The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast

Our thoughts are busy places — full of worries, assumptions, memories, and what ifs that can quietly shape how we live and respond to the world around us. And while no one has a perfectly manicured mind, Scripture reminds us that we don’t have to be ruled by every thought that shows up.
In today’s episode, our friend Max Lucado joins us to share a hopeful, practical message about renewing your mind and learning to take your thoughts captive. Drawing from Romans 12 and other powerful passages, Max walks us through three simple but life-changing tools to help you identify toxic thought patterns, uproot lies, and replace them with God’s Truth.
You’ll learn:
How to recognize patterns and start interrupting the destructive cycles in your life before they take hold.
Tools to help you to renew your mind and walk into lasting transformation. 
Ways you can uproot the negative underlying beliefs behind your emotions and develop ways to replant truth in their place. 
You don’t have to accept every thought you have. 

Partner With Us: 

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by anxious thoughts, stuck in negative self-talk, or frustrated by emotional overreactions, this conversation will give you language, clarity, and next steps for moving forward with greater peace and freedom. That’s why we created a free downloadable resource called “I’ll Go First.” It is a simple, guided conversation tool designed to help you open honest, meaningful dialogue about what’s really going on beneath the surface. Whether you’re wrestling with your own thoughts or walking alongside someone who is, this resource gives you practical questions and biblical encouragement to begin the journey toward healthier thinking together.
Resources From This Episode:
Continue doing deep work by also listening to “Tools to Fight Anxiety and Better Your Mental Health” with Rebecca Maxwell, available on the Therapy & Theology podcast and on YouTube.
If you’re looking for a practical next step to help quiet anxious thoughts, check out Tame Your Thoughts by Max Lucado.
Each time you support Proverbs 31, your gift helps empower women and transform entire communities with God’s Word. 
Send this episode to a friend who needs encouragement and God’s Truth today.
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Click here to download a transcript of this episode

If you hoped this year would feel lighter by now — but you’re still in the same hard place — this episode is for you.
In this honest and hope-filled conversation, Meredith Brock and Kaley Olson sit down with Sarah Freymuth to explore what God may be doing when the struggle doesn’t lift. Through Scripture and personal experience, Sarah reminds us that unanswered prayers aren’t signs of God’s absence — they can be invitations to deeper trust. If you’ve been asking “Why me?,” this episode gently invites you to shift the question to “What now, God?” and discover how God meets us in the valley.

You’ll learn:
Why God doesn’t always remove the hard thing — and what He may be doing instead.
How pain can reveal where we’ve placed our dependence.
The heart-shifting difference between asking “Why me?” and “What now?” to God.
How Scripture can become a lifeline when faith feels exhausted.
What it looks like to experience God’s presence even when circumstances don’t change.

Resources From This Episode:
All the Hard Things:  by Sarah Freymuth
Walking through a season that feels heavy and unending? This 50-day devotional offers scripture, honest reflection, and gentle encouragement to help you keep going — one faithful step at a time — when the valley feels long.
Therapy & Theology Podcast
If today’s conversation stirred up deeper emotions or questions, this podcast can help. Hosted by Lysa TerKeurst, licensed counselor Jim Cress, and Dr. Joel Muddamalle, Therapy & Theology helps you work through what you’re walking through with biblical Truth and therapeutic insight.
Click here to download a transcript of this episode
Want More on This Topic? 
Listen to a deep dive on trusting God in hard situations in this episode of the Therapy & Theology podcast: “How Can I Trust God When I Don’t Understand What He Allows?”

We talk about grace a lot — but do we actually understand it? For many of us, grace feels like the doorway into faith … yet something we quietly try to “maintain” through our own effort. What if God never intended you to earn what He freely gives?

In today’s episode, writer and Bible teacher Kristel Acevedo joins Meredith Brock and Kaley Olson for a deeply clarifying conversation about the kind of grace Scripture describes — the grace that saves us and keeps us. Through biblical teaching, real-life stories, and practical wisdom, Kristel helps us see why striving leaves us exhausted, how sanctification actually works, and why resting in God’s unshakable love is the starting place for real spiritual transformation.

If you’re tired of trying to be “good enough,” wrestling with shame, or wondering whether you’ve used up all of God’s patience, this episode will breathe fresh hope into your heart. Grace isn’t a one-time gift. It’s the ongoing work of God in you — today, tomorrow, and every day after.
You’ll learn:
What Scripture means when it says we are saved by grace — and why that same grace is what transforms us daily.
The difference between working for God’s acceptance and living from your secure identity in Christ.
How sanctification really happens, and why slowing down helps us recognize the Holy Spirit’s work in us.
Why sharing grace with others matters, and how God can use your life to draw people to Himself.

