Pain doesn’t disappear because we can quote the right verse. Together with licensed counselor Theresa Kramer, we unpack how faith, psychology, and everyday community can meet mental illness with compassion and clarity. We talk about the difference between brain and mind, why your nervous system hijacks your best intentions, and how Scripture speaks to real suffering without minimizing it. Theresa offers practical tools for grounding and emotion regulation, guidance on when medication can help and why it isn’t a cure, and ways to build boundaries and skills that actually stick.

We also spend time on the moments that feel faith-shaking: grief that won’t lift, prayers that feel like they bounce back, and seasons when belief and darkness coexist. Rather than measuring faith by feelings, we anchor in passages that validate our limits and point to God’s steady care, including Psalm 88, Romans 8:26, and Colossians 3. Theresa explains how validation differs from agreement, why “don’t worry, just trust God” often fuels shame, and how listening without fixing opens the door to change—especially with adolescents navigating independence without a fully developed prefrontal cortex.

This conversation is a toolkit for pastors, parents, and “regular” Christians who want to help. You’ll learn simple, concrete ways to show up: sit in silence, send a specific written prayer, offer practical help, and encourage professional care when needed. No quick fixes, no spiritual bypassing—just a grounded path that honors both God’s Word and the realities of the human body and mind. If this resonates, subscribe, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show. What practice keeps you tethered when your feelings go offline?

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The ministry of Christian Life Resources promotes the sanctity of life and reaches hearts with the Gospel. We invite you to learn more about the work we're doing: https://christianliferesources.com/

Hard truths can heal or harm depending on how we carry them. We take a clear-eyed look at abortion as sin while refusing to flatten people into labels, and we explore how Christians can hold conviction and compassion in the same hand without compromising either. With Pastors Bob Fleischmann and Jeff Samelson joining Christa Potratz, we ground the value of unborn life in Scripture, unpack why “abortion is murder” oversimplifies real circumstances, and consider degrees of culpability—from abortion providers and advocates to coerced decisions, misinformation, and fear.

Across the conversation, we trace the web of related sins often wrapped around abortion: idolatry that elevates career or convenience, pride and rebellion against God’s authority, despair and unbelief that forget God’s provision, and sexual sin that ignores His design. We also confront our own omissions as a community when we fail to defend the vulnerable or to offer practical support. Speaking truth matters, but truth delivered without love becomes noise. We talk about the difference between being technically right and relationally faithful, using the biblical call to “speak the truth in love” as a guide for tone, timing, and patience.

Then we get practical. What does mercy look like on the ground so that abortion becomes the least desired choice? We outline tangible steps: listening before lecturing, pairing law with gospel, building networks for housing, child care, counseling, and financial help, and being a church that walks the extra mile. Humility leads the way—none of us stands on higher ground, and all of us live by grace. If you’re ready to move beyond slogans toward a witness that changes minds and carries burdens, this conversation is for you.

If this resonates, subscribe and share the episode with a friend. Leave a review to help others find the show, and tell us how your community is pairing conviction with compassion.

Support the show

The ministry of Christian Life Resources promotes the sanctity of life and reaches hearts with the Gospel. We invite you to learn more about the work we're doing: https://christianliferesources.com/

We sit with Sheila Luck to hear how a 1975 abortion, years of silence, and a risky prayer to “be God’s employee” turned regret into purpose, writing, and open‑handed service. The talk invites churches and families to become safe places where honesty and healing take root.

Please consider subscribing to this podcast, giving us a review wherever you access it, and sharing it with friends.

SHOW NOTES:
Sheila's website: https://www.sheilaluck.com/

Support the show

The ministry of Christian Life Resources promotes the sanctity of life and reaches hearts with the Gospel. We invite you to learn more about the work we're doing: https://christianliferesources.com/