. If you are a Christ-follower, you are called to be a leader for Christ! God has gifted YOU with amazing talents and gifts, and we want to help you discover and use those gifts. So if you enjoy writing, music, art, teaching, encouraging others, or organizing databases, we have a place for you to grow, serve, and thrive. And if you aren’t sure HOW you want to serve, that’s okay – we are excited to meet you where you are! Each month, we host a Leadership Connect Zoom call that is open to the public. On the third Monday of each month at 7 pm et, we have a great time getting to know each other, finding out what is happening in the ministry, and learning different ways to serve others and grow in our leadership skills from a guest speaker. We would LOVE you to join us! To get the Zoom link, simply visit womenworldleaders.com and fill out our connect form so we can email you all the details! If you have any questions about the ministry, feel free to email us at info@womenworldleaders.com, and if you have a prayer request, email us at prayer@womenworldleaders.com. The scripture we are going to dive into today is the story of Jesus talking to the rich young man. Three of the gospel writers give us their take on what happened that day, so we will be studying Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, and Luke 18:18-30. Before we begin, let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God…we are honored to come to you today and we ask you to guide us as we open your Word. Father, thank you for providing us with your written instructions and for sending your Holy Spirit to help us understand all you want us to know – may we never take you or your written Word for granted. Bless the listener as you speak directly to her heart, and bless my thoughts and words as I humbly present what it is you would have us know today. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Let’s begin in Mark, chapter 10, verse 17 from the New Living Translation… As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Let’s examine what we know about the man who came and knelt before Jesus. Mark tells us simply that he was a man who called Jesus a teacher. Luke tells us that he was a religious leader, which makes sense as he was obviously eager to do EVERYTHING right, which was the hallmark of the religious leaders of the day – they operated on the idea that they must follow every jot and tittle of God’s Word to get into heaven. I can relate to this man, can’t you? He wanted to know what HE should do to secure his future. I have a difficult time with control…I always think that if I can just figure out the right combination of food to eat and exercises to do, I will have complete control over my weight and my health. And…by working REALLY hard and being wise with my money, I will be able to ensure a FABULOUS retirement for myself when the time comes. This man – who we find out later is rich – was used to controlling his own destiny…or at least trying to. He followed all the rules, he did everything right, but he came to Jesus wanting just ONE MORE piece of insurance of his eternity – essentially asking…is there anything I am missing? I imagine that anyone who was in listening distance would have been all ears. This...

Please join us today as the founder of WWL's, Kimberly Hobbs is interviewed by Tawana Lowery, the founder of MISS OVERCOMER ministry about "Bold Forgiveness."

We live in a culture that is very protective of personal rights. But as believers, how can we find the balance between standing up for ourselves and following Jesus’ example of laying down His life? Join host Julie Harwick as she explores the topic Laying Down and Giving Up. *** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” If you are an American, these words should be familiar to you as the second paragraph of our nation’s Declaration of Independence. No previous government had ever enumerated such rights and the fact that the United States of America did, set the stage for a government of the people, by the people and for the people. I am thankful for the rights our Constitution guarantees, although many of them seem to be under attack lately. However, I think it has created in Americans in particular, a heightened focus on protecting our rights that doesn’t always conform to scripture. Our speech is peppered with phrases like, “I know my rights, what gives you the right? I have every right to…” People devote their lives to fighting for animal rights, women’s rights, gay rights…the list goes on. Our culture places a very high value on defending our rights. From a purely secular perspective, that seems like a good thing. But recently, God has been challenging my perspective about my rights and the lengths to which I’ll go to defend them. ------------------------------------------------- I had the privilege of teaching about the Persecuted Church at last month’s Leadership Connect and as I was researching, I watched a video produced on behalf of the underground church in Iran that really convicted me. A missionary who was part of the underground church in Iran was describing how he and the members of his church often discuss what they will do if or when the radical Islamists discover them and break into their hidden place of worship. A young woman who had been part of a radical Muslim faction herself, pointed out what she had already given up for her faith. “I have given up my rights. I have given up my position. I have given up everything for Jesus,” she said. These persecuted Christians are prepared to carry out the command of Romans 12:1 which says, “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship.” In spite of beatings, prison, assault and murder, these people are willing to lay down their rights, rather than deny their Savior. ------------------------------------------------------ The Church in America has had it so good for so long, that it’s hard for us to identify with believers like this woman. We don’t like to think, much less talk, about suffering and being willing to lay down our rights. For many of us the concept of suffering equates to putting up with a miserable job situation, marital difficulties or experiencing financial problems. These are the very type of problems that many spiritual leaders have focused on as issues we can overcome, if only we learn the spiritual principles that lead to success and happiness. After all, we’re the King’s kids and He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so why wouldn’t He want us to prosper, enjoy good health and the best of everything this world has to offer? That type of prosperity doctrine has encouraged adherents to focus on all the wrong things…in a nutshell, their own selfish, fleshly desires – a far cry from being a living sacrifice. I heard a teaching on Romans 12:1 years ago that caused me to consider for the first time that the problem with being a living sacrifice is that...

