Defined

In this bonus episode, Kate Grounds and Kelly Hill interview Sissy Goff, the Director of Child and Adolescent Counseling at Daystar Counseling Ministries in Nashville and the author of over 12 books. They have an in-depth discussion about what it practically looks like to come alongside pre-teen and teen girls as they live out their calling in an increasingly complex culture. If you have a pre-teen or teenage girl in your life, then this episode is for you!

In this wrap up episode, we chat with Deanna Lynn about how she's found a calling and purpose after escaping the sex industry. Deanna has a masters degree in Spiritual Formation from Asbury Theological Seminary, is the author of two books, and recently became a mom to twin girls.

Many young adults hold onto the false notion that you "figure out" your secondary calling in your 20s and then statically live it out the rest of your life. In reality, our secondary callings are not always this linear and clear-cut. In this episode, we chat with Rachel Webb and Stefanie Head about how their sense of calling and purpose has shifted since entering their second half of life. 

In this episode, we chat with Mark Matlock, co-author of Faith for Exiles: Five Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon. Mark has spent the past 20 years researching the church's impact on young adults, and has unique insight on what helps and hinders young adults in their walk with Christ. With the recent launch of our young adults ministry, this episode highlights the ways we can come alongside, empower, and learn from young adults in our church.   

In this episode of the defined podcast, we chat with Ked and Michelle Frank about what it looks like to maintain an accurate view of God and fight the enemies tactics as we live out our calling.

As women, we are told many mixed messages about our bodies starting at a very young age. Due to these confusing and conflicting narratives, many of us have a hard time grasping God's vision for this area of our lives. This can leave us unsure what our faith has to say about cosmetic surgery, postpartum bodies, diet culture and more. In this podcast episode, we have an in-depth conversation with Jess Connolly about her recently published book, Breaking Free from Body Shame: Dare to Reclaim what God has Named Good.

Sometimes we can become so focused on a future stage of life we lose the ability to find purpose in our present circumstances. In this episode of the defined podcast, we explore what it looks like to find God in the middle of the mundane.   (Featuring Dr. Michael Voigts, Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary)

Defined is back for season four and putting our focus on the idea of calling. In this opening episode, Kate unpacks the heart behind this season and explains the difference between primary and secondary callings.

In this wrap up episode, Kate and Michelle reflect on this season of the defined podcast and share how it personally impacted them. They also identify and discuss themes woven throughout this season and end with some encouragement and next steps. 

In this episode we sit down with Southland staff member Tiffany Jacobs as she shares what it looked like to worship God in the midst of miracles, miscarriages, and more. If you have experienced a miscarriage, this episode will remind you that you are not alone in your suffering, and there is hope to be found in the grieving. If you've never personally experienced a miscarriage, this episode will equip you to better walk alongside and empathize with the women in your life who are grieving this type of loss.

In this episode, we sit down with Miss Kentucky and former Southland employee, Alex Franke, as she shares what has helped her stay faithful in and steward well the role she's been given. She also shares parts of her own faith journey, including her thoughts on what makes this season particularly tough for women in their 20s.

In this episode, we sit down with professional counselor Michelle Harrison (PhD). Michelle spent five years as a therapist for Refuge for Women and recently opened her own practice, Grace to Glory, where she continues to counsel women through their darkest moments. Not only does Michelle give us some practical wisdom when it comes to navigating seasons of suffering, but she also shares her expertise on the topics of addiction and trauma. You can learn more about Michelle's field of work at https://www.gracetoglorycounseling.org/. 

Mental health is a unique form of suffering that many women are well-acquainted with. In this episode, we sit down with Southland native Emily Presley to have an intentional conversation about how to view our mental health through a Biblical lens. If you personally struggle with mental health, you'll feel seen, encouraged, and equipped by this episode. If you know someone close to you who struggles, you'll better understand how to come alongside and support them in their suffering.  

In this episode, we sit down with Charlotte Easley, a clinically trained trauma therapist and current life coach for Christian women. Filled to the brim with practical wisdom, Charlotte offers us her unique perspective on what it looks like to thrive and not just survive in seasons of suffering, including the one we're in. If you want to learn more about Charlotte and her field of work, you can visit her website at www.charlotteeasley.com.

In this episode, we sit down with Southland native, Taryn Chula, as she shares her personal experience with finding faith in hard times. Not only will you hear a powerful story of God's redemption, but you'll learn what it looks like to choose healing and forgiveness in the midst of deep heartache.

Defined is back for season three and putting our focus on what it looks like to have faith in hard times. In this opening episode, you'll hear our heart behind the theme for this season and get a preview of what's to come. Moving into our third season, we are hoping to move away from the more topical approach to instead address what it looks like to live out our faith day-to-day. Considering our current cultural climate and its ripple effects, there is a tone of collective struggle at the moment, and the Church is hungry to know what faith that can withstand those trials looks like. In a time where many are hitting a wall, we want to offer a podcast season that addresses these crises in a real way, and shows women what it looks like to come out of seasons of suffering stronger on the other side.

