Archives of #faith

Hope + Help for Family Worship with Don Whitney

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews Don Whitney about his book, "Family Worship," exploring why it's important, how to deal with common stumbling blocks that arise, and practical wisdom for busy families who want to develop a regular (yet doable) routine in the home. During the conversation, Don shares scriptural support for the practice of family worship and explores reasons why today's families may struggle to make it a priority in their daily lives. He debunks the notion that large amount of prep time is involved and offers three areas of focus for leaders who desire to become intentional in cultivating a routine. Don also encourages listeners not to have unrealistic expectations about the time spent together, but to embrace the reality that chaotic families will have chaotic family worship—and that's okay!
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3 years ago

Our Better Hope: Eight Priestly Comforts for Times of Need

The truth of Christ as our merciful high priest may, upon first glance, appear as an irrelevant consolation in times of need, but the book of Hebrews highlights the critical importance of Jesus’ role of the true and better priest of God’s people. Not only has the Son of Man entered into the Father’s presence as a forerunner on our behalf (Hebrews 6:20), but the book makes eight assurances of “better” things which directly result from Jesus’s permanent high priestly duty.
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3 years ago

Hope + Help for Wilderness Seasons with Stacy Reaoch

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author and writer Stacy Reaoch. They discuss her book, Wilderness Wanderings: Finding Contentment in the Desert Times of Life to examine God’s big-picture plan of the Israelites’ trek through the wilderness, and how their journey helps us find hope and wisdom for the desert times we face in life.
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3 years ago

Hope + Help for Enduring Faith with Trillia Newbell

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author Trillia Newbell to discuss her new book, Sacred Endurance: Finding Grace and Strength for a Lasting Faith. During the interview, Trillia shares her story of coming to Christ as an adult. She also takes on the "fake it 'till you make it" mentality, warns against the toxic effects of the prosperity gospel, and explains how the Scriptures invite us to engage God in the midst of our suffering. Encouraging listeners with gospel-centered reminders, Trillia also helps us to understand how to keep our hearts from growing cynical in the midst of tumultuous political/cultural climates.
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4 years ago

Hope + Help for Self-Focus with Lydia Brownback

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author Lydia Brownback. They discuss Lydia's book, "Flourish: How the Love of Christ Frees Us from Self-Focus" to help us discern the worldly influences that threaten to warp our understanding of what it really means to be a Christian. We’ll explore topics such as self-consciousness, self-care, self-improvement, and self-condemnation, and discover how the gospel of Jesus Christ equips us to enjoy true freedom in these areas.
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4 years ago

When We Hit Rock Bottom: Waiting on God in Sad Seasons

Psalm 126 is a song of hope for those held captive by present sorrows and dire affliction. It encourages those who walk with weighted steps to wait expectantly for their God. There is a special promise for those who shed tears in desperate places—the sorrow will not endure forever. God will restore us once more, and our joy will be made all the greater for having endured the tribulation by faith. When rock bottom feels like the end of us, we can trust that Christ will hold us fast—for “with him is plentiful redemption” (Psalm 130:7).
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4 years ago

Hope + Help for Young Women with Chelsea Hurst

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews author and social media influencer Chelsea Hurst. They discuss Chelsea's brand new book, Above All Else to explore the common challenges facing young Christian women today. Chelsea highlights the various performance pressures that "20-somethings" grapple with, and explains how the temptation to conform to worldly standards leads followers of Christ into self-inflicted pain and disappointment. She also recounts a monumental story of forgiveness after murder, warns listeners about the danger of using God's grace as a cop-out for intentionally sinful lifestyle choices, and encourages young women to pursue spiritual growth and maturity in the context of authentic Christian community.
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4 years ago

Hope + Help for Anxious Hearts with Paul Tautges

In this episode of The Hope + Help Project, Christine Chappell interviews Pastor and author Paul Tautges. They discuss Paul's brand new book, Anxiety: Knowing God’s Peace to explore how the gospel of Jesus Christ offers meaningful resources for the fight against crippling worries and fears. Paul addresses the spiritual and physical components of our anxiety, explains how it can help us reorient our hearts toward God, and offers listeners biblically-based comforts and wisdom for fighting anxiety on the spiritual battlefield. He also suggest passages of Scripture which help us to engage our anxiety, gently inviting listeners into a deeper understanding of and reliance upon God's peace.
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4 years ago

Four Sustaining Graces for Seasons of Depression

It’s true, the experience of depression is exhausting—both physically and spiritually. We find ourselves desperately feeling around for a light switch that we may finally land our fingers on a toggle. But alas, there are no quick remedies for instantly illuminating our gloom—no switch to flip, no immediate assuage of our pain. Yet, while depression is a season where our capabilities may be diminished, there are small sustaining graces to partake of which can carry us along while we wait.
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4 years ago

