This week on the Anchored by the Sword Podcast, I’m joined by Brittany Tinsley, author of Stories Our Scars Tell: Hope, Healing, and Honesty About the Wounds We Carry.

Brittany opens up about her journey through pain, faith, and healing — and how God transformed her deepest wounds into a message of redemption. From navigating mental health challenges to finding her identity in Christ, this conversation is real, raw, and full of hope.

💬 Highlights from our conversation:

• How Brittany found hope and healing after walking through self-harm and rejection.

• The importance of honesty and vulnerability in both faith and healing.

• What the Church is learning about mental health — and how we can do better.

• Why our scars can become powerful testimonies of God’s grace.

• The story behind Stories Our Scars Tell and how God led her to write it.

If you’ve ever felt unseen, misunderstood, or wondered how your story could possibly be used for good — this episode will remind you that God redeems every wound and writes beauty into every scar.

📖 Stories Our Scars Tell is available wherever books are sold.

Bio:

Brittany Tinsley is a writer and speaker whose work explores the intersection of faith and mental health. Through honest, heartfelt storytelling, she invites others to find the hope baked into their own lives. Brittany is a contributing author of the Oxford Handbook of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and has written for HuffPost, (in)courage, and To Write Love on Her Arms. Brittany lives in Texas with her husband and their two daughters.

Anchor Verses:

Isaiah 59:1

1 Corinthians 15:58

Connect with Brittany:

Website: brittanytinsley.com.

IG: https://www.instagram.com/brittanytinsleywrites

***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***

This week on the Anchored by the Sword Podcast, I sit down with Heather O’Brien — prophetic healing coach, minister, author, and speaker — to talk about her powerful journey of healing and freedom. Heather is the author of No Fear Allowed, a book that helps readers get free and stay free by identifying fear at its roots and learning how to walk in lasting wholeness with God.

Heather shares her story of transformation — from working as an accountant and walking through depression, emotional trauma, and fear, to learning how to hear God’s voice and helping others do the same. Through her healing journey, she experienced both physical and spiritual weight loss — shedding 100 pounds in her body and even more of the emotional and spiritual heaviness she was never meant to carry.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• How fear hides in layers and often looks like something else — anxiety, control, or shame.
• Learning to forgive “from the heart” and the difference between saying you’ve forgiven and actually being healed.
• Why hearing God’s voice changes everything.
• What it means to love yourself as God loves you and see your body as His temple.
• How to face emotional trauma with Jesus and let Him rewrite your story from the inside out.

Heather reminds us that healing is a journey — not a destination — and that God meets us with mercy every single day. You’ll walk away from this episode encouraged to let go of fear, embrace your identity in Christ, and believe that no matter what you’ve walked through, you can be free.

You can find Heather’s book No Fear Allowed on Amazon or at heatherobrien.net and listen to her podcast Heal with Heather O’Brien wherever you get your podcasts.

💬 Episode Quote:

“Healing isn’t about perfection — it’s about partnership. God doesn’t just want to fix your pain; He wants to walk with you through it.” — Heather O’Brien

⚓️ Encouragement:

No matter what your story looks like, you’re never too far gone for God to redeem it. Freedom starts with one brave “yes.” So, take that next step — forgive, surrender, and let His love make you whole.

Bio:

Heather O’Brien is a prophetic healing coach, minister, author, and speaker. She helps Christians heal with God by hearing God's voice. She is the host of a top 2.5% globally ranked podcast, Heal with God. She believes with God's help, you can forgive the unforgivable & heal from trauma.

Anchor Verses:

Connect with Heather:

Website: https://heatherobrien.net

IG: https://www.instagram.com/healwithgodpodcast

FB: https://www.facebook.com/healwithgodpodcast

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healwithgodpodcast

***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***

This week on the Anchored by the Sword Podcast, I’m joined by Oghosa Iyamu, author of Forever Welcomed: A Study of God’s Impartial Love for All.

Oghosa’s story is such a beautiful reminder that God sees us, knows us, and welcomes us — no matter where we come from. She shares about growing up in low-income housing, living through seasons of hardship, and how she encountered God’s miraculous and impartial love after college.

Through her journey with dyslexia and the belief that she “couldn’t do it,” Oghosa discovered how God uses our weaknesses as the very place where His strength shines brightest. What began as a study on James 2 in her local church became a powerful call to the Church today — to live out God’s impartial love in a culture obsessed with status, influence, and comparison.

We talk about:

• What it means to be forever welcomed by a God who sees us and calls us by name.

• How impartial love doesn’t ignore truth — it transforms how we live it out.

• Why the Church risks losing its greatest witness when we show favoritism.

• The freedom that comes when we stop viewing our weaknesses as disqualifications and start seeing them as divine invitations.

• How Jesus flipped cultural norms upside down and revealed God’s heart for all people — especially women who felt unseen or unworthy.

Oghosa reminds us that God’s love is both just and merciful — a love that welcomes us into His presence and calls us to extend that same welcome to others.

💬 Episode Quote:

“God’s impartial love not only welcomes us — it changes how we see ourselves and how we see others.” — Oghosa Iyamu

⚓️ Closing Reflection:

No matter your background, your struggles, or your story, you are seen. You are known. You are forever welcomed by the One who calls you by name and never stops pursuing your heart. 💙

Bio:

Oghosa Iyamu, the daughter of Nigerian parents, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and content creator passionate about sharing the life and mission of Jesus Christ. In addition to over twelve years in full-time ministry, Oghosa has studied at Dallas Theological Seminary, later graduating from Southwestern Theological Seminary, where she earned her Master of Divinity degree. She has written for YouVersion, She Reads Truth, Lifeway, Radical (a ministry by David Platt), Lies Young Women Believe, and many other platforms. Oghosa resides in Atlanta, GA.

Anchor Verses:

Psalm 23:6

1 Corinthians 1:27

Romans 8: 35-39

Connect with Ochoa:

Website: https://oghosaiyamu.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/oghosaiiyamu

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/OghosaIyamu

***We love hearing from you! Your reviews help our podcast community and keep these important conversations going. If this episode inspired you, challenged you, or gave you a fresh perspective, we’d be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review. Just head to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen and share your thoughts—it’s a simple way to make a big impact!***