When the headlines—and your own thoughts—won’t stop buzzing, Jesus meets you with real peace and a next step.

Why does the future feel so shaky—and what do we do when “what-ifs” spiral into paralysis? For students and young adults juggling school, work, and relationships, anxiety can feel like the air we breathe.

Host Liza sits down with Pastor Tim for an honest conversation about anxiety—how it shows up in our bodies, feeds on doomscrolling, and shrinks when we right-size our worries in community. They explore Jesus’ repeated invitations to “be not afraid,” the promise of “I am with you”, and a practical reframing: move from what if to so what if… and then what? The pair name both spiritual and everyday helps—gratitude, planning ahead, small risks that build resilience, and asking friends to carry burdens with you.

Key Takeaways

· Anxiety vs. worry: anxiety can be paralyzing and bodily; naming it helps us choose a faithful response.

· With-you promise > outcome control: Scripture’s comfort is not “nothing bad will happen,” but “Jesus will be with you in it.”

· From what-if to so-what: play the fear forward with God—often you’ll see you can survive it, and you won’t be alone.

· Right-sizing through community: sharing others’ burdens shrinks our problems to their proper size.

· Resilience is trained: small, uncomfortable steps (plus basic planning) quiet the mental noise.

Action Steps / Practical Applications

· ✅ Name & pray: list your top three fears this week; pray “Jesus, be with me in these.”

· ✅ Gratitude swap: when rumination starts, note three people or graces presently “showing up.”

· ✅ So-what journal: write the feared scenario → “so what if… then what?” until you identify the next faithful action.

· ✅ Plan for peace: use a simple planner to reduce avoidable stress for the week ahead.

· ✅ Invite help: text a friend or small-group leader and share one burden for prayer and perspective.

How do we keep real connection—and real truth—when our views clash?

We live in echo chambers where even shared events feel like different realities. As followers of Jesus, how can we speak truth without severing friendships—or idolizing “unity” over Christ Himself?

Host Liza welcomes Pastor Tim for a candid, practical conversation on staying connected in a divided world. They name cultural forces (algorithms, postmodern self-truth) that make dialogue harder, then re-center on Jesus as the Truth and the One who forms a durable, resilient body. Unity, they argue, is the byproduct of pursuing Christ together—not the primary goal. A powerful story of two politically opposed church members who chose six weeks of Scripture and prayer illustrates how friendship can grow where polarization once lived.

Key Takeaways

• Start with Jesus, not “being unified.” Unity emerges as we move toward Christ together.
• Speak the truth in love—really. Love isn’t avoiding offense; it’s caring enough to say the hard thing with humility.
• Name the fears. Many of us avoid hard talks because we don’t trust the relationship’s durability.
• Resist echo chambers. Algorithms can make one event look like two realities; choose shared sources and Scripture.
• Pursue Scripture together. Opening the Bible side-by-side reframes “my truth vs. your truth” toward Jesus’ way.

Action Steps / Practical Applications

• ✅ Pick one person you often disagree with and invite them to read a Gospel together weekly for six weeks; pray before and after.
• ✅ Do a “truth & love” check before speaking: Is what I’m saying true? Is my posture loving?
• ✅ Name your fear out loud (“I’m worried this will hurt our friendship”) to lower defensiveness and build trust.
• ✅ Share a common reference point (Scripture, agreed facts) to prevent talking past each other.
• ✅ Limit algorithm drift this week: diversify news inputs and prioritize face-to-face conversations.

A raw conversation on faith, lament, and God’s presence in life’s hardest seasons

What do you do when life feels like it’s falling apart, and God feels a million miles away?

In this powerful episode of the Light + Life Podcast, Liza Cunningham sits down with Pastor Matt Holtzman from the Caring Ministry team to talk honestly about what it’s like to feel “ghosted by God.” From seasons of marriage tension to ministry fatigue, grief, and walking alongside friends in the valley of the shadow of death, Matt opens up about the fog that can settle over our faith and how to find our way back to God’s presence.

Together, Liza and Matt explore:

• Why lament is a biblical and essential form of prayer
• How honesty with God can draw you closer to Him
• The difference between what we know is true and what we feel in the moment
• How Psalm 139 and Romans 8 remind us that God never lets go
• What to do if you feel abandoned by God right now

If you’re in a season of loss, disappointment, or unanswered questions, or if you’re walking with someone who is. This conversation will remind you that God’s love shows up in the mess, and you are never alone.

✅ Tell God exactly how you feel—anger, doubt, grief, all of it
✅ Lean into the support of people who will hold you up
✅ Remember: Nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus