Why the Church Is So Tired — Sabbath, Rest, and the Science of Stress with Dr. Amy Erickson and Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr

When Faith Feels Like Duty: How to Awaken Delight in God Again with Stephanie Rousselle (S3E26)

Is your Christian life full of activity but missing delight? Many Christians are doing the right things: going to church, studying Scripture, serving, praying, listening to podcasts, and trying to live faithfully. But underneath it all, they feel tired, distracted, spiritually dry, or disconnected from the deep delight they once had in God. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter talks with Stephanie Roussel, author of Awaken Delight. Stephanie shares her story of growing up as an atheist in France, coming to faith through the witness of an American Christian family, and eventually building a ministry around helping weary Christians rediscover delight in God. This conversation explores why delight in God may be one of the missing pieces in Western Christianity. Stephanie and Dr. Paynter discuss chronic pain, migraines, suffering, busyness, self-sufficiency, and the painful but gracious ways God uses trials to prune what is good in order to make room for what is best. They also talk about the “counterfeit flavors” that steal delight: anxiety, guilt, shame, fear, overwhelm, addiction, busyness, and the distractions that can masquerade as something meaningful while leaving the soul empty. True delight in God is not shallow happiness, self-help, or pretending life is easy. It is a deep relational orientation toward God that can hold us steady even in pain. If you feel like Jesus has slipped to the edges of your life, if faith has started to feel more like duty than delight, or if suffering has left you wondering how to experience God’s goodness again, this episode offers a thoughtful and hope-filled invitation back to the joy of knowing Him. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL EXPLORE * Why delight in God may be the missing piece in many Christians’ faith * How Stephanie Roussel came to Christ after growing up as an atheist in France * Why chronic pain and suffering can deepen trust in God * How God uses trials to prune good things so better fruit can grow * Why busyness, anxiety, guilt, shame, fear, and overwhelm often counterfeit delight * How delight in God changes the way we approach our daily to-do lists * Why Jesus modeled delight in the Father by regularly withdrawing to be with Him * The difference between self-help and asking God to awaken delight * Why knowing the true Jesus of Scripture is essential for real relationship with God * Three practices for awakening delight EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Why this episode may bring an unexpected “aha” moment 01:32 From atheist in France to follower of Christ 04:37 Why Gospel Spice began and who Stephanie serves 06:48 Is delight in God the missing piece in Western Christianity? 07:57 Chronic pain, migraines, and learning to trust God in suffering 10:50 Philippians 3:10 and fellowship in Christ’s sufferings 13:14 Pain, self-sufficiency, surrender, and God’s cleansing work 17:14 The gardener, pruning, and why God cuts even good branches 21:32 What plants and suffering teach us about strength and fruit 23:34 Counterfeit delight: busyness, anxiety, guilt, shame, fear, and overwhelm 26:33 The expulsive power of a new affection 27:20 Sabbath, delight, and relational time with God 30:52 When your to-do list is not the list God gave you 33:27 Why divine delight must be remembered daily 39:31 Three steps to awaken delight in God 51:10 Where to find Stephanie Roussel and Awaken Delight JOIN THE CHRISTIAN CLINICIAN FACEBOOK GROUP Christian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] RESOURCES MENTIONED * Awaken Delight by Stephanie Roussel and Gospel Spice Ministries * https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514013584?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback [https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514013584?channelId=500&lv=shuf&plpRedirect=mhFallback] * https://www.gospelspice.com/ [https://www.gospelspice.com/] * Free 5-day digital devotional from Gospel Spice * https://www.gospelspice.com/free [https://www.gospelspice.com/free] * Bible References * Philippians 3:10 * John 15 * Psalm 37:4 * A.W. Tozer quote: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” * Tozer, A.W. The Knowledge of the Holy. New York: Harper & Row, 1961. * C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain * Thomas Chalmers: “The Expulsive Power of a New Affection” * https://www.amazon.com/s?k=expulsive+power+of+a+new+affection&i=stripbooks&hvadid=694414042713&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9033785&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=15656855367537345453--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15656855367537345453&hvtargid=kwd-377306261441&hydadcr=22595_13531227&mcid=eeb453d0cbbf381d941b31c2fa271784&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_39xz77npm2_e_p67 [https://www.amazon.com/s?hvadid=694414042713&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9033785&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=15656855367537345453--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15656855367537345453&hvtargid=kwd-377306261441&hydadcr=22595_13531227&i=stripbooks&k=expulsive+power+of+a+new+affection&mcid=eeb453d0cbbf381d941b31c2fa271784&ref=pd_sl_39xz77npm2_e_p67&tag=googhydr-20] ABOUT THE GUEST Stephanie Roussel is a Bible teacher, speaker, host of the Gospel Spice podcast, and founder of Gospel Spice Ministries. Born and raised in France, Stephanie grew up as an atheist before coming to faith in Christ as a foreign exchange student in the United States. Her life motto is now “God’s glory, our delight.” Having lived in four countries, Stephanie now lives with her family in Pennsylvania and helps weary Christians rediscover the beauty, depth, and delight of knowing God. Connect with Stephanie Roussel: Website: https://gospelspice.com [https://gospelspice.com/] Book website: https://awakenedelight.net [https://awakenedelight.net/] Podcast: Gospel Spice ABOUT THE HOST Dr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. WHERE TO FIND DR. TANYA PAYNTER Learn more at www.psalmmedical.com [http://www.psalmmedical.com/] Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast [https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast] FOLLOW THE CHRISTIAN CLINICIAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician [https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician] Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ [https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/]

