In a world filled with distractions, it's easy to feel like our attention is being pulled in many different directions. Have you ever found yourself engrossed in your phone, only to realize you've missed a meaningful moment with someone you love? Join us in this episode as we explore the challenges of distractions. Katie Westenberg and Mentor Mama share personal insights and practical tips to help us reclaim our focus and live more intentionally, keeping the focus where it matters most: God...

Welcome to a special episode of the Coffee and Bible Time podcast, where we dive into the challenges faced by Christian women during the holiday season. As the holidays approach, our hearts are filled with gratitude, but let’s acknowledge the specific concerns that may arise. I’m Ellen, your Mentor Mama, and joining me today is my daughter Ashley from Coffee and Bible Time. We will discuss: 🌟Balancing Family Expectations: The first challenge we tackle is the pressure to meet family...

Finding suitable family entertainment that can be enjoyed by all generations during the holiday season can be a challenging task. Join us as co-writer Nikki Anders takes us behind the scenes of “Journey to Bethlehem.” This musical movie which is destined to be the newest Christmas classic contender, offers an opportunity for families to come together, share in the holiday spirit, and create lasting memories. Visit the official website of the movie at journeytobethebethlehemmovie.com to learn...

Today we are going to be talking about entrusting your love story to God. Being single in today’s world is a road that can have many twists, turns, and bumps. You deeply want to trust God in your season of singleness, but the waiting is hard! God sees you and hears your prayers! This season is meant to seek God’s Word and experience Him on an intimate level while learning to wait patiently and on His timing. Our guest today, Erin Elise Kiu, has experienced the heartbreak of navigating...

Today we are going to be talking about how to find and live out your God-given purpose. The truth for each of us as followers of Christ is that God has a purpose for all of our lives. But, sometimes, that can trip us up! How do we know what our purpose is? How do we find our true calling? How do we deal with doubt while pursuing what God has for us? Our guest today, Megan Holmes, founder of the online community, She Lives Purposefully, is here to share her perspective on living with purpose...

Today we will be talking about how to recognize God’s radiant glory and His manifest presence in everyday life. If you are seeking to live a presence-centered life at work, home and church, and enjoy a deeper biblical fullness of the Holy spirit, you have come to the right place.  Our guest, Dr. Roger Helland, will help us sort through common fears and misunderstandings about God’s presence and help us recognize His transformative power everywhere, all the time by actively seeking Him every...

The battle for sexual purity and how to best understand our loved one who is caught in the trap of sexual sin, all while acknowledging the hurt and betrayal that accompanies these sexual addictions. Pornography is big business in America and across the world. From books to magazines, movies to the internet, men AND women are lured into pornography every day. The goal of this big business is to hook you in with no regard for the hurt and destruction that it causes in our homes and...

In today's episode, we are going to be talking about discovering your parenting style to aid in replacing “mom guilt” with confident parenting. Being a mom in today’s world is tough. With social pressure leading to that dreaded mom guilt, the comparison we can encounter daily is stealing our happiness in our mothering roles.  Approaching motherhood with a preset idea of how parenting should look is taking our eyes off of our unique role as a mom and our own mental, spiritual, and physical...

In this episode, we will be discussing how theology and relational intimacy with Jesus can come together. We talk a lot about the importance of “walking with Jesus,” but what exactly does that look like, practically speaking, as we live out our everyday lives? Well, our guest today, Lisa Harper, author of the newly released devotional, Jesus, is here to discuss that topic with us. Lisa would like to invite each of us to pursue a lifelong journey of understanding the personhood of Jesus and...

Today we are going to be talking about how God uses imperfect people to do great things. Do you ever feel like you are disqualified from God’s love because you have messed up again? Or because your past feels so tainted that God couldn’t possibly love you or use you in His perfect Salvation story? Well, lucky for us, He is the God of second chances and new beginnings. His grace does not quit because we feel unworthy to accept it. Here today to delve deeper into this truth is Max Lucado, whose...

Today we are going to be talking about healing for our souls through the Lord’s Prayer. We find in the gospels that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray by reciting the Lord’s prayer. Now, Christians around the world recite the Lord’s Prayer, but today we are going to be looking deeper at this sacred gift given to us by our Heavenly Father. This prayer not only teaches deep theology about our relationship with God but also our relationship with others by boldly reclaiming the blessings...

Today, we delve into a captivating way of experiencing and connecting with God's Word - through dramatized stories. In a world brimming with an abundance of secular entertainment options, we get excited to discover a family-friendly alternative that breathes fresh life into the timeless story of Jesus, delivering it in a unique and imaginative manner. At times like these, when such options emerge, we are compelled to shine a spotlight on them, guiding our audience towards content that not...

Today we are going to be talking about navigating the worry and anxiety that comes with parenting. The rate of anxiety is growing significantly among our children today. The thing about anxiety is it has an amazing ability to spread. If a parent has anxiety, it is likely their children will also have anxiety. In today’s cultural climate, parents have much to be anxious about! So, how do we, as parents, turn the tide of worry and anxiety, and instead model confidence and bravery to our...

