S2 Ep 3: It Sounded Like Christianese to Me... Until God Made It Real

S2 Ep 4: Nobody Ever Told Me That Always Saying Yes Was a Sin

Have you spent your whole life being the dependable one, the yes person, the one who holds it all together, only to find yourself completely exhausted and slowly disappearing? You are not alone. And in this episode, I am getting honest about exactly that. We are diving into people-pleasing not as a personality quirk or a love language, but as a spiritual trap. Because when your identity is built on what everyone else thinks of you, you have quietly placed human approval above God’s truth. And friend, that is idolatry. This one is for the woman who is tired of saying yes when every part of her is screaming no and is finally ready to let God tell her who she actually is. **You may hear me refer to this as Episode 3 in the recording… real-life moment over here. This is Episode 4. Thank you for giving me grace as I show up imperfect but obedient. In This Episode * Why always saying yes is not just exhausting, it is a spiritual issue * The lie underneath every people-pleasing pattern: my value depends on what others think of me * How people-pleasing quietly replaces your identity in Christ with an identity built on performance * Sarah’s story: what it looked like to be the good girl in every room, at work, at home, and in her faith * The difference between serving from love and serving from fear * How to begin living from the inside out instead of the outside in * A prayer for the woman who has been performing for everyone except herself Scriptures Referenced “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” - Galatians 1:10 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”- Romans 12:2 Key Takeaway People-pleasing is not a personality trait. It is a spiritual trap. When your eyes are constantly fixed on what everyone around you thinks, you are not looking at what God says. You are too busy managing everyone else’s perception to hear the One who actually knows you. Your value was decided before you were born, by a God who looked at you and said she is mine, and she is enough. You do not need their approval, friend. You have God’s. And that was always the only one that mattered. This Week’s Challenge Truth without action stays in your head, and I want this to get all the way into your heart. Here are three things to carry into your week: Notice the yes. Pay attention to every time you say yes to something. Not to judge yourself, but to get curious. Ask honestly: Did I say that from love and genuine desire or from fear of what would happen if I said no? Practice the pause. The next time someone asks something of you, and you feel that familiar pull of obligation, stop before you answer. Give yourself permission to say: Let me get back to you on that. That pause is sacred. It is the space where you check in with God instead of reacting out of fear. Speak one truth over yourself every morning. Before your feet hit the floor, say out loud: I am God’s daughter. My worth is not in what I do for others. I am enough right now, exactly as I am. Say it even if it does not feel true yet. Especially then. This Week’s Journal Prompts Grab your journal or even just your notes app and sit with these questions at your own pace. There is something powerful that happens when you get your thoughts out of your head and onto the page. God meets us in that quiet space. 1. Where in my life am I saying yes out of fear rather than love? Think about work, marriage, parenting, friendships, and even church commitments. What would change if I let myself be honest about this? 2. When I imagine saying no to someone, what is the feeling that rises up? What am I afraid will happen? Now ask yourself, is that fear rooted in truth, or in a lie I have believed for a long time? 3. Write down three things God says about me that have nothing to do with what I do for others. If you are not sure where to start, look up Psalm 139:14, Ephesians 1:4, and Zephaniah 3:17. Let those truths sit with you. 4. What would my life look like if I truly believed my worth came from God alone, not from being needed, not from being approved of, not from holding everything together? What would I do differently? What would I finally let go of? There are no right or wrong answers here. This is just you and God, getting honest. And that is always the beginning of something beautiful. Let’s Stay Connected Did this episode speak to something you have been carrying? I would love to hear from you. Find me on Instagram: @leapsoffaithwithsarah [https://www.instagram.com/leapsoffaithwithsarah/] My inbox is always open, and I mean that. I would be honored to pray over whatever you are holding today. If this episode blessed you, will you share it with a friend who needs to hear it? The woman in your life who is always saying yes. The one who is holding everything together for everyone else. She needs to know she is not alone. Get full access to Leaps of Faith with Sarah at leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe [https://leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

