*Season 2 Episode 35 | Why Following Jesus Feels Hard-Spiritual Discipline, Christian Growth & Resistance (Matthew 4)******Why does following Jesus feel so hard sometimes?

If you’ve ever struggled with spiritual discipline, staying consistent in your faith, or wondering why your Christian walk feels uncomfortable—this episode is for you.

In this episode of What the Heaven?, we’re breaking down the truth about Christian growth, obedience, and why resistance is actually necessary if you want to grow spiritually. You’ll learn why comfort isn’t the goal of the Christian life, how to build strong faith habits, and what the Bible teaches about perseverance through testing.

We’re also diving into the story of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) and how even He faced resistance before stepping into His purpose.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck in your faith and want practical ways to grow closer to God, this episode will help you build real, lasting spiritual strength.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you ever done everything right… and still felt like your faith was barely holding on?

Welcome to What the Heaven? — a Christian podcast for women navigating hard seasons, wrestling with doubt, and refusing to let go of God anyway.

Want to go even deeper? Join The Fire Collective on Substack — where I share extended devotionals, personal essays, and exclusive content for women who want more than Sunday-morning faith. Subscribe here →

Every Friday, host Riley Shour brings you raw, honest conversations about the real struggles Christian women face — loneliness, church hurt, faith deconstruction, anxiety, identity in Christ, unanswered prayer, and the exhausting gap between believing and actually living it.

This isn't a podcast about having perfect faith. It's about faith that fights.

Each episode takes your hardest feelings straight to Scripture — because your feelings are real, God's Word is final, and following Jesus was never meant to be surface-level.

Whether you're in a season of doubt, recovering from church hurt, struggling with your identity in Christ, or just trying to figure out what biblical faith looks like in your actual everyday life — you're in the right place.

At What the Heaven? we believe God didn't call you to shrink.

He called you to do the hard and holy things.

Even when it's lonely.

Even when it costs something.

Even when you're not sure how it ends.

Topics we cover:

• Christian faith and doubt

• Church hurt and spiritual healing

• Identity in Christ and spiritual growth

• Loneliness, anxiety, and mental health from a biblical perspective

• Prayer, Scripture, and everyday Christian living

• Encouragement for women in hard life seasons

• Faith deconstruction and rebuilding your relationship with God

• God's purpose and calling for women

New episodes every Friday

Hit follow and bring your real self. Because friend — you were made to do the hard and holy things. 🔥✝️🤘

📖 Want more? The hard and holy conversation goes deeper on Substack — join our community The Fire Collective exclusively for paid subscribers. Join The Fire Collective here →

—— 🎵 Music by The Atomic Age