Season 2 Episode 36 | How to Grow Spiritually (Even When It Feels Slow) | Christian Growth & Mindset Shift (Matthew 13:31–32)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Feel like you’re not growing in your faith? Like your spiritual growth is slow, stagnant, or invisible?

In this episode of What the Heaven?, we’re breaking down one of the biggest lies in the Christian faith journey: that growth has to be big, dramatic, and obvious to be real.

If you’ve been frustrated with slow growth, discouraged in your personal development as a Christian, or questioning your progress with God—this episode will shift your mindset in a powerful, practical way.

Rooted in Matthew 13:31–32, where Jesus teaches about faith as small as a mustard seed, we explore how Christian growth actually happens in quiet, consistent, and often overlooked ways.

You’ll learn how to:

• Recognize real spiritual growth (even when it feels slow)

• Shift your Christian mindset from “I’m stuck” to “I’m growing”

• Identify the small “buds” of progress in your daily life

• Train your brain to see transformation instead of failure

• Stay encouraged in your faith journey during seasons of slow growth

This episode is for you if you're walking through a season of waiting, healing, or steady obedience and wondering if it’s making a difference.

Keywords: spiritual growth, Christian mindset, faith journey, slow growth, personal development Christian, mustard seed faith, Christian encouragement, growing in faith, mindset shift, Bible teaching Matthew 13

You are not stuck—you are growing. You just need to learn how to see it.

Until next time friend…keep your faith fiery and your eyes fixed on Jesus!

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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

*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.

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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

What if the mess you’re noticing right now… is actually an invitation?

In this episode of What the Heaven? Podcast, we’re talking about how the spring rain doesn’t just wash the earth—it reveals what’s been hiding underneath after a long winter. The dirt, the clutter, the buildup we didn’t even realize was there.

And spiritually? It’s no different.

Sometimes God allows a “spring rain” season in our lives—not to overwhelm us, but to lovingly expose what needs to be cleared out. Old habits. Lingering sin. Thought patterns that no longer align with who He’s calling us to be.

This episode is your gentle (but honest) invitation to do a soul check:
What has this past season left behind in you?
What is God asking you to release, repent of, or renew?

We’re diving into:
– Why exposure is actually a form of God’s grace
– How to identify spiritual clutter from past seasons
– Letting go of habits and thoughts that don’t reflect Christ
– Practical ways to partner with God in your “spring cleaning” season

Friend, this isn’t about shame—it’s about transformation.
Because the goal isn’t perfection… it’s becoming more like Jesus.

So if you’ve been feeling stirred, convicted, or just aware that something needs to shift—this episode is for you.

Let’s clean house together. 💛

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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.

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. 🔥✝️🤘

——
🎵 Music by The Atomic Age

🎧 Episode 33: It Won’t Always Be This Hard… But Also… With Christ You Can Do the Hard and Holy Things (Matthew 26:38)

Are you walking through a hard season where your faith feels heavy, your prayers feel dry, and obedience feels exhausting?

In this episode of What the Heaven?, we’re having an honest conversation about what it looks like to follow Jesus when life feels overwhelming. If you’re a Christian woman struggling with doubt, anxiety, spiritual burnout, or feeling distant from God, this episode will meet you right where you are.

Through the story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:38), we unpack a powerful truth: it won’t always be this hard… but God is still calling you to walk in obedience while it is. Jesus Himself felt deep sorrow and pressure—and still chose surrender.

This episode is both comforting and challenging. You’ll be reminded that this season is not your forever, but also invited to stop waiting for the hard to disappear and start walking faithfully with God in the middle of it.

We also dive into what it really means to live out Philippians 4:13—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”—not as a motivational quote, but as a call to endure, obey, and trust God in the uncomfortable and stretching moments.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to trust God in hard seasons of life

• What Jesus teaches us about obedience in suffering

• How to stay faithful when you feel spiritually weak

• What it means to do “hard and holy things” with Christ

• How to take your next step in faith, even when it’s difficult

If you’ve been waiting for clarity, relief, or motivation—this is your reminder: you already have Christ, and with Him, you can take your next step.

