Grace Over Perfection with Alison Simmons

Every morning in the car on the way to school, the kids and I pray for the day, for each other, and for events happening in our world. And sometimes this leads to a great conversation about God and what the Bible teaches about Him. Sometimes, it doesn't. This morning, the tiny voice of my 7-year-old piped up from the backseat and asked, “Mommy, how does a kid know if they are a Christian?” Now, isn’t that the million-dollar question?! How does ANYONE know if they (or someone else) are a Chrisitan? In this episode, I share how I explained it to her as well as the things parents should and shouldn't use to gauge their child's salvation.

It was an ordinary Thursday night. Pizza for dinner, family time, and before the 7 kids headed to bed. Lisa cleaned up and kissed her husband goodnight. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he said. A few hours later, Lisa woke up to his heavy breathing and that was the moment when her world would be forever changed. In today's episode, Lisa shares her and her children's story of grief and how God was still at work in the middle of the pain. You can learn more about her new book Life Can Be Good Again [https://lisaappelo.com/lifecanbegoodagain/], which releases on April 19, 2002, HERE [https://lisaappelo.com/lifecanbegoodagain/]. *Get the BONUS VIDEO SERIES: Braving the Broken Starter Kit [https://lisaappelo.com/lifecanbegoodagain/] when you pre-order today! Website:https://lisaappelo.com/ [https://lisaappelo.com/] Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/lisaappelo/ [https://www.instagram.com/lisaappelo/] Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/lisaappeloauthor [https://www.facebook.com/lisaappeloauthor]

Jamie grew up in a dysfunctional, abusive family. She found herself pregnant at a very young age and ended up in an abusive marriage just like her parents had. Unloved. Unworthy. These are words that Jamie uses to describe the way she felt for so many painful years. And yet, when she looks back now, she can see how God was at work in the middle of it all. In today's interview, Jamie shares the story of how God "interrupted" her life of dysfunction and how He called her to be the person she needed all those years - someone to point others to Jesus. Jamie Bailey is a Professional Christian Counselor and Marriage Coach. Together, with her husband, they help couples overcome marriage struggles and learn all that it takes to create a God-centered marriage. They are the founders of Expedition Marriage [expeditionmarriage.com] and together host the Expedition Marriage podcast [https://expeditionmarriage.com/podcast-2/]. ----------   Learn more about the Grace > Perfection Formula: Your Guide to Cultivating Stronger Faith Habits [https://www.alisonsimmonsbible.com/courses/faithhabits]

“I don’t understand, Lord. I’ve already dealt with this sin. Remember? You and I had it out over my need to be in control, already. You convicted me of my refusal to submit to authority in my life in general because I wanted to be my own authority.” “And I changed! The Holy Spirit worked on my heart and I began to understand that receiving grace meant that I could then give it to others. And as I changed, so did the way I interacted with those around me.” That was my conversation with God just a few months ago. How do you reconcile fighting and overcoming sin with the help of the Holy Spirit and then still cycling back through that sin later, maybe again and again? Does that seem the opposite of how spiritual growth works? Isn’t that a sign of weak faith? In today's episode, we are talking about what perfect spiritual growth looks like and it may not be what you are thinking at all. Learn more about The Grace > Perfection Formula: Your Guide to Cultivating Stronger Faith Habits HERE [https://www.alisonsimmonsbible.com/courses/faithhabits] Download your FREE copy of the 45-day devotional through the Old Testament HERE [https://www.alisonsimmonsbible.com/courses/otdevotional]

Jael wasn’t anyone special, technically speaking. And she wasn’t planning on doing anything other than taking care of her household that day Sisera ended up on her doorstep. She was just going about her daily tasks when she was suddenly faced with a situation that she had no choice but to deal with right then and there. And isn’t that the way God often works? On a typical, run-of-mill day when you are just crossing things off your To-Do list,  have you ever suddenly found yourself in the middle of a God-ordained moment and you feel completely unprepared to handle it? It is unlikely that you’ve been folding laundry when a terrorist shows up in your front yard but there are plenty of scenarios that pop up when you least expect it and you think... “But I’m just a mom, just a wife, just a volunteer.""I’m just too young, too young, too middle-aged.""Ugh - I’m just too busy, just too tired, just too overwhelmed." "I just don’t know enough scripture. I just don’t have a strong enough faith. I am just struggling through life myself.” Fill in the blank, friend. What do you tell yourself you are “just too much” of that you feel like you can’t be used by God to further His kingdom in some way? Friend, pay attention - You are just right. -------------------------- Learn more about The Grace > Perfection Formula: Your Guide to Growing Stronger Faith Habits HERE [https://www.alisonsimmonsbible.com/courses/faithhabits] Click HERE [https://www.alisonsimmonsbible.com/blog/77] for a transcript of this episode.