We'll unpack some of the main themes that surfaced throughout this season of Defined and identify ways to serve and get connected with other women in this community. 1) What have been your major takeaways from this season? 2) What have you been most challenged by in this season? 3) Do you sense any invitations from the Lord to change or deepen your community? 4) Reflecting on the gifts and talents the Lord has given you, what is one way you can begin (or continue) serving the women in our community? 5) Wrap up your time together by praying over each other and the women in our church community—ask the Lord to continue to root us in His truth, use us for His Kingdom, and help us discern what He is calling us to next. Resources: If you are interested in serving in our middle or high school ministry, please contact Kate Grounds at kgrounds@southlandchristian.org If you are interested in getting involved in a Defined. small group, a freedom group, or any other small group at Southland please contact Spencer Hahn at shahn@southlandchristian.org If you are interested in volunteering at Natalie's Sisters please contact them at help@nataliessisters.org. If you are interested in volunteering at Refuge for Women please visit their website at refugeforwomen.org

Episode 8: Work & Ministry Women face a unique pressure in our work worlds to balance perfectly, either through achieving or opting out. We want to unpack how women can work and lead from a Kingdom perspective. (Featuring Diane Perez) Questions: 1) What is the “work” God has called you to in this season? How can you use it to glorify him? 2) If you work in a non-Christian environment, how can you be a representation of Jesus to your non-Christian co-workers? 3) Have you ever felt the pressure as a woman to balance work, relationships, family, etc.? If so, how have you found balance and peace in the midst of those things? 4) Where is the Lord inviting you to walk away from cultural pressure?

With or without kids, in any season of life, women have the opportunity to be spiritual mothers to communities and raise up younger women of God. Part two of our conversation with Amy Haga. Questions: 1) Are there women in your life God has put on your heart to pour into? 2) If you've mentored someone or been mentored by someone before, how did you see God at work in that relationship? 3) How can you learn from women in other seasons of life?

Episode 7: Mothering With or without kids, in any season of life, women have the opportunity to be spiritual mothers to communities and raise up younger women of God. (Featuring Amy Haga) Questions: 1) What stood out to you from this podcast episode? 2) Who in your life has most impacted you view of motherhood? 3) How does motherhood uniquely reflect the heart of God? 4) If you are a mom, how do you invite the Lord into your parenting? What has been the biggest challenge for you in this season of parenting? 5) What can you learn from Biblical mothers? Pick one to read and study through and pray about what the Lord has to teach you (suggested character studies: Mary, Naomi, Hannah, Elizabeth).

Episode 6: Marriage Marriage is intended to be an image of Christ's love for his people; we'll unpack women's role in this partnership and what Biblical marriage looks like. Questions: 1) Who in your life has had the biggest impact on the way you view marriage and the role/expectations of a wife? 2) How should a Christian marriage look different than a non-Christian marriage? How has our culture's view of marriage damaged/altered the way we as Christians view marriage? 3) Practically speaking, what might it look like to have Jesus at the center of a marriage? 4) Read Philippians 2:5-8 (this passage reminds us that Jesus willingly submitting his life to God through his death on the cross). Read Ephesians 5:22-25. When you hear the word “submission” what comes to mind? What does it look like to submit to God? What might healthy submission in a marriage practically look like? 5) If you are married, what areas can you more deeply invite the Lord into your marriage? 6) If you are not married, how can you better support and celebrate your married friends?

Episode 5: Singleness Though this season is often overlooked or pitied by the church, single seasons of life were intended to exist with deep purpose and beyond just a time of “waiting.” Looking to Paul's teaching, we can get a better context on God's intent for this season or way of life. (Featuring Jessica Avery) Questions: 1) What has your experience with singleness been like? What have been (or were) the biggest obstacles in being single? 2) How did this episode alter your perspective on singleness? 3) How should Christians perspective on singleness differ than non-Christians? 4) If you are currently in a season of singleness, what unique opportunities has God given you in this season? What is he calling you to in this season? 5) What are you believing about God's heart for you in this season? 6) Are there areas of your life you need to grieve your expectations for? 7) If you are not married, how can you support, include, and celebrate your single friends?

Episode 4: Friendship Women are known to be prone to gossip and drama in our friendships, but particularly in a Kingdom mindset, we have an opportunity to defy that tendency and use our friendships to empower one another to be deeper and more committed in our faith. (Featuring Jen Lucas and Melanie Uhls) Scripture: Naomi and Ruth Questions: 1) Who are the people God has already placed in your life that encourage you and walk with you as you grow in faith? 2) What is one way you can practice more vulnerability within your community? 3) Where can you invite people into your community? 4) How can you be more intentional in your friendships? 5) How can you make prayer more of a practice in your friendships?

