Pastor John Tucker and his wife Jane share comfort for those who have walked the painful road of sexual abuse by tactfully answering the following questions: Of all kinds of sin in this world, why is sexual abuse so devastating to the victim? For someone who has been abused, how do they know if it is something they still need to work through with a…

Pastor Jeremy Vuolo balances our mindset on play and recreation by answering the following questions: Does Scripture help us see play as a gift from God, or as a distraction to be minimized? What are helpful principles that can help Christians avoid falling into pitfalls in our approach to recreation? How would you encourage a Christian who may fee…

Returning guest Chris Hamilton brings helpful clarity to questions couples may have during engagement such as: What are the contents and benefits of premarital counseling? What are the different topics that should be discussed during an engagement stage as opposed to the dating phase? What advice would you give a couple considering elopement? How s…

Biblical counselor Dr. Ernie Baker shares insights on how couples can grow in relational and communication skills by answering the following questions: What are God-honoring motives for pursuing growth in these two areas? What is the difference between character qualities and relational skills? What are the core areas of communication we need to pu…

Sarah Dougherty helps us understand the rich meaning and application of the virtue of “kindness” by answering the following questions: what is the biblical definition of kindness, and how is it different from the world’s version? How do we cultivate this fruit of the spirit? Why do we need to be trained how to be kind? And why is it so important th…

Biblical counselor Greg Gifford brings clarity to understanding the motives of our heart by answering the following questions: Why do our motives matter so much to God? What are questions someone can ask themselves to identify their motives? How should we interact with the tension of mixed motives? What is the process for purifying our motives? And…

Dawn Harcus explains the spiritual mothering model laid out in Titus 2 by answering the following questions: We have the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit, but why does God incorporate the human element of training into our sanctification? Is spiritual mothering best done in groups or one-on-one? Who is responsible for initiating this relationship? Sh…

Lynne Brown walks us through how to recover from failure by answering the following questions: How do we recover in those moments when we fail to live up to our expectations or the expectations of others? When a Christian fails and sins, what is the process of restoration? In what ways does the painful experience of failure serve as a gracious gift…

Musician and music educator Kellie Cunningham guides our understanding of the theology behind singing by answering the following questions: Why did God design and command us to sing? Can you explain why it's important to listen to and sing music that is biblically sound? Why is congregational singing so important for believers? For someone who does…

Pastor Philip De Courcy brings the comfort of God's Word to help us identify and overcome sinful fear by answering the following questions: How do we discern the differences between natural, sinful, and holy fear? How are we as Christians to understand the supposed disconnect between our theology of God’s protection and our experience? What is the …

Biblical counselor Hannah Fuller offers encouragement to persevere well through trials by answering the following questions: How does perseverance look different for a Christian, and what fruit is produced when we persevere well? When we are in an extended challenge how do we guard our minds and hearts from despair? How do we persevere through the …

Chris Hamilton shares the wisdom in seeking counsel by answering the following questions: what are the areas of life where counsel is useful? How many counselors should someone have in their life? What are the characteristics of a discerning counselor? What are the types of questions you should ask when seeking counsel? What weight should counsel h…

ER Doctor Carlan Wendler joins the podcast to provide practical guidance on how to navigate a medical emergency by answering the following questions: What is a Christian's responsibility when confronted with a medical emergency in everyday life? How can you help a family member or friend navigate the healthcare system? How do I know if I should go …

Biblical counselor and author Stuart Scott helps set the tone for this year by encouraging us to put off pride and put on humility by answering the following questions: What are symptoms of pride? What are common ways you see pride manifesting in singles and in dating relationships? How can we identify and steer clear of "counterfeit" humility? Wha…

Author and pastor Tim Challies encourages us with the truths about Heaven, our eternal home, by answering the following questions: Why is the topic of Heaven particularly meaningful for you? Why is it that Christians think so little about Heaven? Can you share some of the common misconceptions about Heaven you see among believers? Can you help us u…

Our vocational work dominates our time perhaps more than any other activity in our lives. Reagan Rose joins this podcast discussion to give a biblical perspective on work by answering the following questions: How should Christians view their work, and is it just a necessary means to an end? How would someone evaluate if they have a proper "work/lif…

As a pastor and biblical counselor, Lance Quinn provides encouragement on how Christians can demonstrate the love of Christ through bearing one another’s burdens by answering the following questions: What does the Bible say about bearing one another’s burdens? What are types of burdens we should help bear, and for how long should we bear them? How …

