Stuck Inside the Whale

Stuck Inside the Whale

What if the uncomfortable place you’ve been trying to escape is actually the place God is using to save you? Most of us have never been swallowed by a whale, but we have all had our whale moments. God says, “Go,” and we say, “How about no?” God says, “Trust Me,” and we ask to see the entire plan first.  God says, “Forgive them,” and we respond, “Yeah, but have You met them?” In this funny, honest, and deeply practical episode, Brian and Kersha unpack the story of Jonah and what it teaches us about delayed obedience, running from God, and the hidden cost of ignoring what He has clearly asked us to do. Together, they talk about Jonah running to Tarshish instead of Nineveh, the storm that redirected him, and the whale that many people misunderstand. The whale was not the end of Jonah’s story. It was the turning point.  It was the rescue. It was the classroom. Brian and Kersha bring their usual mix of biblical truth, real-life humor, and personal reflection as they ask a question we all need to face: What if the difficult season you’re in is not happening to you, but for you? Because sometimes the delay is protection. Sometimes the closed door is protection. Sometimes the failed plan is protection. And sometimes the whale is where God gets your attention. 🔥 What You'll Learn * Why delayed obedience is still disobedience, even when we try to make it sound spiritual * How Jonah’s story reveals the hidden cost of running from what God clearly asked you to do * Why the storm was not just punishment, but redirection * How the whale was not judgment, but rescue * Why God may use uncomfortable places as classrooms for obedience, prayer, and surrender * How your failure does not cancel your calling, your identity, or your destination * Why God specializes in second chances, third chances, and more chances than we can count * How to ask the right questions this week: What is my Nineveh? Where is my Tarshish? What whale am I sitting inside? 💬 Memorable Quotes * “Most of us have never been swallowed by a whale, but we’ve all had our whale moments.” * “I didn’t disobey, I just delayed it. Which is still disobedience.” * “We rarely pay for obedience, but you always pay for disobedience.” * “Running from God always has hidden fees.” * “The storm wasn’t punishment, it was redirection.” * “What if the whale wasn’t the punishment? What if the whale was the rescue?” * “Sometimes the thing we call a prison is actually protection in our life.” * “The whale wasn’t where Jonah wanted it to be, but it was exactly where God needed him to be.” * “Sometimes God has to remove our distractions before He gets our attention.” * “Your detour doesn’t cancel your destination.” * “God isn’t looking for perfect people. He’s looking for willing people.” * “The place you thought would destroy you may become the place God develops you.” * “Your delay may become your preparation, and your whale may just become your testimony.” 🛑 Reflect + Apply This week's challenge: * What is your Nineveh? What has God clearly asked you to do that you have been avoiding, delaying, or explaining away? * Where is your Tarshish? What are you running toward instead of obeying God? * What whale are you currently sitting inside? What uncomfortable circumstance might actually be God’s classroom? * Have you been calling something punishment when God may be using it as protection? * Where have you turned God’s voice down because obedience felt inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unclear? * What would immediate obedience look like this week? Not next year. Not after another sign. Not after another podcast. This week. * Ask God for the courage to obey quickly, trust deeply, and follow faithfully, even before you see the full plan. 📖 Scripture Focus * Jonah 1:3 — “But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.”  Jonah did not miss God’s voice. He heard it and ran the other direction. This verse reminds us that disobedience often begins when we understand the assignment but do not like the assignment. * Jonah 1:4  — “Then the Lord sent a great wind on the sea.”  The storm was not random. It was redirection. Some storms are discipline, some are development, and some are divine GPS recalculating our way back to God’s plan. * Jonah 1:17  — "Now the Lord provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah.”  The word “provided” matters. What looked like judgment was actually rescue. Without the fish, Jonah drowns. Sometimes what feels like a prison may actually be God’s protection. * Jonah 3:1 — “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” God specializes in second chances. Jonah ran, disobeyed, created chaos, and still God spoke again. Your failure is not final, and your mistake is not your identity. 🙌 Join the Movement Do you know someone still carrying something they were never meant to hold onto? Someone stuck in shame, replaying a failure, or slowly being buried under regret? Send this episode to them. You might be the reason they finally put it down. Have a prayer request or need someone to walk alongside you? 🌐 www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com [http://www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com/] 📲 Instagram: @crazyunbelievablefaith Because your setback may become your setup, and your whale may just become your testimony.

