In this Christmas episode of Walking Defined, Baylee Hefley and Kate Caris reflect on how easily the wonder of Christmas can be overshadowed by distraction, pressure, comparison, and consumerism, even for believers.

Through honest conversation about family traditions, gift giving, Santa culture, community, and countercultural choices, they explore what it looks like to intentionally center Christmas on Jesus, not from guilt or perfection, but from gratitude and reverence for the greatest gift ever given.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, check our hearts, and reclaim the joy, peace, and wonder found in Christ alone.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why Christmas often feels stressful instead of peaceful
• A childhood memory that reveals why it is truly more blessed to give than receive
• Countercultural Christmas traditions that point hearts back to Jesus
• The dangers of distraction, comparison, and discontentment during the holidays
• Why community matters most during seasons of celebration and grief
• Encouragement for the parent who feels pressure to get it right

Scripture referenced:

Philippians 4:4 to 9, rejoicing, gratitude, peace, and setting our minds on what is true and praiseworthy

Acts 20:35, it is more blessed to give than to receive

James 1:17, every good and perfect gift comes from above

🎥 This episode is also available to watch in video format on YouTube:

Watch on YouTube – CLICK HERE

If Christmas has felt heavy, distracting, or disappointing, this conversation is a reminder that the true wonder of the season has never been found in gifts or traditions, but in Jesus humbling Himself to come near.

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Socials: @walkingdefined

Email: walkingdefined@gmail.com

In this episode of Walking Defined, Baylee Hefley and Kate Caris reflect on where humility truly begins—at the foot of the cross. Through honest conversation about marriage, unmet expectations, comparison, and spiritual pride, they explore how easily we drift into seeking affirmation and importance when we lose sight of what Jesus has already done for us.

This episode invites listeners to slow down and sit with the Gospel, remembering that the cross is enough to shape our identity, our relationships, and the way we walk with God.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• How pride and comparison quietly take root in everyday life
• Why unmet expectations often reveal deeper heart issues
• The danger of forgetting the cost of the cross
• How busyness pulls us away from humility and gratitude
• Letting go of the need for recognition and learning to live from grace

Scripture referenced:

James 1:23–24 — a reminder that hearing God’s Word without responding is like looking in a mirror and immediately forgetting what we look like.

Romans 7:14 — an honest confession of our human struggle with sin and the tension between knowing what is right and living it out.

Resource mentioned: My Dearest Hemlock by Tilly Dillahey — a modern retelling inspired by The Screwtape Letters that explores spiritual pride and temptation.

Check out Baylee's Book: A Walk to Love

🎥 This episode is also available to watch in video format on YouTube: CLICK TO WATCH NOW

If you’ve felt weighed down by comparison, approval-seeking, or spiritual distraction, this conversation will gently call you back to the cross—where humility, freedom, and peace begin.

Connect with Us:

Socials: @walkingdefined

Email: walkingdefined@gmail.com

We were created for oneness with God and each other, so why do we feel so lonely? In this episode of Walking Defined, Baylee and Kate dig into biblical community: why it matters, how it forms, and what breaks it. From Genesis to Acts 2, from Jesus’ “twelve and three” to our own living rooms, we talk about becoming people who are fully known and deeply loved.

This conversation explores:

• God’s design for community in the Trinity (Father, Son, Spirit) and the Garden—oneness before the Fall, “otherness” after
• Acts 2:42–47 as the pattern of covenant community: teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, prayer, generosity, and shared life
• Jesus’ model of circles: crowds, the twelve, and the close three (Peter, James, John)—why you don’t need 100 close friends
• Vulnerability as the doorway to real friendship: being fully known and still loved
• Loneliness & isolation: how the enemy exploits distance (Peter’s denial) and how Jesus restores (John 21)
• Practical rhythms: pray first, seek God as your source, then pursue people; simple steps to find and build community where you are

Scripture referenced:

• Genesis 1–3 (oneness → otherness), Genesis 3:16
• Proverbs 17:28
• Luke 10:1–4 (sent two by two)
• Matthew 18:19–20 (two or three gathered)
• Acts 2:36–47 (Pentecost and the shared life of the church)
• Peter’s denial & restoration (Luke 22:54–62; John 21:15–19)

Quotes/Resources mentioned:

• Dr. Scot McKnight on covenant/community and Blue Parakeet (oneness shaped by God)

If you’re praying for friends, don’t lose heart. Ask God to make you the kind of person who can carry real community, and then take one small step: send the text, invite for coffee, join the study, open your door. Oneness grows when we seek Him first, then walk together.

Watch this Episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/6aaJbQIWAgQ

Check out A Walk To Love by Baylee Hefley

Connect with Us:

• Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Youtube: @walkingdefined
• Email: walkingdefined@gmail.com