When Evangelism Feels Like a Dirty Word: The Psychology of Sharing Your Faith with Dr. Mark Teasdale (S3E25)

What if the reason sharing your faith feels so hard isn't a character flaw — it's actually completely understandable, and there's a name for it? For many Christians, evangelism doesn't feel joyful or natural. It feels intimidating, shame-loaded, confrontational, or even manipulative. Maybe you were taught that evangelism meant knocking on doors, handing out tracts, arguing someone into belief, or reporting whether you "saved any souls" that week. If that sounds familiar, it makes complete sense that the word evangelism still carries anxiety, guilt, or dread. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter talks with Dr. Mark Teasdale — President of United Theological Seminary and author of Socially Awkward Evangelism — about why sharing your faith can feel so uncomfortable, what psychology tells us is actually happening beneath the surface, and what a more biblical, grace-filled approach actually looks like. Dr. Teasdale explains how fear of judgment, social anxiety, shame, fear of harming others, and deeply ingrained bad assumptions about evangelism can keep Christians silent. He and Dr. Paynter also unpack a fact that may change everything: research suggests it takes an average of 76 interactions with Christians before a non-Christian comes to faith. You are almost never closing the deal — you are one faithful link in a long chain. And the Holy Spirit is the one doing the converting. This conversation also explores how tools like body awareness, prayer, and acceptance-based practices can help you recognize fear without being ruled by it — and why miracles follow mission when we take even small, faithful steps. Note: Dr. Teasdale's publisher InterVarsity Press offers 14 free downloadable practice appendices from the book — including prayer and mindfulness exercises. No purchase required. Find them at the https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A1425-online-appendixes.pdf [https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A1425-online-appendixes.pdf]. In This Episode, You'll Explore: * Why evangelism often feels awkward, shame-filled, or like a dirty word — and why that's understandable * How social anxiety and fear of judgment affect sharing your faith * Why some Christians fear harming others or coming across as pushy and judgmental * How bad evangelism training creates pressure, guilt, and long-term avoidance * Why evangelism is not about "saving souls" yourself — and who actually does the converting * The 76 interactions research and what it means for how you share your faith * How prayer can be your first step when you're not ready to speak * Why body awareness and mindfulness can help you notice and move through fear * How to share your faith persuasively and ethically — without manipulation * Why different Christians witness differently — and all of it counts Episode Timestamps: * 00:00 — Evangelism shame and why you are not alone * 00:50 — Introducing Dr. Mark Teasdale and Socially Awkward Evangelism * 01:35 — Why evangelism can feel like a dirty word * 02:20 — Dr. Teasdale's background in evangelism and practical theology * 03:04 — How social anxiety shaped the book * 05:17 — Why de-churched culture makes evangelism harder * 07:01 — Fear of being judged vs. fear of harming others * 08:39 — Why this book is practical, not a psychology textbook * 09:55 — Free online practices and appendices from InterVarsity Press * 10:34 — Can Christians use mindfulness? * 12:09 — Why the body matters in fear, anxiety, and evangelism * 14:52 — Mindfulness as body awareness, not New Age spirituality * 16:17 — Social anxiety, shame, and sharing the gospel * 17:42 — Jesus calling people into socially uncomfortable witness * 20:10 — Persuasion without manipulation * 22:25 — Who actually converts people? * 23:55 — Faulty assumptions about evangelism * 26:38 — Shame from youth group evangelism training * 27:48 — Different evangelism styles and spiritual gifts * 30:04 — The 76 interactions idea and being one link in the chain * 32:31 — Evangelism through acts of love and service * 34:15 — Start with prayer before speaking * 36:00 — Asking God for courage over time * 38:26 — Miracles follow mission * 39:27 — Where to find Socially Awkward Evangelism and Dr. Teasdale Resources Mentioned: * Socially Awkward Evangelism by Dr. Mark Teasdale (InterVarsity Press) https://www.amazon.com/s?k=socially+awkward+evangelism&hvadid=778082422458&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9033785&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=15095986227276099829--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15095986227276099829&hvtargid=kwd-2481543952978&hydadcr=17809_13794547&mcid=229f3f4e12a933c3b56455ed6f4fdf1f&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_5qh8risejz_e_p67 [https://www.amazon.com/s?hvadid=778082422458&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9033785&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=15095986227276099829--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15095986227276099829&hvtargid=kwd-2481543952978&hydadcr=17809_13794547&k=socially+awkward+evangelism&mcid=229f3f4e12a933c3b56455ed6f4fdf1f&ref=pd_sl_5qh8risejz_e_p67&tag=googhydr-20] * Free downloadable appendices and practice exercises — https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A1425-online-appendixes.pdf [https://www.ivpress.com/Media/Default/Downloads/Excerpts-and-Samples/A1425-online-appendixes.pdf] * Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) * Alan Hirsch and Tim Catchim's evangelism matrix (Permanent Revolution) * Dr. Mark Teasdale's website: https://markteasdale.net/ [https://markteasdale.net/] About the Guest Dr. Mark Teasdale is President of United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and previously served as the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. His work focuses on evangelism, practical theology, and how Christians can faithfully witness in today's cultural landscape. Socially Awkward Evangelism brings together psychology, social anxiety, persuasion theory, and Christian witness into one accessible, grace-filled guide. Join the Community  Are you a Christian woman navigating faith, anxiety, and whole-person health? Join Christian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith — a free Facebook group for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. 👉 facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] About the Host Dr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Connect with Dr. Tanya Paynter & The Christian Clinician: * 🌐 www.psalmmedical.com [http://www.psalmmedical.com/] * 🎙️ psalmmedical.com/podcast [https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast] * ▶️ @thechristianclinician [https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician] * 📘 TheChristianClinician [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician] * 👥 Christian Women Health and Wellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] * 📸 @christianclinician [https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/]