Regret, Give it to God: The Weight You Weren't Meant to Carry

What if the weight you've been dragging around isn't yours to carry anymore? So many of us are living faithful lives while still hauling regret, shame, and the haunting "what ifs" of our past.  We've rehearsed the mistakes, replayed the failures, and quietly convinced ourselves that this is just our consequence to bear. But what if God already covered what you're still carrying? In this raw and personal episode, Brian and Kersha dive into one of the most universal struggles of the faith journey — the weight of regret and the freedom that comes when you finally put it down.  Kersha opens up about a deeply personal story of broken family ties, a recent conversation with an estranged uncle, and the fresh, painful, and healing revelation that came with it. Brian brings the grounding truth: conviction leads you to God, but condemnation keeps you from Him.  Together, they unpack what it really means to release the past, stop rehearsing your apology, and let God redeem what you can't undo. 🔥 What You'll Learn * Why regret doesn't always look loud — it shows up as overthinking, self-sabotage, and the endless "I could have" * The difference between conviction and condemnation, and why one is from God and one is not * How Peter's denial of Jesus and his full restoration reveals what God actually does with your failures * Why carrying what God has already forgiven is ultimately a choice — and how to stop making it * What it means to "let God redeem what did happen" instead of pretending it didn't * How relationships fall into seasons, reasons, and lifetimes — and why releasing them isn't failure * The practical steps to releasing regret: name it, confess it, receive forgiveness, and stop rehearsing it 💬 Memorable Quotes * God doesn't just forgive your past. He invites you to stop carrying it." * "Conviction leads you to God. Condemnation keeps you from Him." * "You didn't heal by pretending it didn't happen. You heal by letting God redeem what did." * "Some of us have been carrying something for years — something God already forgave in a moment." * "Freedom starts when you stop punishing yourself for what Jesus has already paid for." * "What would your life look like if you finally put it down?" 🛑 Reflect + Apply This week's challenge: * What weight are you still carrying that God has already covered? Name it specifically. * Are you living in conviction — which draws you toward God — or condemnation, which keeps you stuck and separated from Him? * Is there a relationship, a failure, or a decision you've been rehearsing in your mind instead of simply bringing it to God? * Who in your life has permission to speak into your healing? Is there a conversation you've been avoiding that God might be asking you to have? * Take one thing you've been carrying and bring it to God this week. Don't rehearse the perfect words. Just come. Let Him do what only He can do. 📖 Scripture Focus * Psalm 38:4 — "My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear." The weight of unconfessed or unresolved guilt is real — and it was never designed to be permanent. God acknowledges the heaviness and offers the exchange. * Romans 8:1 — "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Shame and guilt that linger after forgiveness are not from God. If you feel condemned, that's not the voice of your Father — it's the enemy keeping you from the freedom already purchased for you. * Matthew 11:28 — "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." This isn't poetry. It's an invitation. What you bring is the weight. What He gives is rest. 🙌 Join the Movement Do you know someone still carrying something they were never meant to hold onto? Someone stuck in shame, replaying a failure, or slowly being buried under regret? Send this episode to them. You might be the reason they finally put it down. Have a prayer request or need someone to walk alongside you? 🌐 www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com [http://www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com/] 📲 Instagram: @crazyunbelievablefaith Because even your deepest regret doesn't get the final word.

Can You Trust Your Heart? Choose Obedience Before Evidence

Have you ever felt completely certain about a decision, only to discover that your feelings were steering you somewhere God never asked you to go? Our emotions are real, powerful, and worth acknowledging, but they were never designed to be the final authority over our choices. Sometimes faith means slowing down, seeking wisdom, and obeying God before we have the evidence to understand where He is leading. In this candid conversation, Brian and Kersha unpack what it means to lead your heart rather than allowing your heart to lead you. Brian revisits the boat purchase that brought fun, financial pressure, a truck payment, storage expenses, and a humbling lesson in accepting wise counsel. They also discuss teenage mindsets, identity tied to possessions, boxes that remain packed years later, John Deere tractors, gun shops, minivans, and the difference between praying through a decision and pushing your way through it. Through every laugh and uncomfortable truth, they return to one invitation: trust God enough to follow Him, even when obedience feels harder than doing what you want. 🔥 What You'll Learn * Why genuine feelings should be acknowledged without being trusted as unquestionable leaders * How spiritual maturity requires your wisdom, character, and decision-making to grow alongside your age * Why seeking counsel can expose the justifications you use to protect an emotional decision * How Brian and Kersha’s boat purchase revealed the financial and relational cost of pushing ahead without prayer * Why releasing possessions, plans, and expectations can create space for God’s provision * How obedience before evidence strengthens faith when God’s direction does not yet make sense * Why inviting God and trusted people into hidden places can bring healing, clarity, and freedom 💬 Memorable Quotes * “Feelings are real, but they are not reliable leaders.” * “Crazy faith happens when obedience comes before evidence.” * “Pray through those things versus just trying to push your way through those things.” * “Following God does not remove the fire that you're currently in. It just guarantees that His presence is in the journey you're in.” * “We don't just feel our way forward. We follow God into the fire and trust He's already in this journey with us.” * “We have to lead our heart. We can't let our heart lead us.” 🛑 Reflect + Apply This week's challenge: * Where are your feelings currently speaking louder than God’s wisdom, Scripture, or direction? * Are you prayerfully discerning your next step, or are you pushing forward and asking God to approve a decision you have already made? * Who has permission to speak honestly into your relationships, finances, habits, and major decisions? * Choose one decision you have been carrying and bring it before God this week. Write down what you feel, what Scripture says, and what wise counsel confirms before taking another step. 📖 Scripture Focus * Jeremiah 17:9 — “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” This passage reminds us that sincerity alone does not make every desire trustworthy. Our hearts need to be examined and directed by God rather than treated as infallible guides. * Psalm 139:23–24 — “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Inviting God into the places we would rather hide allows Him to uncover unhealthy motives, correct our direction, and lead us toward freedom. 🙌 Join the Movement Know someone who's carrying too much? Send this episode to them. Know someone who needs permission to let go? This one's for them. Share it and help our community grow. Have a prayer request or need someone to talk it through with? Reach out: www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com [http://www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com/]Instagram: @crazyunbelievablefaith Because the life God calls you to isn't always easy, but it is always worth it.

