We’re back in the book of Genesis, this time chapters 2 & 3. These chapters talk about the Adam & Eve, God’s original plan, the serpent, the first sin, and the fall of man resulting in the consequences of pain and death in this world. These are all things you’ve probably heard about before, but we want to invite you to engage with these chapters with fresh eyes today. These words are about much more than just what happened in the garden - they tell the story of who God is, what it means to be made in His image, and what sin really is.

Today, Emily and Anna are beginning a journey through the book of Genesis. This book is rich with meaning and foundational to our faith—it’s where the story truly begins. If you’ve ever listened to a sermon that referenced Abraham or the Old Testament and felt a little lost, this series is for you. We’re going back to the beginning to better understand the larger story of Scripture and how it all fits together, and how it all so beautifully points to Jesus.

Happy New Year! Emily and Anna kick off 2026 with some reflections on last year and prayers for the coming year. Hope you enjoy!

This is the final week of advent and the final podcast episode of 2025! Today Emily and Anna zoom in on the culmination of the advent season - love. Why did God send his son to save us? Because he loved the world. The hope is to spend this week meditating on that love - how undeserved it really was, and how it calls us to a higher standard of loving others.

We’re in the third week of the advent season, and this week we’re focusing on joy! Emily and Anna read through two stories from the Christmas narrative that highlight two different types of joy - joy that waits and joy that seeks - and talk about what it looks like to practice that joy this Christmas season.

This is the second week of advent and we’re talking all about peace. What does advent peace mean as opposed to worldly peace? How can we walk in our calling to be a people who create peace around us as an extension of our relationship with God? Emily and Anna read through the prophesy in Isaiah 9:5-7 about the Messiah, and then His birth in Luke 2:1-20. Praying peace over your week!

This week, Emily and Anna kick off the Advent season—four weeks leading up to Christmas when we slow down and sit in the longing, waiting, and expectation of God’s promised Messiah. Each week we’ll lean into a different theme of the story, and this week we’re beginning with hope.

What actually sets Advent hope apart from ordinary, worldly hope? And how does the story of Elizabeth—the mother of John the Baptist—help us see God’s intentionality and faithfulness in a fresh way? John, a relative of Jesus, was born to prepare the way for the Messiah, and his story reminds us that God is always at work, even in the waiting.

Today we’re talking about Hannah - a woman who went through years of waiting and suffering, called out to the Lord, and had her prayer answered. She is the mother of Samuel - who goes on to become an important figure in the bigger picture of the Bible. We also focus in today on what it looks like to practice gratitude as an act of worship to God. Hope you enjoy!

After Jesus healed Mary Magdalene from her seven demons (yikes), her entire life was transformed. She was there at Jesus’ death, burial, and the first one to see Him resurrected. She traveled with Jesus and the disciples and she even helped fund Jesus’ ministry. We are taking a closer look at her life today and seeing what we can learn from her.

This is such a special conversation with our dear friend and AYA Bible study leader Mary Crosby!! We talk all about starting a business and incorporating your faith, following God’s calling on your life, walking out faith day-to-day, and taking leaps of faith. You don’t want to miss this one, but especially if you’re thinking about planning your next steps.

We’re so excited to share our Fall Worship night talk from Clemson! Mary Crosby Swinney is our senior Bible study leader and an all around wonderful human. She takes us through 3 important stories in the Bible that illustrate just how crucial it is to be intentional and present with God. This is so helpful and so important. Hope you enjoy!

In this final episode of Romans, Anna and Emily look at Paul’s closing encouragements — a call to unity, endurance, and hope. Paul reminds believers to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us and prays that we’d be filled with joy and peace, overflowing with hope through the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

He also shares his heart for ministry and closes with personal greetings that show how relational the gospel really is. These chapters remind us that faith isn’t lived out alone — it’s a shared story of friendship, encouragement, and hope.

In this episode, Anna and Emily unpack Romans 13–14, where Paul calls believers to live out their faith with love and humility. We discuss what it means to submit to authority while remembering God is the ultimate ruler, and how love fulfills the law in everyday life. Then, in chapter 14, we explore how to handle differences among believers — learning to hold convictions with grace, avoid judgment, and make room for one another’s consciences. It’s a practical look at living faithfully, peacefully, and lovingly in community.

In Romans 12, Paul shifts from explaining God’s mercy to showing us what it looks like to live in response to it. He says to offer our whole selves to God — not just in church or quiet time, but in how we love, serve, forgive, and show up every day.

Paul reminds us that we’re called to be different — not to blend in with the world, but to let God renew our minds and transform the way we think and live. He gives practical examples too: use your gifts to serve others, love sincerely, be patient, bless people who hurt you, and choose peace whenever you can.

This chapter is all about letting your life reflect Jesus — not perfectly, but authentically — as a response to the mercy you’ve already been given.

In this episode, we dive into Romans 9–11, where Paul wrestles with God’s plan for Israel and all people. We talk about how God’s promises never fail, even when it looks confusing, and how His mercy reaches both Jews and Gentiles. Paul reminds us that salvation isn’t about what we do, but about God’s grace, and that in the end, God is weaving a bigger story of redemption than we can fully see.

In this episode, Anna walks us through the story of the woman at the well in John 4. We looked at how Jesus meets her right where she is, knows her fully, and offers her living water that satisfies in a way nothing else can. Together we talked about how this story reminds us that Jesus sees our past, understands our present, and still invites us into a new life with Him.

In this episode, we dove into Romans 7 and 8—two chapters that really show both the struggle and the hope of following Jesus. In chapter 7, Paul gets super honest about the war inside us: we want to do good, but sin pulls us in the opposite direction. It’s that tension we all feel—our best intentions running up against our brokenness.

But then chapter 8 flips the script. Paul shows us that we’re not stuck in that struggle because the Spirit sets us free. No condemnation, no separation—just life, peace, and assurance in Christ. We talked about what it means to live by the Spirit and to trust that nothing in all creation can pull us out of His love.

In this episode, we talked about Romans 6—how grace doesn’t give us permission to sin, but freedom from it. We looked at what it means to die to our old selves, be raised to new life with Christ, and live as people set free to serve righteousness.

In Romans 4 & 5, Paul highlights Abraham’s faith, David’s experience of forgiveness, and Adam’s failure—all pointing to the hope, grace, and new life we have in Christ. His message is clear: righteousness can’t be earned by good works or religious effort; it comes only through faith in Jesus.

Today we’re taking a look at the first 3 chapters of Romans. Paul’s intro to this letter is powerful, and he makes it clear that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We can’t rely on our own good works to earn our righteousness - it’s all about Jesus.