Would you consider yourself uncommon? God created you - you are unique and wonderfully made. Today, Kimberly Hobbs interviews young and vibrant Coach Caitlyn Benedik who shares her story of how God created her to be different. She stepped out of the "box" into a fun career and shares her 4 uncommon reasons to live by as Christ has led her. **** Kimberly Hobbs Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. It is our privilege to come to you today and ask you to join us as we welcome our guest today, which is Caitlyn Benedik. Welcome, Caitlin. Glad to have you. Caitlyn Benedik I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me on. Kimberly Hobbs Yes, and today we are talking to you ladies about uncommon and that's a word that is very special to Caitlyn. And as we talk a little bit about her story, you're gonna see why and hopefully that word will speak to you today. And it's our our hopes that in you listening today, ladies that this podcast will strengthen you and encourage you to walk in that beautiful purpose that God has just for you. We believe that all of us are created uniquely by our Creator, our Lord, our God. And every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as the faithful stewards of the many colored tapestries of God's grace. That's First Peter 4:10. So as we go into our podcast today, I always love to share a little bit about our guests. So today I want to share a little bit about Caitlyn and who she is and where she came from, before we get into her story, so Caitlyn is a graduate of Pensacola Christian cap College where she was part of the Lady Eagles basketball team during her tenure there. And during her time at Pensacola, she discovered her passion for coaching men's basketball, which led her to Maryland. And that's where she's now an assistant coach for the Salisbury men's basketball program. She's also pursuing her master's degree in Health and Human Performance. And when she is in coaching, she loves to read, spend time outside and serve in her church. So today, as we go into this interview about being uncommon, it's something that really resonates with Caitlyn. And I usually ask some of the women who I have the privilege of interviewing what's a word that would describe you in your life and in what you want to share with the world. And in Caitlyn chose the word uncommon. And I said, Okay, that's really interesting. We've never talked about that before. So she's going to explain more on this as we get into today's podcast. But I wanted to start off with a scripture about being unique. And I just always, if any of you are following us, women, world leaders on these podcasts, scripture, scripture, scripture, it's so important because there's power in the Word of God. And I chose Psalm 139 14, which says, I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, my soul knows it very well. And I love that because each of us are unique. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. That's what the Bible says about us. Caitlin, god, did you with a distinct purpose and a beautiful heart to walk out that purpose? So let's start here by sharing your story because you were sharing with me. As we were discussing, prior to this podcast, some of the struggles you had growing up and wanting to be an athlete. So can you talk about your growing up years? Caitlyn Benedik Yep. So when I was a young kid, I was a gymnast. And that sport is very demanding, you have to be in the gym 24 hours a week, you know, and it's a year round sport. So there's never really any time off. And it's it was a perfectionist environment. So you're judged on how perfect you can do a skill or a routine and growing up also, my family was and they had their own struggles and my parents got divorced and they're both remarried and through that, like the environments weren't very, very loving for a while and I just never felt like...

In today's podcast, host Tawana Lowery shares biblical insight about how to overcome being offended for the sake of the cross. She tells a personal story about how God delivered her from being offended so she could help others experience the love and saving grace of Jesus and shares why the ability to overcome being offended is crucial in preparing for the days ahead. ***** Hello… and Welcome to Women World Leaders Podcast I’m your Host… Tawana Lowery · Women’s Empowerment Coach · And Executive Director of Miss Overcomer Global And I’m VERY excited you joined today… · As we explore what the Father wants us to know about himself and who we are as Powerful Ambassadors… · So let’s get started… 1. This is the time of year when many of us set goals or resolve to make improvements in our lives. 2. Today I want to share a few thoughts about a resolution you may not have considered… and that is … How to Overcome being offended. 3. As we see tensions and conflict mounting on a High-Definition Global scale… each of us will be presented with an increased opportunity to be offended. 4. In fact, Jesus instructed in Matthew 24:10 that opportunities to be offended would be on the rise in the last days. a. That because of the increase of wickedness… many people’s hearts would grow cold. b. But…. as his ambassadors… we are called to rise above it and live with a pure heart. Let me share a story from my own experience… 1. Several years ago, I walked continually offended by the Pornography industry… 2. And… yes… what this industry produces is evil… · Nevertheless… my response to it was NOT the love of God. 3. Finally, I just asked God why I allowed anything Porn related to produce such a visceral response. 4. He told me the issue was my own unbelief. · I somehow believed the pornography industry was more powerful than the all-sufficient Love of God to save and deliver. · Also, I had a teenage son at the time… and I was fearful of the effects it could have on him if he encountered it. · Again…. I was putting all my faith in the power of sin rather than the power of God to save. 5. And so… my first step was to pray about the unbelief and ask God’s forgiveness about the offense. 6. Several weeks later…. I was praying about how to become more available to my community with prayer and counseling. Share your personal story. Conclusion 7. We need to see the Provocations as an Invitation… · For Transformation and Restoration…. 8. Had I not prayed about my offense towards those enslaved by pornography… I would have missed a great miracle. Lessons Learned… · When I’m offended, I am walking in disobedience because I am walking after the flesh. · When I’m focused on the offense, I am allowing the enemy to distract my focus Away from the cross. · When I turn my back on those who offend me, I am turning my back on the opportunity for transformation and restoration (for the other person and myself). · 1 Corinthians 13 – LOVE is not easily Offended… · We are Chosen to be offended for the sake of the Cross! · We have the privilege of allowing the offense to drive us to the Cross so the resurrection power of Jesus might be made manifest. During this new year, let’s be intentional to go on Offense about being Offended rather than being defensive distant. Let’s purpose in our hearts to see the Provocations as an Invitation for Restoration, Transformation and Resurrection! CLOSING REMARKS…. Well… It’s been a pleasure spending time with you today. Thanks for listening to Women World Leaders podcast! · Join us each week as we explore together God’s extravagant love and your courageous purpose. · Visit our website at www.womenworldleaders.com to submit a prayer request, register for an upcoming event, and support the ministry. · From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders. All content is copyrighted by...