Resources From This Episode:
When life feels uncertain, God’s promises are not. Stir up your faith with the 40 Days Through the New Testament study, and help even more women access biblical Truth through daily studies, podcasts, and encouraging resources. Give to Proverbs 31 Ministries today, and get a copy of this brand-new study guide as our thanks. 
Connect with Kristel Acevedo by following her on Instagram for biblical encouragement and practical teaching. Explore more of her work at KristelAcevedo.com, and make sure to check out her newest Bible study, A Way in the Wilderness.
Discover the Every Woman’s Bible. This is a study Bible created by over 100 women scholars, writers, and contributors from around the world. It is packed with notes and devotionals offering cultural, historical, and literary insight. Learn more at EveryWomansBible.com.
Click here to download a transcript of this episode
Want More on This Topic? 
Listen to “Are We Missing Jesus as We Work for Jesus?” with Gloria Umanah on The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast.

What if your confidence in Jesus didn’t have to rest on feelings alone — but on real, compelling evidence? In this episode, Kaley Olson and Meredith Brock sit down with Dr. Joel Muddamalle to explore why Christians can trust both the Bible and the historical Jesus with clarity and confidence.
Joel unpacks the surprisingly strong historical, textual, and archaeological evidence surrounding Scripture, the overwhelming support for the resurrection, and why even secular scholars take the Gospels seriously. You’ll walk away not just informed but anchored — reminded that the story of Jesus isn’t fragile, mythical, or wishful thinking. It’s trustworthy. It’s verifiable. And it changes everything.

You’ll learn:
How the Bible’s accuracy and fulfilled prophecies point to Jesus as a real, historical person.
Why the Gospels can be trusted — backed by archaeology, thousands of manuscripts, and even secular scholars.
What makes the resurrection not just a belief but a well-supported historical event.
How solid evidence can strengthen your faith and give you confidence when questions or doubts arise.
Resources From This Episode:
Download the free First 5 app: Begin a daily rhythm of studying God’s Word with clear, trustworthy teaching that helps you grow with confidence. Perfect for starting (or restarting!) your Bible study habits this year.
Follow Dr. Joel Muddamalle: Get accessible, thoughtful theology through his Instagram and free Substack — practical tools to help deepen your understanding of Scripture every week.
Explore 40 Days Through the New Testament: Knowing the Savior Who Steadies Our Uncertainty:Walk through the New Testament with rich teaching — including contributions from Dr. Joel Muddamalle — designed to strengthen your confidence in who Jesus is and why His story can be trusted.
Click here to download a transcript of this episode
Want More on This Topic? 
Listen to “Am I Reading My Bible Right?” — a conversation between Dr. Joel Muddamalle and Shae Hill from The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast.

Christmas is the story of Love stepping toward us — yet for many of us, love is still the place where our deepest questions live. Why is it hard to give? Why is it even harder to receive? And what does Advent have to do with it?

In this final Advent episode, Kaley Olson, Wendy Blight, and Ellen Adkins explore what Scripture reveals about the human heart — and why Jesus came to transform it from the inside out. You’ll get a freeing look at why hostility toward God shows up in all of us, how the Holy Spirit enables a new kind of love we could never muster on our own, and a tender invitation to receive the love God is offering right now.
With biblical teaching, honest reflection, and a prayer for anyone longing for a fresh start with God, this episode reminds us: His love isn’t distant or conditional. It’s personal, present … and it’s meant for you.
You’ll learn:
Why Scripture says our natural hearts resist God — and how Advent reveals Jesus’ plan to transform them.
What God’s steadfast love looks like throughout the Bible and why we often struggle to receive it.
How the Holy Spirit enables us to love God and others in ways we cannot on our own.
A simple prayer and practical steps for beginning or renewing a relationship with Jesus this Christmas.

Resources From This Episode:

Join us for Advent in the First 5 app!
Download the free app, and spend five minutes each day studying God’s Word with women around the world.
Go deeper with our brand-new Advent study guide, More Than a Manger.
Experience the Christmas story with fresh eyes through rich biblical teaching and meaningful daily reflections.
Help more women access biblical Truth this season.
Your generosity fuels everything we do — from free podcasts to devotions to study resources.
[Give to Proverbs 31 Ministries today.]
Click here to download a transcript of this episode
Want More on This Topic? 
Listen to “The Secret to Really Loving Your Neighbor” with Jada Edwards on The Proverbs 31 Ministries Podcast.