Examining the Dark: What to Do When Depression Lifts

Depression demands to be heard—to have a voice. Ed Welch writes, “There are times when depression is saying something and we must listen.” If we don’t take notice of the dirges despondency sings, we fail to capitalize on an important catalyst for spiritual growth.
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4 years ago

The Time God Met Me in the Mental Hospital

It's by design we raise our ebenezer on the battlefields of life (1 Samuel 7:10). Maybe for you, that place is a hospital bed. Maybe it's a courtroom. Maybe it's a jail cell. Maybe it's a clinic. Maybe it's a cemetery. Believe there is no place too taboo for our Jesus, no building or circumstance can keep him away from consoling your hurt and wiping your tears. Uncomfortable places of despair may separate us from the outside world for a time, but they cannot separate us from his steadfast love (Romans 8:35-39).
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4 years ago
Finding Freedom from Mom-Envy | Christine M Chappell

Finding Freedom from Mom-Envy (Seeking the Still Video)

In this Facebook LIVE recording, I share a message on the topic of “mom-envy,” exploring what it is, what the Bible calls it, ways it manifests itself in our lives, and how we can work in tandem with the Word and the Spirit for lasting heart change. This video was hosted by Laura Fleetwood, author/podcast […]
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5 years ago

4 Life-Changing Truths About God that Move Us from Chaos to Courage

If you find yourself in a season of chaos, let me first tell you that I understand completely. I have found myself in such a season, and it is not for the faint of heart. Yet even in these challenging times, we have an unique opportunity to put our faith into action. There is something about […]
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6 years ago

Make This Your Battle Cry (Thrive Moms Feature)

This article originally appeared at Thrive Moms on February 23, 2017. Christine M. Chappell is a contributing writer for the Thrive Moms blog, the author of “Clean Home, Messy Heart: Promises of Renewal, Hope, and Change for Overwhelmed Moms”, and is currently pursuing her biblical counseling certification.   He split his lip wide open. I couldn’t […]
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6 years ago

Dear Dreamer: The World Needs You Now

“The soul without imagination is what an observatory would be without a telescope.” Henry Ward Beecher You can’t do it. Stop trying. It’s impossible. Could there be a deeper wound to the spirit than hearing words such as these? Whether they land in our ears from the lips of another, or are the result of darts loosed […]
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6 years ago
For the Man Who Loves a Broken Mind | Christine M. Chappell

For the Man Who Loves a Broken Mind

We weren’t prepared for this. Certainly “for better or worse” sounded so romantically bittersweet. I’m not sure many of those entering into a lifetime of marriage say those words and think of being worse in a way they cannot see. “In sickness and in health“—a deathbed, an epic medical failure, a withered body with a hand to […]
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6 years ago
Jill E. McCormick | Guest Blog | Christine M. Chappell

Two Lies I Believe | Guest Post by Jill E. McCormick

♥ Hey friends! I’m bubbling with writing urges and I can’t wait to start sharing my own posts in just a couple weeks. In the meantime, my 2016 guest post series continues TODAY with writer/blogger Jill E. McCormick! ♥   It took getting hit by a car to realize I believed two lies about my […]
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6 years ago

7 Words You Need to Pray from the Garden of Gethsemane

Today, I’m welcoming guest writer Janelle Upton to the blog to share her reflections on the garden of Gethsemane. I really enjoyed her insights and I hope you do as well!   Can I be totally honest with you? Most times I do not in, anyway, relate to Jesus. I adore Him. I look to […]
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6 years ago
The Steadiness of Faith | Barbara Hill | Guest Post | Faithfulsparrow.com | Christine M. Chappell

The Steadiness of Faith | Guest Post by Barbara Hill

♥Hey friends! I’m taking the rest of the year off from writing original posts, but amazing things are still coming for you! My 2016 guest post series starts TODAY with writer/blogger Barbara Hill!♥   I was revisited today by an illustration I heard years ago about a ship and a train. My pastor was sharing about living […]
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7 years ago
When God Wills Us to Wait | Christine M Chappell | Clean Home Messy Heart

When God Wills for Us to Wait

The mailbox was full of junk again. I’ve been looming over it for the past week, awaiting the arrival of what I might as well call a “golden ticket”: a letter from Barnes & Noble’s small press department. Almost eight weeks ago, I submitted a package to have Clean Home, Messy Heart shelved at their […]
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7 years ago
Clean Home Messy Heart Podcast | Christine M. Chappell

Methods and Miracles | John 6:28-29

In this episode, Christine shares how a skin care commercial and recent failure in the production of the upcoming Clean Home, Messy Heart 40 Day Reflection Journal helped change her perspective on method-seeking as a way to problem solve. This episode’s featured scripture is John 6:28-29: Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the […]
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7 years ago