What does the gospel have for us in our suffering? How do we apply theological truths in our pain?

Author and Bible teacher Paul David Tripp had a deep understanding of theology, especially when it came to pain and suffering. It wasn't until he walked through a season of physical suffering and chronic fatigue that those understandings he had in his mind became embedded into his heart. Through the difficulties and challenges of a medical condition that forever changed his capacity and revealed his limitations, Paul learned how the hope of the gospel can meet us in even the most painful days. His journey through that season and the lessons God taught him along the way are chronicled in his book Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn't Make Sense.

In this conversation, Eric sits with Paul to discuss how suffering can lead to a deeper trust in Christ, the role prayer plays in our pain, and how God will bring a new level of understanding of theological truths when we are hurting.

If you've found yourself wondering how the gospel applies to your pain, this episode will show you that the good news of Christ is for you in whatever you are facing.

What do we do with all of our limitations? How do we begin to reframe the limits of our bodies and our lives in a way that allows God to use the boundary lines He has placed around us?

For speaker, author and mom of seven, Sara Hagerty, it was the many limits of her journey with infertility, motherhood, walking her kids through their own pain and grief after adoption, and the daily reminders of her finite ability to deal with all the challenges she was facing that led her to look at what God may be doing in her limitations. In her latest book, The Gift of Limitations: Finding Beauty in Your Boundaries, Sara explores how our limits may actually be the grace of God rather than a withholding of something better.

In this insightful conversation, Davey and Sara talk about what God may be doing in our limitations, how we can find the beauty in the small, and the power of naming our limits.

If you've ever found yourself discouraged by the very things that reveal your humanity, this episode will encourage you to reframe the way you see the boundaries in your life and find beauty in the gift of your God-given limitations.

How can the most difficult moments of our lives point us to our purpose? Where can we find God's will for our lives in the sufferings that we have faced?

Raleigh Sadler, author and founder of the anti-trafficking organization, Let My People Go, experienced a shift in his life's trajectory after the tragic loss of his best friend to cancer. From that painful moment, God seemed to align a path that he had never considered by helping the most vulnerable and yet his first task was leaning into his own vulnerability in the aftermath of his pain. Since then, Raleigh has led many churches in the fight against the injustice of human trafficking and has seen his own purpose emerge in the process.

In this conversation, Eric and Raleigh discuss how our vulnerability often unlocks our life's purpose, how the gospel applies to the most forgotten of people, and the way in which suffering forges deeper meaning in our lives than we could have ever imagined for ourselves.

If your pain has left you wondering if God could use you, this episode will show you that every moment of suffering is illuminating a path forward in helping others heal if you allow vulnerability to lead the way.

What do we do when there is no cure for our pain? How do we live with joy and thanksgiving when our physical reality is a chronic condition?

For author Andrea Herzer, learning to find joy in her chronic pain and incurable diagnoses was a feat. While her mind longed to be grateful, her physical condition made it seem impossible. And yet through her journey with chronic pain, cancer, and an accident, she was able to see God's kindness to her in the middle of her literal aches. Learning to rely on others and keeping her faith when God doesn't heal has been a struggle and yet through it, she has experienced more and more of the Lord's goodness in her life. It was through her own story that she was able to take the lessons God was teaching her and write Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues.

In this conversation with Eric, Andrea shares how to hold on to your faith when God doesn't answer your prayers in the way you wish He would, where Jesus can be found in our physical pain, and why we can't expect medical professionals to be our saviors.

If you're experiencing any form of suffering that is chronic in nature, this episode will remind you that God gives us unimaginable strength in our greatest weaknesses.

What do we do when our suffering makes us feel angry at God? How do we continue to hold on to our relationship with the Lord when we are struggling with difficulties and trials in our lives?

For author, musician and spiritual director, Strahan Coleman, his battle with chronic illness left him depleted physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. And while it felt as though so much was being stripped away in his life, he also began to experience an expansion when it came to his relationship with God. It didn't come easy though, but only through the painstaking honesty and lament in his cries to the Lord for help and healing. Through it, Strahan learned the power of being with God rather than simply working for Him. It was that journey that led him to write, Beholding: Deepening our Experience in God, in which Strahan encourages believers to see prayer as a beautiful invitation of not just seeking, but becoming.

In this deep conversation, Eric sits with Strahan to discuss the role of prayer in our suffering as well as our daily lives, what to do with anger towards God, and what it looks like to behold God in our suffering.

