Perhaps you or someone that you know can relate to sitting in church on Sunday wracked with guilt and shame over what happened a few hours earlier on Saturday night. What’s the next step if you realize that you want to experience God’s forgiveness and grace because the path that you’re on is breaking your heart and ruining your life?
Join Barb and her guest, Erin Kui for a conversation about finding freedom from temptation, sexual sin and the meaningless pursuit of the next party. Erin will tell us about the two praying women in her life, the small group at her church that cared, not condemned her and how God led her to new life in Christ.
This is the perfect episode for anyone who feels like they are too far gone to deserve God’s favor. It’s not true!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
One Transforming Love by Erin Kiu
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Erin Kiu is passionate about helping women have a transforming relationship with Jesus while attracting their future husbands along the way. After experiencing her own transformation with God, Erin published her first book, One Transforming Love, as a Christian Fiction novel to inspire other young women to discover the love of Jesus while pursuing godly relationships.
Erin is a blogger at Fun & Holy, a blog and community for women that provides biblical solutions to real-world issues that young women face. When she’s not writing, you can find Erin on the beach or biking along the coast with her husband in San Diego.
Are there pressing questions on your mind about your sexuality as a single Christian woman but you don't know where to have that open and honest conversation? On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, Barb talks with author and podcast host, Kat Harris, who has a passion for coming alongside women and helping them understand God's good design for sex while also saying goodbye to sexual shame.
In this conversation we talk about ALL.THE.THINGS. and don't shy away from questions like, "What is sex?", "Is it okay to masturbate?", and, "Is anyone else still waiting for marriage?"
Prepare for a power-packed, vulnerable and grace-filled conversation.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
The Refined Collective Podcast
Instagram: @therefinedwoman
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Kat Harris is the host of The Refined Collective Podcast, and Co-Founder of the online publication The Refined Woman. Her first book Sexless in the City will hit bookstores April 2021. She has also been a full-time photographer for the last decade with her work featured in: Vanity Fair, GQ, Forbes, People, Who What Wear, US Weekly, Glamour UK, and more.
She coaches and equips women all over the world in dating, relationships, singleness, sexuality, faith and how to build a renewed and healthy biblical sexual ethic rooted in freedom, truth and grace as opposed to the oh-so-common shame and fear narratives so many experienced growing up in evangelical culture.
Kat loves God, personal development, a good Beyoncé dance party, + is a Ranch dressing connoisseur. She believes in the power of story, that done is better than perfect, quality triumphs quantity, and that the journey truly is the destination. Ultimately, her vision is for women to know their beauty, identity, worth and value and to experience untapped freedom and joy in their lives
regardless of their relationship status.
On this episode of the Better Together Podcast, Barb talks with a woman who spent a lot of her life feeling guilty and now teaches other women how to walk in God’s victory and grace.
Amy Martinez is a former radio show host, speaker, and author who is devoted to helping women with heart-shattered lives to become whole again in Christ. Barb and Amy discuss the overwhelming guilt that we can feel after making mistakes and how we can trust God’s Holy Spirit to transform our mess if we are movable and teachable. If you’ve felt haunted by the mistakes of your past, this episode is for you.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Amy Elaine is an inspirational speaker, former radio show host, and gifted teacher. Her ministry is devoted to helping women with heart-shattered lives become whole again in Christ. She loves to tell the story of how Jesus made her a broken girl made whole through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Married to the love of her life, David, Amy Elaine is a mom of two boys now young men, Sidney (25) and Gabriel(22). She also has a daughter-in-love Riley and recently became "Yia Yia" to Raelynn Rose Elaine. Recently she left her beloved Colorado mountains to play on the plains of Historic Guthrie, Oklahoma. Most days you'll find her at a local coffee shop writing or ministering across the table to a friend. Her heart's desire is to see women walk in wholeness and develop an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Living the victorious life is one of the major themes of her ministry. She's available to speak at your next women's event. You can connect with her at: AmyElaine.com
There are times in life when it all falls apart and we wonder if we’ll ever be right again. Barb’s guest today declares that we can believe that God is the God of second chances! Barb’s guest, best-selling author Kathleen Y’Barbo, was sure that her career was over after divorce in 2003. Instead, Kathleen realized that God was there when she was certain that He wasn’t, and He was working out a plan for her that she never could have imagined. Seventeen years later, Kathleen is the traditionally published author of more than 100 books that have sold two million copies in the US and abroad.
In this episode, Barb and Kathleen talk about second chances, learning how to wait on God, and her newest book, The Yes Dare. This is a conversation you won't want to miss!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Publishers Weekly Bestselling author Kathleen Y’Barbo is a multiple Carol Award and RITA nominee and bestselling author of more than one hundred books with over two million copies of her books in print in the US and abroad. A tenth-generation Texan and certified paralegal, she is a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, Texas A&M Association of Former Students and the Texas A&M Women Former Students (Aggie Women), Texas Historical Society, Sisters in Crime, and American Christian Fiction Writers.
Kathleen and her hero in combat boots husband have their own surprise love story that unfolded on social media a few years back. They make their home just north of Houston, Texas and are the parents and in-laws of a blended family of Texans, Okies, and a family of three adorable Londoners.
Are you a people pleaser? Today’s conversation is so good and so needed! Join Barb and her friend best-selling author Karen Ehman for a much needed, soul-freeing conversation about her new book, “When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable”. Karen will tell you how to break the pattern of people pleasing and confidently live your life in a way that pleases God while still loving others. Oh, and you’ve got to hear Karen’s 7 “stop it” statements for people pleasers!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
When Making Others Happy Is Making You Miserable
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Karen Ehman is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker, a New York Times bestselling author, and a writer for Encouragement for Today, an online devotional that reaches over 4 million people daily. She has written seventeen books including Keep It
Shut, Pressing Pause, and Keep Showing Up. Karen’s passion is to help women to live their priorities as they reflect the gospel to a watching world. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, Karen is the mother of three, and mom-in-law of two. She enjoys antique hunting, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, and feeding the many people who gather around her mid-century dining table for a taste of Mama Karen's cooking.