Temptation: The Battle Between Your Spirit and Your Snack Drawer

Ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling social media at 11:47 PM, acting like a raccoon looking for emotional leftovers? We often think temptation is this massive, dramatic event, but the enemy rarely destroys us instantly. Instead, he simply distracts us with small, micro-mini compromises. At some point, we find ourselves treating accountability like a "spiritual customer service" counter where we hide our real messes behind a nicely painted mirage of honesty. Brian and Kersha unpack the real battlefield of temptation—the daily tug-of-war between your spirit and your late-night impulses. From over-the-shoulder math arguments to their supposedly micro-mini goldendoodle tackling a "play-dead" backyard squirrel, this episode is a raw, funny, and deeply practical guide to stopping the cycle of secrecy. It's time to stop answering the enemy's FaceTime calls, quit flirting with what God told you to flee, and discover how true healing beats willpower every single time. 🔥 What You'll Learn * How to distinguish between an active spiritual battle and the normal realities of simply being human * Why the enemy utilizes small, micro-mini distractions rather than launching an instant, total destruction * The danger of treating your accountability group like a "spiritual customer service" counter instead of practicing real honesty * Why temptation heavily thrives in secret isolation and how guilt and shame widen the cracks in your foundation * How to identify your primary vulnerability windows—like being tired, lonely, frustrated, angry, bored, or scrolling late at night * What Jesus’s showdown with Satan in the wilderness teaches us about fighting temptation with unshakeable scripture instead of raw feelings * The primary areas the enemy targets continuously: your true identity, appetite, pride, shortcuts, power, and patience * Why 2 Timothy explicitly instructs us to physically flee youthful lusts rather than standing around to test our own strength * How sharing your hidden burdens reveals that nine times out of ten, others are facing much heavier unseen battles * The fundamental difference between quick willpower fixes and seeking real, localized emotional and spiritual healing 💬 Memorable Quotes * "Temptation itself is not proof you're failing. It's proof you're human." * "The enemy rarely destroys people instantly. Instead, he distracts them." * "Temptation usually shows up when we're tired, lonely, frustrated, angry, bored, or scrolling social media at 11:47 PM." * "You cannot control every temptation, but you can control what gets your attention." * "Some Christians got accountability partners they will never actually tell the truth to. That's spiritual customer service." * "Stop flirting with what God told you to flee." * "Nobody has ever accidentally fallen into prayer." * "The battle between your spirit and your snack drawer." * "Some of y'all rebuke the devil, then immediately answer his FaceTime call five minutes later." * "Nine times out of 10, you'll pick your problems up, walk away, and be like, 'Thank you, God, I only have to deal with this.'" * "Jesus fought temptation with scripture, not feelings." * "The goal isn't perfection overnight, it's to surrender daily." 🛑 Reflect + Apply This week's challenge: * What is the specific late-night distraction or "snack drawer" temptation you keep reaching for to temporarily medicate your pain? * Are you engaging in true, messy honesty with your inner circle, or are you just managing a comfortable mirage of spiritual correctness? * Look at your current boundary lines: are you boldly running away from compromise, or are you standing around trying to prove how strong you are? * Think about a recurring vulnerability—is it driven by a lack of raw willpower, or is there a deeper emotional wound that requires Christ's healing? 📖 Scripture Focus * James 1:14-15 — "But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their evil desire and enticed." Understanding how internal desires act as the ultimate trap. * Matthew 26:41 — "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Recognizing our baseline physical limitations. * Hebrews 4:15 — "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses." Finding deep empathy in a Savior who faced the exact same battles. * 2 Timothy 2:22 — "Flee the evil desires of your youth." A call for men and women to actively run away from danger rather than attempting to negotiate with it. * Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Moving past emotional feelings to anchor our decisions in God's truth. 🙌 Join the Movement Know someone who's fighting a secret battle in isolation? Send this episode to them. Know someone who needs the courage to trade shame for true freedom? This one's for them. Share it and help our community grow. Have a prayer request or need someone to talk it through with? Reach out: www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com [https://www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com] Instagram: @crazyunbelievablefaith Because the life God calls you to isn't always easy, but it is always worth it.

Curious But Not Compromised: Listening Without Losing Your Footing

Ever sat across from someone in a conversation and thought, "Wow, we are living in completely different versions of reality"? In today's hyper-polarized world, it feels like everyday interactions have devolved into high-stakes emotional dodgeball. If you show curiosity, people assume you're weak or compromise-prone; if you stand firm, they assume you're completely close-minded. At some point, you're no longer communicating truth—you're just a defensive talker waiting for your turn to win. Brian and Kersha dive into the crucial balance between maintaining an unshakeable, deeply rooted faith and cultivating a genuinely curious mind. From left-brain vs. right-brain inner power wars and campus-style street tactics to Lone Star ticks and little Cruz’s fixation on Daddy’s "green lines," this episode explores what it really means to engage people the way Jesus did. It's a direct, witty challenge to stop flying off the handle, evaluate the hidden cracks in your spiritual foundation, and learn how to be truly open-minded without being empty-headed. 🔥 What You'll Learn * How to distinguish between operating with a healthily open mind and living with a completely empty head * Why a deeply anchored, rooted faith naturally produces internal peace and curiosity instead of defensive combativeness * The real psychology behind conversational "emotional dodgeball" and why we default to planning comebacks * What Jesus teaches us about entering cultural spaces, asking brilliant questions, and never getting confused * How to level the playing field by stepping back from the "expert" pedestal and asking simple, authentic questions * Why avoiding tough, messy worldviews might actually be an attempt to protect your comfort rather than truth * How to hold two opposing ideas in your mind simultaneously and still retain the ultimate capacity to function * Why a single destabilizing conversation is an immediate sign to address the major cracks in your spiritual foundation * How to navigate highly sensitive topics—from family Thanksgivings to corporate tables—without triggering a defense system * The timeless reality of personal growth: why chronological age marches forward naturally, but true maturity is always an option 💬 Memorable Quotes * "Rooted people don't panic. When you know who you are and whose you are, you don't get defensive." * "Rooted faith produces peace, not panic, curiosity, not combativeness." * "Culture says be open to everything, but faith says test everything." * "You can be open-minded without being empty-headed. And I think in today's society, we get those things confused." * "Curiosity is not a threat to your faith, insecurity is." * "Ask the question, am I listening to understand or just waiting for my turn to win?" * "Jesus was curious but never confused." * "Some conversations aren't discussions, they're emotional dodgeball." * "If one conversation shakes your entire belief system, you may need to revisit the foundation." * "Why do I feel threatened when someone disagrees with me? Is my identity in being right or being Christ-like?" * "We can defend our opinions harder than we can live out our convictions." * "Age can go along. Maturity doesn't always go together." 🛑 Reflect + Apply This week's challenge: * Where are you currently treating an opposing view as a threat to your faith rather than an avenue for Christ-like curiosity? * Look back at your last heated debate: were you genuinely listening to understand, or were you silently drafting a witty comeback? * Are there structural cracks in your foundation causing you to fly off the handle over things that bothered you when you were 12? * Identify one person in your sphere whose lifestyle or beliefs completely baffle you, and commit to asking them a question without judgment. 📖 Scripture Focus * James 1:19 — "Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry." The foundational baseline for lowering our emotional defenses and engaging others with active grace. * Proverbs 18:13 — "To answer before listening, that is folly and shame." A clear warning against crafting your conversational response while the other person is still sharing their reality. * Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Recognizing that truth remains completely unmovable regardless of cultural volume or personal panic. * 1 Thessalonians 5:21 — "But test everything; hold fast what is good." Establishing the scriptural permission to explore, analyze, and process the world around us without compromising our allegiance. * Luke 2:46 — "They found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." A profound look at how a secure Savior models perfect curiosity before ever issuing a correction. 🙌 Join the Movement Know someone who's constantly getting caught up in conversational combat? Send this episode to them. Know someone who needs permission to listen without losing their footing? This one's for them. Share it and help our community grow. Have a prayer request or need someone to talk it through with? Reach out: www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com [https://www.crazyunbelievablefaith.com] Instagram: @crazyunbelievablefaith Because the life God calls you to isn't always easy, but it is always worth it.