Why the Church Is So Tired — Sabbath, Rest, and the Science of Stress with Dr. Amy Erickson and Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr

Why does the church feel so tired? Many Christians know they need rest, but even after a day off, a vacation, or a slower weekend, the deeper restlessness often remains. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter talks with Dr. Amy Erickson and Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr about their book Sabbath Gospel and a renewed vision of Sabbath, work, rest, and the mission of the church. This conversation moves beyond Sabbath as a personal health practice or weekly day off. Dr. Erickson and Dr. Wagenfuhr explain Sabbath as a much larger gospel reality: God’s rest, God’s kingdom, and the household of God breaking into a restless world. They discuss why the church is weary, how Christians often try to create rest on their own terms, and why false versions of rest can leave us more anxious, self-focused, and disconnected from one another. Together, they explore the idea of the “dream home”—the personal, cultural, and institutional ways we try to control life enough to finally feel secure. But that kind of rest never satisfies for long. True Sabbath rest is not found in control, success, productivity, or self-protection. It is received from God and then lived out in community as we learn to carry one another’s burdens. This episode also connects Sabbath to stress physiology, nervous system health, and Christian formation. When we stop seeing church as only a worship event and begin seeing it as a formative household of God, rest becomes more than something we take for ourselves. It becomes something we receive, practice, and give. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL EXPLORE * Why the church feels tired, weary, and spiritually exhausted * How Sabbath Gospel reframes Sabbath as more than a weekly day off * The difference between taking rest for yourself and giving rest to others * Why trying to build your own “dream home” often leads to deeper restlessness * How Sabbath exposes the false promise of control, success, and self-protection * Why Sabbath is connected to God’s kingdom, not just personal wellness * How the church can become a household of rest instead of another system of exhaustion * Why serving through your God-given gifts can become restful, life-giving work * How community, burden-bearing, and Christian fellowship shape stress physiology and formation EPISODE TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Sabbath, physiology, and why church forms us 00:45 Introducing Sabbath Gospel 01:38 Why write a book on Sabbath and the tired church? 04:12 Who this book is for: pastors, churches, and thoughtful Christians 06:14 Sacrifice, Christ’s blood, and Sabbath in the biblical story 10:02 The “dream home” and the false promise of control 13:53 Sin as something we commit and something we are caught in 16:26 Sabbath as more than a day off 18:14 Giving rest, not just taking rest 20:25 Sabbath as heart posture and practice 22:41 Sabbath, the Ten Commandments, Sabbath year, and Jubilee 26:40 The danger of using Sabbath only as a health practice 30:39 Why the church is tired: wrong work vs life-giving work 35:13 Church as a place of formation, not just a worship event 38:19 Practical questions for churches and communities 42:09 Where to find Sabbath Gospel and the authors JOIN THE CHRISTIAN CLINICIAN FACEBOOK GROUP Christian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] RESOURCES MENTIONED * Sabbath Gospel by Dr. Amy Erickson and Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr * https://www.amazon.com/Sabbath-Gospel-Narrative-Time-Church/dp/1514009544 * Matthew 11: “Come to me, all who are weary…” * 1 Corinthians 12 and the body of Christ * Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr: www.gpwagenfuhr.com * Dr. Amy Erickson: https://stmarks.edu.au/about-our-people-dr-amy-erickson/ ABOUT THE GUESTS Dr. Gregory Wagenfuhr is a pastor, theologian, and co-author of Sabbath Gospel. His work explores theology, church formation, Scripture, and the life of the church in a tired and restless age. Dr. Amy Erickson is a theologian, scholar, and co-author of Sabbath Gospel. She serves at St. Mark’s National Theological