In Part 2 of our conversation with Rick Witmer, we focus on applying biblical truth through the “anchors” in his book Walking with God When I’m Afraid. Rick shares how seasons of anxiety in his own life shaped the anchor metaphor and explains how steady meditation on Scripture helps children (and adults!) find stability in life’s storms.

This episode explores how to patiently shepherd anxious hearts with gospel-centered truth, why quick fixes don’t work, and how long-term confidence in God is formed through slow, faithful exposure to Scripture.

This episode unpacks:

1. Grounding fearful hearts in God’s unchanging character
2. Helping children slowly “metabolize” truth through steady Scripture meditation
3. Responding to anxious children with patience instead of urgency
4. Holding grief and worship together in seasons of disappointment
5. Cultivating a reflex of turning to God first in moments of fear
6. Pursuing long-term spiritual formation rather than immediate emotional relief

Recommended Resources:

Walking with God When I'm Afraid by Rick Witmer

Other helpful parenting resources:

Shepherding a Child's Heart

Instructing a Child's Heart

In this episode of the Shepherd Press Podcast, pastor and biblical counselor Rick Witmer joins us to talk about anxiety in children — how it shows up and how parents can shepherd fearful hearts with biblical truth. Rather than offering surface coping techniques, Rick points us to something deeper: anchoring children in the character and promises of God.

This episode offers biblical clarity, practical guidance, and gospel-rooted hope for parents, counselors, and churches seeking to shepherd anxious children with wisdom and compassion.

The episode unpacks:

1. Recognizing how fear and anxiety commonly appear in children
2. Understanding anxiety as both a heart and embodied struggle
3. Biblical versus cultural approaches to childhood anxiety
4. Anchoring fearful hearts in God’s sovereignty, goodness, and care
5. Practical ways parents can shepherd anxious children
6. Modeling trust in God while walking through fear together
7. Using Scripture to cultivate lasting peace rather than temporary relief

Mentioned Resources:

Walking with God When I'm Afraid: 30 Biblical Anchors for Anxious Young Hearts

In this episode of the Shepherd Press Podcast, host Shannon K. McCoy welcomes Richard and Deborah Burton, authors of When Death Does You Part, to discuss their deeply personal experiences with losing a spouse and navigating widowhood. They share how God's grace and promises helped them through their grief, leading to their eventual remarriage. The Burtons offer practical advice for those grieving, highlight the importance of community support, and discuss the emotional complexities of moving forward while honoring deceased spouses. Their conversation centers around the importance of feeding the mind with God's Word, and the hope of a God who redeems all things.

This episode offers biblical clarity, compassionate counsel, and gospel-rooted hope for widows, widowers, counselors, and churches seeking to walk wisely with those who grieve.

The episode unpacks:

1. Walking through grief after the loss of a spouse
2. Trusting God’s sovereignty in seasons of deep suffering
3. The role of Scripture in shaping the heart during grief
4. Common misconceptions about widowhood
5. The importance of community and pastoral care
6. Counseling and supporting grieving believers
7. Remarriage after loss and God’s redemptive purposes

Grab a copy: When Death Does You Part: A Biblically Informed Guide through Widowhood and Remarriage