Episode 3: Compassion, Empathy and the Heart of God Women often get negatively stereotyped as being highly emotional, but our sensitivity, empathy and relational capacity are far from weakness. These aspects of our character reflect God's heart for his people. Compassion, sensitivity. (Featuring Rebecca Hatton) Scripture: Isaiah 49:13-16, Isaiah 66:12-13, Matthew 26:6-13, Matthew 27:55-61 Questions: 1) Read Isaiah 49:14-16 and Isaiah 66:12-13 together. In these passages, God compares his compassion for his people to that of a mother's compassion for her child. Do you have a hard time seeing God as a God of mercy and compassion? Why or why not? 2) Not only do we see the fingerprints of God's compassion and mercy in Old Testament passages like these, but we also see the perfect portrayal of God's compassion and mercy in the person of Jesus Christ. If you study Jesus' life and ministry, you will quickly realize he was a person of immense compassion and mercy. Do you tend to see your compassion and empathy as a God-given strength? Why or why not? 3) How has the negative portrayal of women as being “too emotional” affected the way you see yourself? In what areas of your life have you encountered this stereotype? 4) What does it look like to have healthy empathy with boundaries? How can we resist being ruled by our emotions and/or being taken advantage of by other people? 5) Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Where do you need the Lord to grow compassion in you? What person (or group of people) is the Lord calling you to have more compassion for?

Episode 2: Cultivating Counter-Cultural Beauty Beauty is one of the more notable characteristics of God we reflect, but what does that mean in a world that has the concept of beauty twisted? We'll unpack what Godly beauty means and how we can possess that apart from vanity. (Featuring Michelle Barnette) Scripture: Proverbs 31:31, 1 Peter 3:3-4, the book of Esther, Psalm 139 Questions: 1) How has our culture's perception of beauty affected the way you see yourself? 2) Read 1 Peter 3:3-5 and 1 Peter 5:8. In this same letter, Paul reminds us as women to care more about our inner beauty than our outer beauty AND he reminds us that there is a real enemy who is trying to tear us down. Why do you think the enemy often attacks women through our self-appearance and insecurities? 3) While it's good and godly to take care of our bodies, when we obsess over how we look we quickly become too self-focused and fall into the comparison trap. This is a great tactic of the enemy, who is constantly trying to pull us away from focusing on the big picture of God's kingdom. 4) How has your relationship with God changed the way you see or define beauty? 5) What are practical steps you can take to focus more on your inner beauty and character than your outer appearance? Where can you make a practical shift in how you're spending your time and what you're focusing on? 6) Read Esther 4 together, which talks about Mordecai (Esther's cousin) and Esther's response to finding out about the King's plan to assassinate all the Jews. While Esther is commended for her choice to use her voice and status to save God's people, it is Mordecai who ultimately reminds her of what's most important when she is having a moment of doubt. He helps her see beyond her fears and fix her eyes on the big picture of God's kingdom. As women, we are called to be a similar voice in our friends' lives. Practically speaking, how can we help the women around us focus more on God's plan and purpose for their lives rather than their insecurities? 7) Esther knew that her worth and identity came from God instead of her outer appearance, which allowed her to leave behind this amazing legacy. Take some time to write down your answers to the following questions: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? What do you want to be remembered by? 8) If you are open to it, share what you wrote with your group. Take what you wrote and put it somewhere you look often (your mirror, by your bed, etc.), and use it as a reminder of what you want to be the most known for.

Defined is back for a second season and putting our focus on what the Kingdom of God looks like, and how women fit into that picture. Episode 1: Women in the Kingdom Overview and original context for women and how we were created; what the “helper” term means, how Proverbs 31 is not an exhaustive list, and what womanhood can look like from a variety of life experiences. Scripture: Proverbs 31:10-31, Genesis 2:18, Matthew 1:1-17 Questions: 1) What character-traits define a godly woman? 2) Before listening to this podcast episode, what came to mind when you thought of a “Proverbs 31 woman”? How did the unpacking of Proverbs 31 in this episode add to or challenge the way you approach this passage of Scripture? 3) What parts of your character and personality reflect the Lord's heart? 4) Do you struggle to believe you add value to God's kingdom? Why or why not? 5) How do you think the Lord wants to use your unique gifts and personality to contribute to His Kingdom?

We'll wrap up our first season talking about how to let Jesus into our pain, and how this can be one of the greatest hindrances to faith or one of the greatest gateways for hope.

The lies we may believe don't just affect how we see ourselves, but how we see God. In order to be spiritually healthy people, we also have to be emotionally healthy people, and that means uprooting lies and finding truth.

We can sometimes get in a habit of checking boxes or chasing perfectionism in our faith. What we may not recognize at the root of that is shame, and the freedom Jesus offers us from it.

We'll talk about where self-obsession plays a role in our culture and our faith, and the freedom available when we know the reality of a faith that's not about us.

In our first episode, we'll introduce this podcast and outline our vision for redefining women's conversations, why this is important right now, and how we'll dig into this.