🎙️ Subscribe for weekly Christian podcast episodes on faith, spiritual growth, overcoming doubt, and following Jesus in real life.

************************************************

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.

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. 🔥✝️🤘

——

🎵 Music by The Atomic Age

Season 2 Episode 32 | Praise on Purpose: Finding God When Life Feels Heavy (Matthew 6:25-34)

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When life feels overwhelming, confusing, or just plain hard… praise is usually the last thing on your mind. But what if that’s exactly where your breakthrough begins?

In this episode of What the Heaven?, we’re talking about what it actually looks like to intentionally search for things to praise God for—even when your circumstances don’t feel praiseworthy. Not fake positivity. Not denial. But a bold, grounded choice to fix your eyes on what’s still true when everything else feels shaky.

We’ll get real about:

• Why your feelings aren’t always telling you the truth
• How praise shifts your perspective (even if nothing else changes)
• Practical ways to start noticing God in the middle of your mess
• What it means to choose worship when you’d rather shut down

If you’re in a season where you’re tired, discouraged, or questioning what God is doing—this episode is your reminder that He hasn’t left, and there is still so much to praise Him for… you just might have to look for it.

until next time friend..keep your faith fiery and your eyes fixed on Jesus!

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

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.

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 morning! :D

Hit follow and bring your real self.

Because friend — you were made to do the hard and holy things!

🔥✝️🤘

🎵 Music by The Atomic Age

What do you do when you know God led you somewhere… but the season still feels incredibly lonely?

In this honest and vulnerable episode of the What the Heaven? Podcast, we talk about the side of life transitions that people rarely discuss — the deep loneliness that can come with change, moving somewhere new, and starting over.

After moving to Vermont over a year ago, I expected that by now life would feel more settled. Community would be forming. Friendships would be growing. Things would feel… rooted.

But the reality?

It’s been far more isolating than I expected.

In fact, after more than a year here, I only have three people’s phone numbers… and we don’t even text regularly.

And while that might sound discouraging, this episode is a reminder that loneliness doesn’t mean God has forgotten you.

Sometimes when God moves us into a new place or season, He begins by growing deeper roots before new relationships appear.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The hidden loneliness of moving to a new place • Faith during isolating seasons • Why life transitions can feel emotionally disorienting • Trusting God when community takes longer than expected • What the Bible says about loneliness • Finding hope when you feel disconnected or unseen

We also look at the encouraging truth from Psalm 68:6 — that God sets the lonely in families — and what that promise means for those walking through quiet or isolating seasons of life.

If you’re navigating loneliness after a move, a life transition, a new job, or a new calling, this episode will remind you that your story isn’t finished yet.

God is still writing the chapters where connection grows, friendships form, and the unfamiliar begins to feel like home.

Until then, remember this truth:

It won’t always be this lonely.

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Welcome to the “What the Heaven? Podcast” — where millennial women face life’s toughest battles with raw honesty and unshakable hope.

Let’s be real: life hits hard. Faith gets messy. But that doesn’t mean we tap out.

Here, we bring our heartbreak, doubts, and questions straight to Jesus — with authenticity and vulnerability — and then we gear up. We put on the armor of God, stand firm, and step back into the fight with courage.

I’m Riley Shour, and every Friday, we’re keeping it real about the chaos and the comeback — because your faith was built for this fight.

So hit follow, grab your armor, and let’s grow through what we’re going through!

🎵 Featuring music by⁠ The Atomic Age⁠

The Pause App by John Eldridge

Are your feelings all over the place lately? In this episode, we’re talking about the hard truth most people don’t want to hear: your feelings aren’t always telling you the truth.

If you’ve been feeling anxious, stuck, confused, or disconnected from God during a season of change, this episode will help you understand why emotions can be unreliable—and how to stop letting them control your decisions.