S2 Ep 3: It Sounded Like Christianese to Me... Until God Made It Real

Have you heard the phrase “find your identity in Christ” so many times that it stopped meaning anything? You’re not alone, and in this episode, I’m getting honest about exactly that feeling. We’re diving into what it actually means to find your identity in Christ when your past keeps getting loud, your own mind is holding your mistakes over you, and you’ve started to wonder if you’ve really changed at all. This one is for the woman who is tired of nodding like she understands and is finally ready to ask God what He actually says about her. In This Episode * Why “identity in Christ” can feel like Christianese and what it actually means * How the enemy uses your past to define your present * The story of Joseph and the meaning of Manasseh…God’s grace that causes us to forget our troubles * Why your old patterns showing up doesn’t mean you haven’t changed * How to close the gap between what you know in your head and what you believe in your heart * A prayer for the woman whose past is loud today Scriptures Referenced “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 Key Takeaway Identity in Christ is not a feeling you arrive at. It is a truth you choose again and again until it becomes the loudest voice in the room. God does not use your past to define your present. He made His plans for you, knowing everything you would go through, everything you would get wrong, and He still said: I have a hope and a future for her. This Week’s Reflection Question What has your past been telling you about yourself lately? What lie has it been whispering that you have started to believe? Bring it to God and ask Him one question: Who do you say that I am? Sit quietly and let Him answer. Write it down if you can. Because what He says is the only thing that is actually true. For Your Playlist This Week Manasseh by Anna Golden. Listen on YouTube [https://youtu.be/phh_2shxmwQ?si=kAtIiwDTZifatJ6Y]or Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/track/2TzZevxgyPuD68uWx5GTfJ?si=1abbefdaea9d4a07]. Let’s Stay Connected Did this episode speak to something you’ve been carrying? I would love to hear from you. Find me on Instagram: @LeapsofFaithwithSarah [https://www.instagram.com/leapsoffaithwithsarah/] My inbox is always open. I would be honored to pray over whatever you are holding today. If this episode blessed you, will you share it with a friend who needs to hear it? You never know whose life could be changed by one moment of truth. Get full access to Leaps of Faith with Sarah at leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe [https://leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

S2 Ep2-God Already Knows What You're Afraid to Say… So Why Are You Hiding?

Friend, have you ever sat down to pray and found yourself saying all the “right” things while your heart is carrying something completely different? Maybe your mind is already somewhere else. And suddenly, instead of bringing what’s really on your heart, you clean it up. You say the polished prayer. The one that sounds like you’ve got it all together. But inside? You’re overwhelmed. You’re exhausted. And you don’t even know what to say to God anymore. In this episode, we’re talking about the prayers we’re afraid to pray and the thoughts we’ve been too scared to say out loud, and why God already knows every single one of them. In This Episode, We Cover: * Why we perform for God instead of being honest with Him * The pressure we carry as wives, mothers, friends, and daughters, and how it follows us into our prayer life * How the enemy uses silence and hiding to keep us disconnected from God * What it means to unlearn the pressure of “getting prayer right.” * What real intimacy with God actually looks like-raw, real, and unfiltered * How to begin again when you don’t have the words Scripture Referenced: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You perceive my thoughts from afar… before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord, know it completely.” — Psalm 139:1–4 He already knows every thought, every feeling, every word you’re afraid to say out loud. You don’t have to hide it. You don’t have to fix it. You just have to bring it to Him. This Week’s Practice: The next time you feel overwhelmed, guilty, or lost, pause. Instead of pushing through, take 5–10 minutes to get quiet and surrender it to God. If you don’t know what to say, start here: “God, I feel overwhelmed right now. I feel like I’m not doing enough. I don’t even know what I need, but I need You.” That’s it. That’s the whole prayer. You don’t need anything more than that. Because the moment you stop holding on to it is the moment you invite Him in. Reflect & Journal: → What are you afraid to say to God right now? → Where are you performing instead of being present with Him? → What would it look like to drop the pressure and just show up? → What is one honest prayer you can pray today? NO EDITS! Let’s Connect: #LeapsOfFaithPodcast #FaithOverFear #PrayerLife #HonestyWithGod #IdentityInChrist #EmboldenedWomen #ChristianWomen #SpiritualGrowth Get full access to Leaps of Faith with Sarah at leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe [https://leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