Mother of five, Rachel Zwayne helps us understand the Titus 2 principle of "loving your children" by answering the following questions: How should Christian's view children, and what lies from the world do you see even Christians believing about children? How can the gospel play a central role in motherhood? What attitudes can single women "put on"…

Heidi Kinzel joins the discussion today to give practical guidance on how to prepare in singleness to love your husband in the future by answering the following questions: Why is this the first priority in the Titus 2 principles? We have the Scripture and the Holy Spirit, but why did God design that we also needed to be taught this by older women? …

Lynne Brown helps us regain a Biblical perspective on the timing of events in our lives by answering the following questions: How does God relate to time in a way that's different from us? Why is it important to understand God's unchangeableness? What are some examples of God's perfect timing in the Bible? How can we train our minds and hearts to r…

Pastor Chris Mueller helps us understand the important quality of sensibility by answering the following questions: What is sensibility as defined by Scripture? Why is the way you think important for your spiritual life? What does sensibility look like played out in a dating relationship? How does being sensible affect our emotions? What would sens…

Pastor Jerry Wragg brings a balance of comfort and conviction to the following discouragements that singles face: What truth can you offer women who are experiencing loneliness? How would you encourage the woman who sees a lack of marriage-minded men in her context? How would you direct the single woman who is unsure where and how to invest her lif…

Lara McVicker and Heather Wiebe jump into the discussion to share their wisdom on how to support a bride as a bridesmaid during the wedding planning process by answering the following questions: How should we think about the role of being a bridesmaid? How can we honor God when we face the disappointment of expecting to be asked to be a bridesmaid …

Returning guest Chris Hamilton unpacks this topic by answering the following questions: How far into the dating process should you get others involved in vetting a man's character, and is this an ongoing process? If a lady doesn't have believing family members she can turn to for help in discerning a man's character, how should she go about seeking…

Lynne Brown and Teri White bring clarity to this topic on matchmaking and set-ups by answering the following questions: Do you think there is a need for this in the church, and should people really engage with setting people up? How much involvement should the "matchmaker" have in the set-up process? How can "matchmakers" help to make the set-up si…

Lisa has counseled hundreds of college students through the process of education, and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in answering the following questions: What are wise and unwise motivations for pursing education? What factors need to be considered in this pursuit? What are the pros & cons of pursuing higher education for women who de…

Two feminine and courageous women, Lynne Brown and Ann Bradley, join the conversation to discuss the roles God has designed for women and to shed light on the fallacies of feminism by answering the following questions: Where did feminism have it's roots? Can you help us understand what it means to be a "helper," and how singe women can live out thi…

Passionate and intentional, Tom and Dawn model how to live out the gospel proclamation by answering the following questions: How do you build friendships with unbelievers in order to share the gospel with them? Should people share their faith in the workplace? What are the obstacles that keep people from sharing the gospel? How should we measure "s…

Fellow podcaster and author of the book "Redeeming Productivity," Reagan Rose helps us understand that our productivity matters to God, and increases our motivation to live for God's glory by answering the following questions: What does it mean to glorify God, and how is our productivity tied to this? What suggestions do you have for helping us be …

In her 80 years of life Betty Price has learned how to cultivate a thankful heart. She shares these insights by answering the following questions: What is the connection between being thankful, and being sound minded? Why is thankfulness such an integral part of our worship? How do we pray "with thanksgiving"? How can we give thanks in everything? …

Biblical counselor Janet Aucoin shares practical wisdom on communication by answering the following questions: Why does our speech matter so much to God? How do we know the line between complaining, and sharing the real struggles about our lives with others? Do you have helpful ways you steer the conversation if it is verging towards gossip? What a…

Darrell Harrison joins this episode to shed light on the following questions: Do you think someone who is frustrated with the downsides of social media should give up on it altogether? What steps do you think through before you post something on social media? How do you recommend that people limit their time on these platforms? Do you have guiding …

Biblical counselor Jocelyn Wallace helps bring comfort and direction to how we understand and steward time during this busy time of year by answering the following questions: How does it glorify God when we understand our "finiteness" and God's infiniteness? What is the difference between being busy, and being diligent? Do you have tips for how to …