If suffering has ever left you wondering if God even cares, this episode will remind you that the Lord wants you to come to Him with all of your pain and emotions and to learn to simply behold Him in the process.

How do you keep trusting God when life doesn't get perfectly "fixed"? How can you begin to see God's glory move in your story within all its imperfections?

For author Kristen Wetherell, chronic pain became a debilitating reminder that her plans and her life were not fully under her control. It was through a Lyme disease diagnosis and the subsequent pain and challenges she faced that God began to reveal to her how important it was to live a surrendered life before the Lord and see His grace and compassion in the midst of suffering. In her book, Hope When it Hurts (co-authored with previous guest, Sarah Walton, Episode #274), she encourages those battling any sort of pain, to see the hope God offers in our aches and hold onto Him when we want to let go.

In this episode, Davey sits down with Kristen to unpack how we can begin to discern the will of God in our lives, what it looks like to walk by faith in our suffering, and the importance of leaning into others when we can't stand on our own.

With profound wisdom, Kristen points out how God remains faithful to us when our story takes unexpected twists and turns and how we can keep trusting Him even though life unfolds in unexpected ways.

How do we take the immense heartaches we experience and use them for God's glory? How do we continue to trust in the Lord's goodness when our experience feels quite the opposite in our pain?

For author Tim Challies, losing his 20 year old son tragically and unexpectedly gave him the opportunity to lean into all he believed to be true about God as he resolved to steward his sorrow well. Through his writing of his book, Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God, Tim gave a real-time account of his grieving process and his ultimate conclusion that God was still good and the provider of comfort even in our greatest losses. His writing was not only a way for his own heart to process and heal, but it has become a beacon of hope to so many others encountering their own sorrows and pain.

In this episode, Tim sits down with Aubrey to discuss what it looks like to lead our family through pain when we too are enduring it, how writing can be a helpful part of healing and the importance of knowing our true identity in the face of our losses.

Losing a child is an agonizing and heartbreaking experience and yet Tim's reminder to all of us, whether we have known that kind of pain or not, is that God is our ultimate comfort.

How do you stay afloat when it feels like waves of grief and trauma keep crashing over you? How can you keep a marriage together when it feels like everything is trying to tear you apart?

For Jeff and Sarah Walton, navigating the relentless storms of a child's neurological challenges, losing a job, and the impact of Lyme disease in their home seemed impossible. It felt like the story of Job where every aspect of their lives were touched by pain and suffering. In writing their book, Together Through the Storms: Biblical Encouragements for Your Marriage When Life Hurts, they shared their own journey through the unending trials of life and how they continue to find hope in the midst of all the pain they have endured and are still facing.

In this conversation, Davey sits down with Jeff and Sarah to talk about how God's Word can be a lifeline in the storms of life, why honest lament is a gift, how to endure suffering with hope as a couple and where to even begin when talking to our kids about the trials we endure as a family.

If you need to be encouraged by those who are still in the storm, this episode will show you that you can ride the waves between the reality you are living and the hope you have for a better future and find Jesus right where you are.

Imagine waking up in a hospital room and finding out that you no longer remembered the last thirteen years of your life. Think about the fear, the confusion and the uncertainty that would set in when you realized you had just been in a coma and parts of your life were no longer in your memory.

Most of us have never experienced something as traumatic as that and can hardly imagine such a scene playing out in real life. But for artist Marcy Gregg, this was her story. After complications from giving birth led to her being in a coma, she awoke to a life she didn't know. Thirteen years of her memories were gone and she didn't recognize her husband or her kids. In order to be released from the hospital, she pretended that her memory was coming back. But once home, the weight of such a big secret began to overwhelm her and she turned to alcohol to cope with her anxiety and pain. Pretty soon, she found herself struggling with alcohol addiction, but through a divine intervention, the Lord spoke to her and she walked away from numbing her pain with alcohol. Her life has been met with more challenges, but through it all, she has chosen to trust God with her life and her story. Like a painting in progress, she has seen God as the ultimate artist who is not done yet with the canvas of her life.

In this episode, Davey talks with Marcy about how to surrender in the face of uncertainty, choosing to live differently when life takes us on an unexpected path, and why trust requires us to lean in.

Marcy's story is unique, but through it, you'll find a reminder in your own to trust God with the plan He has for your life, even when you can't see the whole picture quite yet.

How do you live life with the end in mind, especially when you are told your days are numbered? We all know that Scripture calls us to live life through the lens of heaven, but how do we really do that?