Join host Julie Harwick on today's episode of the Women World Leaders' Podcast. As humans, we have a tendency to view our identity through the lens of what we do. But God is far more concerned with who we are. Could it be that we’ve been focusing on what is entirely the wrong thing? **** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world. The beginning of another year always forces us to do some serious thinking. We think about the year that has passed: what went wrong and what went well. We evaluate our own performance so we can decide what we want to stick with and what might need to change. For many, this comes in the form of New Years’ resolutions. A 2022 poll by Yougov revealed that 37% of Americans had a goal or resolution they intended to pursue in 2023. While everyone begins with the best of intentions, few follow through. A Forbes Health survey showed that the average resolution lasts just over three months. 65% of the respondents had abandoned their goals after four months and only 1% stuck with it through the entire year. Those statistics aren’t surprising and some sources even refer to January 17 as “Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day” and others have named the second Friday in January “Quitters Day.” What these statistics really show is that many of us want to change…want to be better in some way, but we just can’t seem to do it. We talk a lot about willpower, determination and setting ourselves up for success and yet, we fail, again and again. I’ve never been a resolution-making person, but I do want very much to change and not stay the way I am. Of course I want to lose weight and be healthier and handle my money better, but what I really want is to be more like Jesus. And if I could do that, I think everything else would probably fall into place. I know that’s what God wants for me as well. In Romans I read that He wants me to be “conformed to His image,” and the Apostle Paul instructed us to be imitators of him as he was of Christ. So if I want this and God wants this, why doesn’t it just happen? God has been revealing some answers as I’ve been thinking about this lately, and particularly through some books I’ve been reading. I’ve come to believe the problem has been that my focus is all wrong. Have you ever noticed how much we focus on what we do in determining our identity? For instance, what do you talk about when you meet someone for the first time at a party, church or work? We give our names and somewhere in the first few exchanges, someone asks, “What do you do for a living?” When we sit down at the dinner table, whether it’s with the family, friends or a significant other, the conversation often begins with, “so what did you do today?” How many teachers have welcomed their class back after a weekend or a holiday or especially summer break with an invitation to share with the class, what they did over the time away from school? And don’t we feel maybe a little bit judged in answering these questions? As a stay-at-home mom for many years, I knew my work was very important, but a part of me would always wonder if the person I was talking with would see it that way. And many of us might feel the need to describe what we do for a living in a way that makes it seem better than it really is. I wasn’t particularly eager to describe my summer break when the only activity I could remember was helping to clean out the basement. It seems our actions rarely live up to expectations and yet, we’re fixated on them. We’ve carried this kind of thinking into our spiritual lives as well. If we venture into a spiritual conversation with a co-worker, we are likely to begin with, “where do you go to church?” When we meet new people at church, we’re apt to tell them where or how we serve in the local body and may even invite them to attend our small group or bible study. ...

The "grip of addiction" is a claw of the devil. Today's guest, singer and songwriter Brenda James, shares some of her personal story about battling addiction. Hear about the protection God provided to bring her out of the clenches of an ongoing battle, into the freedom of His amazing grace, now to a ministry in music and a mission to Pakistan. Below is link to Brenda leading an astounding worship at her church. A MUST HEAR! This POWERFUL song brings tears of freedom. "Thank You Jesus For The Blood." https://www.facebook.com/1459072252/posts/10219175797533315/?d=n