S2 Ep1: The Conversation That Never Happened...But Is Destroying Your Relationships

Have you ever had an entire argument with someone... someone who didn't even know it was happening? In this episode, I get real about one of the quietest and most damaging patterns I have personally wrestled with: creating narratives in her mind that breed resentment, frustration, and distance in her closest relationships. All before a real word is ever spoken. This is an honest, vulnerable conversation about the mental spiral the enemy loves to keep us in, and how God wants to interrupt it. I share the shame I felt hiding this from God, the moment Nehemiah 9:16 stopped me in my tracks, and how I've been learning to take these thoughts captive and trust God with the story I've been trying to write myself. If your mind ever runs on a loop, rehearsing conflict, assuming the worst, and creating tension in relationships that are being strained by something invisible, this episode was made for you. 💭 In This Episode, You'll Hear: How the enemy uses the privacy of our minds to plant seeds of offense and resentment. Why we sometimes resist inviting God into our thought life, and what that resistance is costing us. How to begin interrupting the mental spiral and turning it over to God, one thought at a time. The courage it takes to have the real conversation and why it's worth it. 📖 Scriptures Mentioned: 2 Corinthians 10:5: "Take every thought captive to obey Christ." Philippians 4:8: "Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right... think about such things." Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Nehemiah 9:16: "But they and our ancestors acted presumptuously and stiffened their necks and did not obey your commandments." 💕 Let's Stay Connected If this episode encouraged you, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that she's not alone in her mental battles. Follow me on Instagram @leapsoffaithwithsarah [https://www.instagram.com/leapsoffaithwithsarah/] for daily faith encouragement and behind-the-scenes of Leaps of Faith. ✨ Subscribe, and leave a review to help more women find this message of faith, freedom, and peace through Jesus. And if you're carrying a prayer request, my inbox is always open. It is an honor to walk alongside you in faith and pray with you. Get full access to Leaps of Faith with Sarah at leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe [https://leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Ep. 14: Jesus: The Algorithm In Your Life

Have you ever wondered why your mind feels so loud some days, as if your thoughts are being pulled in a dozen directions at once? What if I told you that your heart has an “algorithm,” just like your phone does… and something has been shaping what rises to the top of your spirit? In this episode, we explore how easily the enemy slips noise, fear, comparison, and doubt into our inner world without us even realizing it. But we also talk about the gentle, steady way Jesus cuts through that noise and brings your heart back into truth, clarity, and peace. This conversation will help you recognize what voice you’ve been engaging with and how to reset the spiritual algorithm in your life so you can hear God clearly again. 💭Key Takeaways: ✨ Your heart has an algorithm. Whatever you focus on most will rise to the top of your inner world.✨ The enemy works through noise, distraction, and subtle lies to influence your thoughts and emotions.✨ Jesus cuts through the noise with peace, clarity, and steady truth when you choose to lean into His voice.✨ Resetting your spiritual algorithm begins with stillness, honesty with God, and replacing lies with 📖 Scripture of the Week Colossians 3:2 (NIV)“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” ✨ Let this verse remind you to lift your focus higher. When the enemy floods your heart with noise, distraction, and lies, God invites you to redirect your attention back to Him—letting His truth rise above anything competing for your peace. ✨ Want to go deeper?Get this week’s devotional, an expanded heart reflection, and a guided journal prompt to help you lean into God’s timing and His purpose in every season of change. 💬 Let’s TalkWhat truth stood out to you today?Click below, I’d love to walk alongside you as God continues to guide your steps. If you’re walking through something and need prayer, please reach out. I’m here, and it’s a blessing to pray over you. Get full access to Leaps of Faith with Sarah at leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe [https://leapsoffaithwithsarah.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]