Why do Christian women report sexual satisfaction rates 47 points lower than their husbands? What if Christian women experience lower sexual satisfaction because of how we teach about sex in sermons and popular marriage books?
These provocative questions are answered by Sheila Gregoire, author of the new research based book, The Great Sex Rescue: The Lies You’ve Been Taught and How To Recover What God Intended. Sheila and Barb dive into an honest, controversial, yet absolutely necessary conversation about marriage and everything that Christian women are taught about sex. Sheila teaches us that great sex is the fulfillment of a longing for intimacy rather than just one-sided pleasure. In our conversation, she is going to equip us to see sex as God intended: personal, pleasurable, pure, prioritized, pressure-free, and passionate.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Sheila Wray Gregoire is the face behind ToLoveHonorandVacuum.com, the largest single-blogger marriage blog. A sought-after speaker, she's also an award-winning author of nine books, including The Good Girl's Guide to Great Sex. Sheila has a Masters in Public Administration and Master of Arts in Sociology both from Queen's University. Sheila built the successful blog, To Love, Honor, and Vacuum, with traffic of one million page views a month. Her email list is 45,000 strong and her social media reach is over 100,000. Her podcast, Bare Marriage, has more than 5,000 downloads each week. She is an award-winning author with seven royalty published books. A sought after speaker, Sheila has spoken at churches and conferences around the globe. She is a frequent contributor at Family Life Canada events. Her latest book, "The Great Sex Rescue" was featured in the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, and the Washington Post. She has bylines at Religion News Service, Relevant Magazine, and other news sources. Sheila and her husband Keith, a pediatrician, live in Belleville Ontario. They have two grown daughters and one very adorable grandson who lives down the road. She enjoys hiking, birdwatching, RV camping trips, and board games. And she knits - even in line at the grocery store.
Marriage is a good thing! God is still raising up the next generation of husbands and wives who are passionate about godly marriage.
If you are a parent of young adults, you don’t want to miss this episode as Barb talks with Malachi and Courtney Green about hope for marriage and the lessons that they are teaching about God-honoring marriage to the next generation. Malachi and Courtney are passionate about growing together as a couple as well as growing God’s kingdom. In this episode, they are sharing with Barb and Tabitha important lessons that you can share with the young adults in your life.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Malachi and Courtney's YouTube Channel
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUESTS
Malachi and Courtney Green are the Pastors of Heart of God Ministry although online many know them as The Greens. Their mission is to normalize Christ and never dilute his power. Their ministry focus is to train, and disciple Christians in all aspects of life. They also share a strong passion for Christ centered singleness and relationships.
NOTE: New episodes of the Better Together Podcast are released every first and third MONDAY of the month!
It takes a lot of courage to go on an overseas mission trip. Barb has served on 10 trips to Central America over the past 15 years. Without a doubt, saying yes to an overseas mission trip can change your life and revolutionize your faith. However, it’s important to show up with humility vs. expecting that another culture will look like our country.
Join Barb for an important conversation with speaker and missionologist, Mekdes Haddis. She is the author of the upcoming book, Just Missions, to help missionaries and ministry leaders engage in healthy conversation and discuss the harmful effects of western missions. Mekdes answers the 5 crucial questions that you need to ask before your next overseas mission trip. Ultimately, she equips us to show up and to show love in a way that honors God and respects others.
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Mekdes' Website: mekdeshaddis.com
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Mekdes was born and raised in Ethiopia and moved to the United States in 2003 to pursue her studies. She has her Masters' in Organizational Leadership and a forthcoming book with IVPress and currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband, daughter, and son.
After 10+years of developing Discipleship and Outreach strategies in evangelical churches and non-profits, she grew impatient with the lack of mutuality and respect for leadership of those from global south. To break the cycle of harmful physical and spiritual impact of missions locally and globally and to elevate the voices of the unheard, Mekdes left her full time ministry role to start JUST MISSIONS.
JUST MISSIONS is a space that elevates diaspora voices and equips western allies to become mutual partners for the work of the gospel. It aims to forge the path of leaving a relational legacy surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. She is now the Executive Coach and actively developing strategies to train individuals and organizations with a fresh look at missions for global impact.
Her writing has been featured in Christianity Today! and Faithfully Magazine, as well as used by organizations like the American Bible Society and YWAM.
Do you ever feel like, you know you should love God’s Word, but you struggle with opening up your Bible and believing what it says?
In this episode, Barb speaks with author Tricia Lott Williford as she shares her story of loss, heartache, and learning to trust God and His words, even in the painful parts of her life. Whatever hurt or heartache you are walking through right now, you are not alone. Let's draw near to God together!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE
Tricia's Website: tricialottwilliford.com
"This Book Is For You" by Tricia Lott Williford
ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST
Tricia writes, blogs, co-hosts the "Let's Talk Soon" podcast with her brother Rob, and speaks about faith in the face of loss / and hope when the miracle isn't yours. With raw transparency, honest grief, laughable joy, and a captivating voice, she shares the hard pieces of her story—and the redemption God offers in the midst of it. Tricia is the author of Just. You. Wait.; You Can Do This; And Life Comes Back; and Let's Pretend We're Normal. She also lives in Colorado with her family.