We’ll break down how to trust God over your feelings, how to find peace in uncertainty, and how to anchor yourself in biblical truth instead of emotional highs and lows. You’ll learn practical ways to praise God even when your emotions feel overwhelming and how to walk in wisdom instead of confusion.

This episode is for Christian women who are:

• struggling with anxiety, doubt, or emotional overwhelm

• navigating a season of transition or life change

• feeling far from God but wanting to grow in faith

• tired of letting their feelings dictate their life

Keywords: trusting God not feelings, faith over emotions, Christian podcast for women, dealing with anxiety Christian, biblical truth vs feelings, emotional overwhelm help, seasons of change faith, how to hear God clearly, spiritual growth for women, praise God in hard times

If you’re ready to stop being led by your feelings and start being grounded in God’s truth, this episode is for you.

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

Welcome to the “What the Heaven? Podcast” — where millennial women face life’s toughest battles with raw honesty and unshakable hope.

Let’s be real: life hits hard. Faith gets messy. But that doesn’t mean we tap out.

Here, we bring our heartbreak, doubts, and questions straight to Jesus — with authenticity and vulnerability — and then we gear up. We put on the armor of God, stand firm, and step back into the fight with courage.

I’m Riley Shour, and every Friday, we’re keeping it real about the chaos and the comeback — because your faith was built for this fight.

So hit follow, grab your armor, and let’s grow through what we’re going through!

🎵 Featuring music by⁠ The Atomic Age⁠

Until next time friend… keep your faith fiery and your eyes fixed on Jesus! 🔥✝️👀

Episode 29 | Change Won’t Always Be This New: Faith, Feeling Lost, and Learning the Roads of a New Season

Have you ever stepped into a new season of life and suddenly felt completely lost?

A move.
A new job.
A new calling.
A new environment.

Everything is unfamiliar — the rhythms, the people, the expectations — and you start wondering why something that felt so right suddenly feels so confusing.

In this episode of the What the Heaven? Podcast, we’re talking about what it means to follow God into a new season… and why feeling lost doesn’t mean you’re in the wrong place.

Through a story about getting completely lost on a 15-minute drive that turned into a three-hour journey through the winding backroads of Vermont, we explore how learning new terrain in life is a lot like learning new roads.

At first everything feels overwhelming.
Nothing makes sense.
Your usual instincts don’t work the same way.

But slowly… you begin to recognize the turns.

You learn the patterns.
You understand the landscape.
And the road home becomes familiar.

If you are walking through change, transition, or uncertainty, this episode will remind you that:

✨ Being lost doesn’t mean you’re failing
✨ New seasons take time to understand
✨ God directs our paths step by step
✨ It won’t always feel this new

Sometimes you're not lost — you're just learning the map God is giving you.

This episode will encourage anyone navigating:

• Life transitions
• Moving to a new place
• New jobs or callings
• Faith during uncertainty
• Trusting God’s direction
• Christian encouragement for hard seasons

Take a deep breath, friend.

You're not failing.
You're learning the roads.

🎧 Listen now and be reminded that God is guiding your path even when the way forward feels unfamiliar.

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

Welcome to the “What the Heaven? Podcast” — where millennial women face life’s toughest battles with raw honesty and unshakable hope.

Let’s be real: life hits hard. Faith gets messy. But that doesn’t mean we tap out.

Here, we bring our heartbreak, doubts, and questions straight to Jesus — with authenticity and vulnerability — and then we gear up. We put on the armor of God, stand firm, and step back into the fight with courage.

I’m Riley Shour, and every Friday, we’re keeping it real about the chaos and the comeback — because your faith was built for this fight.

So hit follow, grab your armor, and let’s grow through what we’re going through!

🎵 Featuring music by⁠ The Atomic Age⁠

Until next time friend… keep your faith fiery and your eyes fixed on Jesus! 🔥✝️👀