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✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE What do you do when you follow God and the story still doesn’t turn out the way you expected? Author and podcast host Kim Patton joins Jill to talk about infertility, adoption, foster care, parenting, identity, and what it means to depend on Jesus when we finally reach the end of our own strength. Kim shares the grief of realizing biological motherhood would not unfold the way she had imagined, the unexpected path that led to her daughters, and the difficult surrender that eventually led her family out of foster care after two deeply formative years. Together, Jill and Kim explore why obedience does not guarantee an easy outcome, how other people’s opinions can make us question what God asked of us, and why dependence on Him gives us permission to admit we are incapable. If God’s path looks different than the one you planned, this conversation is an invitation to surrender the outcome, abide in His presence, and trust that He wastes nothing.   ******  PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)   🎧 Listen onApple Spotify   🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests  ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.  ******  🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram  ******  📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Galatians 1:10; Psalm 91:1–2; Matthew 11:28–30; James 1:27; 2 Corinthians 12:9; John 15:1–5; 1 Corinthians 6:19   The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links  ****** 📣 GUESTFollow Kim on Instagram Kim’s website******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE How do you keep fear from taking over when your mind starts racing toward everything that could go wrong? Jill talks with writer, speaker, transplant survivor, and Joy Reflex creator Jenna Schutt about what it means to train our hearts and minds to return to faith, peace, and joy when life feels uncertain. Jenna shares how a serious illness and difficult medical journey exposed the difference between knowing truths about God and actually practicing them under pressure. Together, Jill and Jenna talk about using Scripture as an anchor, starting with small spiritual habits, finding joy without denying pain, and taking the next faithful step instead of trying to solve the next five years all at once. They also discuss why faith and medical care do not have to compete, how the Holy Spirit meets us when we do not know what to pray, and why biblical joy can coexist with grief, fear, and difficulty. You don’t need tomorrow’s faith today. You need grace for this moment.  ******   PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)  🎧 Listen onApple Spotify  🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests   ******  🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.  ******   🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram  ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Nehemiah 8:10; Ephesians 6:10; Romans 8:26; Galatians 5:22–23; John 15:1–5; Psalm 91; John 10:10; Romans 8:37–39; John 11:35  The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links  ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Jenna on FacebookFollow Jenna on InstagramJenna’s website******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #109 When Joy Feels Impossible w/ Wanda Thibodeaux Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #91 When Healing Doesn’t Come w/ Lara Silverman ******   Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE Where is God when the pain doesn’t go away? David Heflin, founder and executive director of Broken & Mended, joins Jill to talk honestly about chronic pain, suffering, unanswered prayer, and learning to trust the presence of Jesus when relief doesn’t come. After being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn’s disease, David found himself wrestling with many of the same truths he had spent years preaching to others. He shares what helped him navigate isolation, why telling someone they simply need more faith can cause real harm, and how biblical lament gives us permission to be honest with God about what hurts. Jill and David also talk about identity and purpose when illness changes what we can do, how churches can better support people living with chronic conditions, and why weakness can become a place where we discover the sufficiency of God’s grace. Pain may change your life. It does not mean Jesus has left you. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify   🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests   ******   🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.  ******   🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram   ******   📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Matthew 28:20; Psalm 38; Job; Romans 5:1–5; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 12:7–10; Matthew 5:3–12; Matthew 1:23; Genesis 3:8; Revelation 21:1–4; Revelation 22:1–5 The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links  ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Broken & Mended on FacebookFollow Broken & Mended on Instagram Broken & Mended websiteIn the Seams Podcast  Broken and Mended Conference on October 10, 2026 Purpose in Pain (book): https://a.co/d/05MJK1jz ******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #125 Where is God When Life Falls Apart w/ Rachel Kerr Schneider Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #91 When Healing Doesn’t Come w/ Lara Silverman ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE What if hospitality is about much more than having people over for dinner? Jill talks with pastor and author Ian Simkins about what it means to live the gospel up close in a world marked by loneliness, distraction, and division. Ian reflects on the way Jesus repeatedly moved toward people, listened with curiosity, shared tables with those others avoided, and turned ordinary spaces into places of encounter. Together, Jill and Ian talk honestly about why making room for people can feel vulnerable, why Christian hospitality requires more than inviting people who already believe like us, and what it means to see ordinary tables as altars, places of both sacrifice and worship. Ian also offers encouragement for anyone who feels unqualified or unsure: obedience does not always begin with confidence. Sometimes it sounds more like, “I don’t understand, but if You say so, Lord.” Maybe following Jesus begins closer than we think.   ******   PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)   🎧 Listen onApple Spotify  🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests   ******  🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.  ******  🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram   ******   📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:John 1:14; Romans 5:8; Romans 12:13; Luke 19:10; Mark 10:45; Luke 7:34; 1 Corinthians 10:31; John 2:1–11; Luke 5:4–6; Hebrews 13:15; John 15:1–5; Luke 14:15–24; Revelation 19:6–9  The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links   ****** 📣 GUESTFollow Ian on Instagram Ian’s website  Learn more about Ian’s new book Buy Ian’s book here ******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #115 God Isn’t Done with Your Story w/ Carly Ann Taylor Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #114 Obedience Before Clarity w/ Jessica DeYoung ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE How do you hold onto hope when life turns out nothing like you prayed it would? Rachel Kerr Schneider joins Jill to share the deeply personal story of walking with her husband, John, through an ALS diagnosis, caregiving, and loss. Rachel talks honestly about believing for a miracle, wondering why her faith wasn’t making the journey easier, and eventually learning that trusting God did not mean she had to carry everything alone. Together, Jill and Rachel talk about accepting help, the people who show up, and sometimes step away, during suffering, recognizing God in small moments, and choosing hope without pretending the pain isn’t real. Rachel also reflects on watching God redeem parts of her family's story she could never have imagined while she was living through them. If you're facing grief, illness, caregiving, unanswered prayer, or a future you never planned, this conversation is a reminder that your struggle is seen and your story is not wasted.  ******  PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)  🎧 Listen onApple Spotify  🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests   ******  🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.  ******   🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram   ******   📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Luke 23:39–43; Romans 8:26; the Book of Job; Gospel accounts of Jesus and His disciples  The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links  ****** 📣 GUESTFollow Rachel on InstagramFollow Rachel on FacebookRachel’s website ******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #112 Love Letters from God w/ Anita Keagy Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #114 Obedience Before Clarity w/ Jessica DeYoung ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE What happens when God has given you a promise, but your circumstances seem to tell a completely different story? Jill talks with author Tom Anderson about marriage, wilderness seasons, identity, and the slow work of learning to believe that we are truly loved by God. Tom shares honestly about the early years of his marriage, a season when hope seemed almost impossible, and the Scripture that helped him begin seeing waiting differently. Together, Jill and Tom explore why transformation often takes longer than we expect, what biblical hope really means, and why difficult circumstances do not get the final word about who we are. Tom also reflects on the importance of holding onto God’s word, allowing truth to take root, and learning to believe the gospel before simply trying harder to live it. If you’re in a season where nothing seems to be happening, this conversation is an invitation to look again for God in the long middle.  ******  PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes)  🎧 Listen onApple Spotify   🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests  ******  🎙️ ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.  ******   🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram  ******  📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Isaiah 43:18–19; James 1:2–4; Psalm 139; Mark 4:1–20; Jude 1:1–25; Galatians 3:8; Genesis 12; Genesis 22; 1 Corinthians 1:9   The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links  ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Tom on Facebook Tom’s website ******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #119 We are Made to Be Known w/ Janelle McGuckin Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #114 Obedience Before Clarity w/ Jessica DeYoung ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE Who is helping form your family in a digital world? Jill talks with Reverend Dr. Robin Blair about digital discipleship and why media literacy belongs in conversations about spiritual formation. Robin explains how media can quietly shape identity, behavior, values, and expectations and why parents and caregivers can respond without turning every screen-time conversation into a fight. Robin introduces her “Listening Compass,” which invites families to listen upward to God, inward to self, outward to neighbor, and forward to the future. She also shares practical ways to talk back to media, maintain trusted adult authority, establish technology boundaries, strengthen church and family connection, and help children develop discernment long before they encounter the pressures of social media. And for anyone thinking, “I already messed this up,” Robin offers an important reminder: start where you are. Formation is a process, God is with you in it, and there is grace.  ******  PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify   🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests   ******   🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God.   ******  🔗 LINKS  Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram  Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram  ******  📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Matthew 6:9–13; Mark 4:9; Matthew 6:13; Galatians 5:22–23; Matthew 10:30    The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links  ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Dr. Robin Blair on Facebook Robin’s website ******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL:  Episode #88 You’re Not Failing, You’re Fighting w/ Jenn Robb Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #107 Good vs God Things w/ Robert Bass ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE What happens after you say yes to Jesus? Jill talks with Bill Nienhuis, president of Childcare Worldwide, about the difference between knowing about faith and actually being formed by Jesus over a lifetime. Bill reflects on the people who discipled him as a child, the long season of preparation that eventually led him into ministry, and why genuine discipleship goes far beyond a one-time decision. Together, Jill and Bill explore the role of the Holy Spirit in transformation, why believers need Scripture, church, community, and reminders of God at work, and how doubt can become an invitation to look for evidence of His faithfulness. Bill also reframes the Great Commission as a calling for every Christian, not only pastors or missionaries, and challenges listeners to ask what role God has given them today. The episode closes with a simple, stretching prayer: “God, thank you for saving me. Make me available.” ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES  Verses Discussed:Matthew 28:19–20; Romans 7:15–20; Acts 9:1–19; Genesis 3:1–6; Galatians 5:22–23; John 14:2–3; Philippians 3:20. The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUESTFollow Bill and Childcare Worldwide on Instagram Childcare Worldwide’s website ******  🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #107 Good vs God Things w/ Robert Bass ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE What happens when a lie sounds just true enough to believe? In this episode, Jill talks with author and speaker Melanie Cox about spiritual warfare, shame, perfectionism, people pleasing, and the thoughts that slowly become part of our identity. Melanie shares her deeply personal faith story, including a season when she questioned whether God loved her at all, and how Scripture became a turning point in rebuilding her trust. Together, Jill and Melanie explore what it looks like to bring shame into the light, take thoughts captive, stop carrying what was never yours to carry, and live for an audience of One. They also talk about gratitude, knowing the character of God through the Bible, and recognizing the difference between a thought that leads toward life and one that steals peace. If you’ve been wrestling with doubt, negative self-talk, or feeling like you’re “too much” or “not enough,” this conversation offers a bold, faith-centered reframe. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES Verses Discussed: Psalm 7 Book of John Genesis 3 The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links   ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Melanie on Instagram Melanie’s website ******   🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #107 Good vs God Things w/ Robert Bass ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE In Episode 120 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with Christian coach, author, speaker, entrepreneur, and podcast host Jake Giffin for an honest conversation about disappointment, trust, and identity in Christ. Jake shares how a failed church plant and an unrealized dream of pastoral ministry led him to pull away from God and question his faith. Together, Jill and Jake explore what happens when obedience does not produce the outcome we expected, why trials can refine what cannot be learned any other way, and how proximity to God builds trust. They also unpack the false identities we use to protect ourselves, including the performer, people pleaser, and perfectionist, and the fear or shame often hiding underneath them. The conversation ultimately lands on a freeing truth: our identity cannot be built on a role, achievement, or other people’s approval. We become rooted by learning who God says we are. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES Verses Discussed: Revelation 1:3  Revelation 2:1–7 James 1:2–4 The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Jake on Instagram Jake’s website ******   🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #107 Good vs God Things w/ Robert Bass ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE In Episode 119 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with her friend Janelle McGuckin, author of The Gift of With, for an honest conversation about loneliness, friendship, and rebuilding community after relational hurt. They explore how technology can create the appearance of connection while leaving us without the deeper intimacy of being truly known and loved. Janelle shares practical encouragement for navigating forgiveness and healthy boundaries, reminding us that forgiveness does not require returning to an unhealthy relationship. Jill and Janelle also make hospitality feel approachable. Meaningful community can begin with takeout, drinks on the porch, a walk, or one simple invitation. They talk about the vulnerability of going first, creating spaces where people feel welcomed, and letting friendship with Jesus fill us so we can love others from the overflow. If community has felt difficult, this episode offers a hopeful, practical way to begin again with renewed hope. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES Verses Discussed: Last Supper: Luke 22:14–20 Feeding the 5,000: Matthew 14:13–21 Feeding the 4,000: Matthew 15:32–39 Friend of sinners: Matthew 11:19 Jesus calling His followers friends: John 15:13–15 The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Janelle on Instagram Janelle’s website Her book The Gift of With ******   🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #33 The Gift of With - A Conversation w/ Janelle McGuckin Episode #101 Break Free from Spiritual Perfectionism w/ Kristen LaValley ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