Centre in Canberra, Australia, and brings deep biblical and theological insight into Sabbath, rest, the household of God, and the work of the church. ABOUT THE HOST Dr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. WHERE TO FIND DR. TANYA PAYNTER Learn more at www.psalmmedical.com [http://www.psalmmedical.com/] Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast [https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast] FOLLOW THE CHRISTIAN CLINICIAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician [https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician] Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ [https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/]

Why You Never Feel Like You Have Enough Time: Sabbath Reset Busy Christians Need (S3E23)

What if anxiety, poor sleep, and mood shifts are your body's way of telling you something about your relationship with God? In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter closes the Sabbath series with a deeply personal application episode — sharing her own story of taking a priority assessment that revealed her actual life looked nothing like the priorities she believed she held. God, family, health, and business were ordered one way in her mind. Where she focused her time and resources told a completely different story. This episode is about the gap between the priorities we believe we hold and the ones our daily lives actually reflect — and what to do about it. Dr. Paynter explains how anxiety, disrupted sleep, irritability, and mood shifts can serve as early warning signals that our Godward orientation has drifted, and that we may be substituting learning about God for actually spending relational time with Him. From there, she walks through four practical, grace-filled steps to begin building micro-Sabbath habits into everyday life — small, sustainable ways to reorient your day around God rather than fitting God around your day. This episode is especially for you if you feel like you never have enough time, struggle to make God your first priority, find yourself substituting theology podcasts and worship music for actual conversation with Him, or notice stress and anxiety rising as your days get fuller. In This Episode, You'll Explore: * Why Sabbath rest is a daily orientation, not just a weekly practice * How your actual priorities — revealed by how you spend your time and resources — may differ from the ones you believe you hold * Why anxiety, poor sleep, irritability, and mood shifts can signal spiritual and relational drift * The difference between learning about God and spending relational time with Him * How to include God in ordinary daily tasks * How stress, sleep changes, and mood shifts become your early-warning system for spiritual drift * How we can use a small daily sacrifice of time as our worship to Him Episode Timestamps: 00:00 — When your stated priorities don't match your actual life 00:53 — Practicing Sabbath as a daily habit with God 02:10 — The priority test that exposed what was really first 05:02 — What your time and money reveal about your true priorities 06:42 — Learning about God vs. spending relational time with God 08:33 — Anxiety as a warning signal that something is off 10:13 — Bringing God into the ordinary tasks 11:29 — Practical Step 1: Evaluate 18:37 — Practical Step 2: Invite 19:22 — Practical Step 3: Remind 23:22 — Practical Step 4: Dedicate 26:23 — Recognizing stress, sleep changes, and mood shifts as signals 28:17 — Closing encouragement JOIN THE CHRISTIAN CLINICIAN FACEBOOK GROUP Christian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] Scripture Referenced: * Romans 12:1–2 — living sacrifice; renewing the mind * Psalm 1 — meditating on the Word day and night ABOUT THE HOST Dr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was made for you. WHERE TO FIND DR. TANYA PAYNTER Learn more at www.psalmmedical.com [http://www.psalmmedical.com/] Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast [https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast] FOLLOW THE CHRISTIAN CLINICIAN ON SOCIAL MEDIA YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician [https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ [https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/]

