
Show Notes
Many sincere Christians quietly carry the same question: If Jesus has saved me, why do I still struggle with the same patterns, sins, and frustrations? In this episode of Spiritually Formed, Brian and Katie Hess explore why so many believers feel stuck between what the gospel promises and what they actually experience in their lives. Often the problem isn’t a lack of sincerity or desire for God—it’s an incomplete understanding of the gospel itself. Many Christians have been taught that salvation frees us from the penalty of sin, but they’ve never been shown how the grace of God also begins to free us from the power of sin. We talk about why justification happens in a moment, but transformation is a process—and why trying to change ourselves through sheer effort often leads to cycles of frustration, shame, and exhaustion. The good news is that the gospel isn’t just about getting us into heaven someday. It’s about the life of the Kingdom of God beginning in us right now. If you’ve ever wondered why your life doesn’t seem to reflect the new life Jesus promises, this episode will help you understand what God is doing in the slow work of transformation.
More from Spiritually Formed
Anxiety is on the rise. Nearly half of Americans say they’re more anxious than they were a year ago. But anxiety isn’t new, and God has been speaking to anxious hearts for thousands of years. In this episode, Brian and Katie discuss: A timeless remedy for thoughts and feelings of fear and worry What Scripture says about anxiety How to access the peace of God What a miscarriage taught them about joy and fear
On any given day, the choices we make barely move the needle of our spiritual, physical, or emotional health. Missing your morning Bible reading won't derail your spiritual life. Skipping the gym won't ruin your physical health. But when you zoom out and look at your year, the patterns and habits that emerge over a longer period of time will tell a story of the person you're becoming. Often it's the same excuse for why we let important practices go - "I don't have time to ______" (fill in the blank). Pray. Read. Go to the gym. Eat a home cooked meal. Rather than saying we don't have time, we need to say "I haven't made it a priority." It's not until we take ownership of what we're actively saying yes to that we're able to take steps toward making a meaningful change.
Every place has a culture, including your home. The question is whether it’s being built on purpose or by default. In this episode, Brian and Katie Hess discuss: What culture is and what shapes it What it means that the Kingdom of God has a culture of its own How getting to know God’s values helps us model our homes after Heaven A few of the values we have actively and intentionally said "yes" to in our home
Life is hard. Marriage is hard. Parenting is hard. Managing money is hard. But there are two kinds of hard — and only one of them is worth choosing. In this episode, Brian and Katie discuss: Why every area of life offers two kinds of difficult, and how to tell them apart The difference between the pain of discipline and the pain of regret Why avoiding what's hard today almost always costs more later
Being a disciple of Jesus means transferring lordship to Him, but most Christians recognize that there's a part of them that is resistant to obedience. Often, when people want to change, they make the mistake of trying to change rather than training for change. In this episode, Brian and Katie Hess discuss: Their personal struggles with obedience to Jesus Three things you need to grow in any area The difference between training and trying