In this conversation, Sophie Southerden takes a deep dive into the theology behind food and body image by answering the following questions: What is the biblical perspective and purpose for why God designed us to live in physical bodies? How do we balance stewarding our bodies so that we don't end up in either the ditch of obsessing or neglecting t…

My brother, Nate Rose, explains how to have a tactful and winsome approach in evangelism by answering the following questions: How do you grow your compassion for the lost- specifically strangers? How do you keep the right mindset in evangelism to keep the urgency, while also trusting God's sovereignty? Do you always have to share the whole gospel …

Hiding God's word in her heart has been a faithful pursuit for Susan, and she shares her wisdom with us on the following questions: Why should we put the effort into memorizing Scripture when we can "google" a verse? Why do you advocate for memorizing an entire chapter or book over individual verses? Which Bible translation is best to memorize from…

Insurance expert Daniel Clarke will hold your attention with his answers to the following questions: What is the balance for Christians between purchasing insurance, and trusting God's sovereignty? What types of insurance should ladies have beyond what their employer offers? Do single people need life insurance? Do stay-at-home-mom's need life insu…

In this episode Chris Hamilton unpacks the biblical mandate of honoring our parents as adult children, and also answers the following questions: How does our relationship with our parents change over the span of our lifetime from cradle to grave? Parents may have certain expectations for their children in regards to their education, career, who the…

Rick and Kim Holland are a dynamic couple passionate about discipleship. They share their wisdom on the following questions: How do I weigh biblical qualifications vs. the Christian ideal in choosing who to date and marry? What areas do women have on their "husband checklist" that do not matter in the long run? What does it look like to let men ini…

Returning guest Liz Tittel brings compassion and biblical clarity to this discussion on recovering from a breakup by answering the following questions: How would you encourage someone who is adjusting BACK to singleness after a breakup? How would you advise someone who has experienced a breakup, but still has regular contact with that person? How w…

A lifetime of faithful service to the Lord as a single woman, 79 year old Betty Price answers the following questions: Looking back on your single life, what are the greatest blessings you have experienced? How did you stay committed to ministering to people instead of becoming the stereotypical "cat" lady? How would you encourage a single woman wh…

Returning guests Hohn and Heather Cho tackle this nuanced topic by answering the following questions: What are the potential issues and dynamics in a relationship when there is a significant age gap? How do couples maneuver the issue of having children when there is an age gap? How do you handle others' biases / concerns when there is an age differ…

Jocelyn encourages us that it is possible to take our thoughts captive, and answers the following questions: When thoughts feel uncontrollable, is it possible to build habits to direct the thoughts we think? How should we deal with the guilt that comes from a fearful or sinful thought? If thoughts keep us up at night, how can we calm our minds befo…

Christi's brother's, Nate and David, join the discussion on sibling friendships and answer questions such as: How can siblings transition well from childhood into adulthood in how the interact and treat each other? How should you evangelize unsaved siblings? How can a sister exhort her brother when she sees sin in his life? How can you be an encour…

Lisa Hughes, author of the book "Unmet Expectations," shares how we can biblically handle the disappointments and thwarted plans in our lives. She answers questions such as: is it wrong to have expectations? If we have expectations of other people, should we voice those? How do we handle the disappointment that comes when we don't live up to our ow…

Informative for women (as well as and helpful guidance for men!), Chris candidly shares what he advises men to be looking for in a woman as they seek marriage. He answers questions such as: What do you tell men about the process of "looking for a wife"? What should every man be looking for? What are areas where every man may NOT be looking for the …

In this episode, Lynne Brown discusses how loneliness can strike in any season of life, but especially during singleness. She brings gospel truth to bear when answering the following questions: How can I handle the loneliness I feel when attending weddings and showers? What truths of Scripture should I meditate on when feeling alone? How should I r…

Here to launch us into season two, Pastor Kurt and his wife Julie address how Christian dating is different from dating in the world, how important mentorship is in the dating process, and how to lessen the pressure found in some Christian dating cultures. Along the way they offer practical encouragement for how the gospel and our hope in Christ ar…

Just a quick announcement about the podcast! smilingatthefuturepodcast@gmail.com

We make decisions every day, but sometimes this can be a difficult process. Chris Hamilton joins the podcast again to bring clarity to this topic by answering the following questions: How do we discern the will of God when making a decision? How can you tell if asking for help in making a decision is actually a crutch for not thinking an issue thro…