Today we are going to be talking about the seasons in the Christian life where we struggle to believe that God is truly faithful. We know the Bible teaches us that God is always faithful, and you can read all throughout the Bible and look back through history at the affirmations. But what if it doesn’t look that way to you? Well, you are not alone. The Bible is full of examples of God’s children struggling to trust him in difficult seasons. Our guest today, Jon Bloom, author of the devotional...

Today we are going to be talking about breaking free from the exhausting cycle of trying to be good enough. Many of us have been caught in the cycle of striving to please God and striving to please others through our own strength and through our own works and good deeds. Ultimately, we let someone down or we feel like the works we are doing simply aren’t enough to measure up to the standard that we have imagined it takes to win God’s love and approval. Our guest today, Kaitlin Garrison knows...

Today we are going to be talking about the tough topics that come with marriage and how to let God redeem those broken places. We all love the idea of having a fairytale wedding and having that day spill over into the rest of our lives together as man and wife. But the truth of the matter is that marriage is hard! And some marriages are facing tough situations like pornography, addictions, affairs, or just growing apart and being unhappy. The good news is that even in those tough situations...

Today we are going to be talking about wrestling with God through seasons of spiritual exhaustion. Do you ever feel so exhausted that it makes you feel weak, tired, and on the verge of giving up? You feel like you are doing everything right: saying the right words, praying the right prayers, and reading the Bible, but you still feel lost, frustrated, or forgotten. In a nutshell, your faith doesn’t seem to be working anymore. Well, our guest today, Ashley Morgan Jackson, author of the new...

Today we are going to be talking about how to move beyond the struggles of addiction and dysfunction through the life-changing power of Jesus. An overwhelming amount of people are hurting from past mistakes, habits, addictions, and a host of painful dysfunctions. Finding the courage to bravely face these deep struggles can seem far-fetched and out of reach, but it isn’t. Our guest today, Dr. Tracy Strawberry, author of the book, The Courage to Heal: Moving Beyond Your Habits, Your Past, and...

Today we are going to be talking about how the human heart longs for many things – love, joy, and peace, but above all else, it longs to experience a love story with God. Have you ever noticed how many of your favorite movies or books seem to tell the same story over and over again? So many movies involve a hero, a villain, and a love interest in distress that draws us in and completely captivates our attention. How does this act of storytelling reveal the story we all ultimately long for?...

Today we are going to be talking about how to bring color and life to our Bible study time! A fun fact is that the Bible is the highest-selling and most-read book in all the world, but so many of us get stuck in a rut when approaching this gift from God. Instead of feeling inspired and energized when we read it, we oftentimes feel confused, frustrated, and disenchanted. That’s definitely not how God wants us to feel after reading His Word! So, today our guest, Bible scholar and lover of God’s...

Today we are going to be talking about how we keep ourselves in bondage by trying to control our lives, but when we surrender, Christ offers us freedom. We will discuss: practical steps to letting go of controlstrategiesbiblically rich insight for letting go of control and moving forward in faithI would imagine there is someone listening today who struggles with control and fully trusting God in every area of their lives. Our guest today, Tara Sun author of the book, Surrender Your Story:...

Today we are going to be talking about love and how to make it last for the long haul in our marriages, families, friends, and yes, even among enemies. Our guest today, Dr. Gary Chapman is here with us to talk about how the complexities of life have an effect on our relationships, so making the choice to love, and not merely relying on the feelings of love, is so important to maintaining strong, lasting relationships.  Book: Love is a Choice Book: The Five Love Languages Take the Love...

Today we are talking about practices that can help people reset old ways of thinking which can lead to meaningful change. Sometimes our unhealthy habits can hold us back from fully relying on the Lord and walking in the renewed strength that He provides. Our guest today, Debra Fileta, author of the new book, Reset: Powerful Habits to Own Your Thoughts, Understand Your Feelings, and Change Your Life, is here to share tools rooted in God’s Word that we can apply to our lives to break free from...

Today we are going to be talking about marriage and its purpose. We are taught in the Gospel of Luke that there is no marriage in Heaven, so why is there marriage while we are here on this earth? What is its purpose, and is it for everyone? Here to answer those questions and to help us understand more about God’s design for marriage is Pastor David Giese, lead pastor of Village Church of Gurnee. Website & Sermons: Village Church of Gurnee Favorite Bible Version: ESV Favorite Journaling...

Today we are going to be talking about” How to experience Israel without ever leaving home!” How many times have you read the Bible and simply wondered: What does it look like today? What history does it still hold from when Jesus walked the same terrain?  What is the landscape like? Or, what are the people like?  But, you’re just unable to travel there yourself. Well, our guest today, Dr. Charlie Dyer, author of the book, Experiencing the Land of the Book: A Life-Changing Journey Through...