Breaking Patterns of Anxiety, Insomnia, and Burn Out with Dr. Natasha Tubbs (S3E21)

Sabbath often gets reduced to "a day off." But what if Sabbath isn't just stopping work — what if it's a whole way of life that exposes anxiety, reshapes identity, and restores the nervous system over time? In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter sits down with Dr. Natasha Tubbs to explore how practicing Sabbath as a way of life helped resolve debilitating anxiety, restore sleep, and reduce chronic pain and inflammation. Natasha shares her journey through burnout, overwhelming anxiety, and a nerve condition that affected her ability to speak and work — and what shifted when God revealed she was confusing capability with grace: saying yes to everything because she could, while her body was clearly saying no. Together, they unpack Sabbath not as self-care, not as a catch-up day, and not as something you earn by finishing your to-do list — but as worship. Natasha explains how a weekly 24-hour Sabbath reshaped the other six days of her week, helping her live from rest instead of crashing into it. The results were measurable: anxiety resolved, mental clarity returned, sleep improved, and pain and inflammation decreased. This episode is especially for the high-achieving Christian woman who feels like rest is irresponsible, who ties her worth to productivity, or who has tried "time off" but still doesn't feel restored. In This Episode, You'll Explore: * Why Sabbath is more than a day off — it's a way of life that reshapes the other six days * How anxiety can be rooted in identity, worth, and chronic over-functioning * Capability vs. grace: why you can do more than you were ever meant to carry * Why Sabbath is worship, not self-care — and why catch-up days don't restore the nervous system * How micro-Sabbath habits build rest throughout the week * How Sabbath practice can improve sleep, mental clarity, and stress reactivity over time * Why Sabbath exposes the "doing over being" problem and invites deeper trust in God Episode Timestamps:  * 00:00 — Sabbath exposes anxiety and the "doing over being" pattern * 01:33 — Introducing Dr. Natasha Tubbs * 02:37 — Burnout, nerve pain, and anxiety: what life looked like before Sabbath * 05:36 — Capability vs. grace: why "yes to everything" breaks the body * 07:22 — Sabbath as a way of life, not just one day * 09:55 — What Sabbath looks like practically in different seasons * 12:25 — Sabbath vs. self-care vs. catch-up day * 17:28 — Worth, performance, and why anxiety grows * 20:12 — What changed: anxiety resolved, sleep restored, pain and inflammation reduced * 23:22 — Micro-habits to start: put away the list, practice presence, build slowly * 29:25 — Where to find Dr. Tubbs  Join The Christian Clinician Facebook Group Christian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] Resources Mentioned * Psalm 46:10 (be still and know) * Mark 2:27 (Sabbath made for man) * James 2 (faith and works) * Rich Villodas (quoted about Sabbath and worth) * Dr. Natasha Tubbs’ website: sabbathandshalom.com About the Guest Dr. Natasha Tubbs is an adjunct professor specializing in apologetics and leadership at Manna University in North Carolina. She is a writer with Women in Apologetics and contributes to ethical training in religious studies for AI. She is also transitioning into UX design and Python programming to help develop human-centered, ethically informed AI tools. Connect with Dr. Natasha Tubbs: Website: https://sabbathandshalom.com Instagram/Facebook: Natasha Tubbs About the Host Dr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast exploring faith, physiology, and the nervous system—how biblical practices shape stress response, emotional resilience, and long-term physical health. As a licensed naturopathic physician, she helps Christians pursue health without separating the body from the soul. Where to Find Dr. Tanya Paynter Learn more at www.psalmmedical.com [http://www.psalmmedical.com/] Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast [https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast] Follow The Christian Clinician on Social Media YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician [https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician [https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness [https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ [https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/]