✝️ ABOUT THIS EPISODE In Episode 118 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill welcomes back Cathy Garland for a gentle theological wrestling match between two passages that often confuse Christians: Ephesians 2, which says we are saved by grace and not by works, and James 2, which says faith without works is dead. Cathy explains why Paul and James are not contradicting each other. Paul tells us how we are made right with God, while James describes what a life transformed by God begins to look like. Together, Jill and Cathy discuss legalism, grace, obedience, spiritual fruit, and the danger of turning faith into a performance. They also explore why lasting transformation begins with knowing and receiving God’s love. This conversation offers freedom for anyone who fears they are not doing enough, while still inviting believers into an active faith that naturally produces love, obedience, and care for others. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCESVerses Discussed: Ephesians 2:8–10  James 2:14–17  James 2:17 John 15:4–5  The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Cathy on Instagram Cathy’s website Her book Revelationship Her new devotional Known ****** 🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #90 The Day God’s Voice Got Loud Ep 90 w/ Cathy Garland  Episode #101 Break Free from Spiritual Perfectionism w/ Kristen LaValley ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

In Episode 117 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill continues her conversation with Val Kleppen about wilderness seasons (Part 2); those stretches where you can’t see what God is doing and you’re desperate for clarity. Val offers a perspective-shifting challenge: why do we assume we need answers before we obey? She shares how a faithful life creates ripples that can impact generations, even if we never see the fullness of our influence. Jill and Val also talk about the gift of the Psalms, how Scripture makes room for grief, lament, and even anger, while still leading us back to trust. This episode is honest, grounding, and hopeful: pain is real, God is good, and joy can still be found in the wilderness. If you’ve been tempted to quit or stay silent, this conversation will strengthen you to keep going. This is a companion episode to Episode 116. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify   🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES Verses mentioned in today's episode: Psalms John 16:33 John 15 (Abiding in Him) The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Val on Instagram Follow Val on YouTube Check out Val’s Website ******   🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #116 The Grief of Unanswered Prayers w/ Val Kleppen Episode #115 God Isn’t Done With Your Story w/ Carly Ann Taylor Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #109 When Joy Feels Impossible w/ Wanda Thibodeaux ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

In Episode 116 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with Val Kleppen (host of The Motherhood Experience Podcast) for an honest conversation about the wilderness seasons when prayers feel unanswered, direction feels unclear, and you’re trying to stay faithful anyway. Val shares from real life: grief, deep wrestling, and the exhaustion that comes from trying to control outcomes when everything feels uncertain. Together they talk about what it looks like to surrender in the waiting, why lament is not faithlessness, and how the Psalms can become a tether back to God when you don’t have words. This episode is for anyone stuck in the in-between…the slow, hard, unseen chapters when it feels like you need permission to tell the truth and the practical encouragement to keep showing up with God, one next step at a time. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES   Psalm 139 Book of Job The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Val on Instagram Follow Val on YouTube Check out Val’s Website ******   🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #109 When Joy Feels Impossible w/ Wanda Thibodeaux Episode #101 Break Free from Spiritual Perfectionism w/ Kristen LaValley ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.

In Episode 115 of Halfway to Sunday, Jill sits down with Christian artist Carly Ann Taylor to hear the story behind her faith, her calling, and her song “Why Should I Worry.” Carly shares about growing up in a deeply unstable environment of abuse, addiction, and foster care to then reaching a breaking point where she contemplated ending her life. She describes hearing a simple phrase “Something good is coming” and later realizing it was God preparing her heart for the gospel. Carly also opens up about a post-college season of depression and paralyzing fear of the future, and how Scripture (Matthew 6) and worship became a lifeline. The conversation highlights surrender, God’s behind-the-scenes work, and how a “sacrifice of praise” can become a song that carries others. ****** PODCAST SHOW NOTES: Full episodes now out on YouTube! ➡️ Watch: Halfway to Sunday (Full Episodes) 🎧 Listen onApple Spotify 🙏Join the community + bonus content (Patreon) 💌 Questions/Guest Requests ****** 🩵 ABOUT US Halfway to Sunday is a weekly faith-based podcast for people who want Jesus but still have questions, sharing honest, hope-filled stories of real faith through joy and loss, healing and growth, and even doubt. Not polished or performative, just real conversations that remind you you’re not alone and loved by God. ****** 🔗 LINKS Follow Halfway to Sunday on Instagram Follow Halfway to Sunday on TikTok Follow Jill on Instagram ****** 📖 BIBLE RESOURCES   Matthew 6 Hebrews 13:15 The Journaling Bible I use | Bible Highlighters | Annotating Tabs | **affiliate links ****** 📣 GUEST Follow Carly on Instagram Check out Carly’s Website ******   🎙️ OTHER EPISODES THAT MAY BE HELPFUL: Episode #110 Joy Without Pretending w/ Kyleigh Rose Episode #109 When Joy Feels Impossible w/ Wanda Thibodeaux Episode #101 Break Free from Spiritual Perfectionism w/ Kristen LaValley ****** Halfway to Sunday is a weekly conversation on life and faith with your friends. We're so glad you're here.