For Colleen Chao, finding out she had Stage 4 Cancer forced her to think about living the way God called her to in spite of the fact or perhaps because of the fact, that she is dying. Having expected life to go in a much different direction, Colleen has been learning to see the beauty in the most unexpected places like suffering and pain.

In this episode, Davey has a raw conversation with Colleen on seeing God's beauty in the darkness of suffering, the transformative power of gratitude, and how the blood of Jesus can keep us from dwelling in our regrets.

You don't have to have a life-altering diagnosis to be encouraged by Colleen's story of living life fully when heaven is closer than you anticipated.

What do you do when life takes a turn you never saw coming? How can you step into a story you didn't plan for yourself?

For Kelley Scites, the wrestling with those questions began after an unexpected surgery. What had promised relief from pain and a new lease on life ended with having to be put on full time oxygen. The life she had imagined as an active mom came to a screeching halt as she had to adapt to this new pace of living. But it was through this shift in her story that Kelley began to see the importance of perspective. Living focused on Heaven rather than her current circumstances began to give her hope in what at times felt hopeless.

In this honest conversation, Davey sits down with Kelley to talk about why perspective is so important in circumstances that won't change, learning to trust God with the outcome of our story and choosing growth over bitterness.

The details of Kelley's story may be different than yours, but they offer a rich insight into how our perspective can make or break us in the middle of hard things.

How do you persevere in the face of unending challenges and difficult circumstances? Where can you find the strength to keep going when life tries to knock you down over and over again?

For Dr. Danisha Keating, building resilience seemed impossible after a traumatic childhood filled with abuse and moving in and out of the foster care system. Her journey in life was hard, at one point leading her to be a caretaker for her younger siblings while in college and yet she persevered to graduate and go on to earn her PhD.

Now, she spends her life reaching back into the fire, encouraging kids walking a similar journey in the foster care system, to know that their lives have promise and hope beyond their current circumstances. In all the trials she has endured, Dr. Keating has anchored her hope in the Lord and her identity in Him.

In this episode, Davey sits down with Dr. Keating to discuss what it looks like to build resilience in a life that is full of difficulty, the power of community in encouraging those low on hope, and how healing can lead us into a life of purpose in helping those who are walking the road we once did.

This conversation will leave you inspired as you hear how even the most dire of circumstances can forge a deep-seated resilience in our hearts as we move forward into a future filled with possibility.

How do you choose joy when it feels impossible? What can you do when a chronic diagnosis leaves you debilitated?

For Lindsey Wheeler, the answer did not come easily. After a Lyme disease diagnosis left her struggling to get out of bed everyday, Lindsey knew she had to make a choice: to see the good in life in spite of her circumstances or to dwell in self-pity.

It wasn't easy, but Lindsey chose to change her perspective on her life in the middle of so many challenges that included her health and raising a child with special needs.

It was that perspective shift that has given her the strength to bring hope to others in their pain. She started a company called Bottle of Tears that provides curated gifts of comfort to those who are hurting.

In this episode, Davey talks with Lindsey about what it looks like to choose joy when life feels hard, the power in reminding people that they are seen in their pain and why community matters so much in our suffering.

This conversation is an encouragement for anyone who has ever felt like some parts of life cannot be "fixed" this side of heaven and offers an invitation to hope and joy in the midst of it.

Most of us believe in God in our minds. We think all the right things, that God is in control, that he is good, that nothing is wasted. But when these beliefs only live in our head, there’s only so far they can take us. It’s when we walk through intense suffering that these ideas move from our heads to our hearts, and that’s when God truly becomes real to us. Vaneetha Risner knows this all too well. Through chronic disease, miscarriage, sexual betrayal, the loss of a child, and more, Vaneetha has come to know God deeply through unimaginable pain. Vaneetha sits down with Davey to share some how she’s learned to thrive in the midst of suffering by taking back her story.

Craig Groeschel is undoubtedly one of the most influential voices in the American church today. He speaks to tens of thousands every week as the Senior Pastor of Life.Church, he’s written numerous books, and his resources are used by ministry leaders around the world. When his daughter was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, Craig found that a letter he had written to a grieving friend years ago was now ministering to him. That letter became his latest book, “Hope in the Dark,” Craig sits down with Davey to talk about how he’s walked through dark seasons personally, in his family, and in his ministry.

Ever since he started driving go-karts at the age of 5, Nascar driver Trevor Bayne's life has been about racing. He's pretty good at it, too. In 2011, Trevor became the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500. Trevor knows where his ability and successes come from, and he's always quick to give God the glory with every win