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Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Tabitha Caplinger and Fawn Ellerbrook have the privilege of sitting down with Christian Content Creator and Author, Whitney Lowe, to discuss her latest book, "Called Back to Who You Are." The book is about God's relentless and loving pursuit of His people and what that looks like for us today. You can find Whitney on Social Media @whitneypiersonlowe. You can also pick up her book wherever books are sold, including Amazon & Audible.  We're so grateful Whitney took the time to chat with us. Enjoy this conversation on What Matters Most.  ___________________ 00:00 Introduction  08:15 God's pursuit is good, not scary 16:35 What does God's kindness look like? 26:00 What's the difference between correction & punishment  33:30 Rooted in God's love in every season 40:11 The Power of Community  49:50 If you're in the middle right now What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text What does persecution really mean for followers of Christ today? In this timely episode, Pastor Josh and Raymond Gharabeygi sat down to talk about what Jesus means when He says "blessed are the persecuted" in Matthew 5. Originally from Iran, Raymond shares a powerful perspective that will challenge you to expand your understanding beyond physical suffering to include the spiritual battles we face within our own church communities. His insight also serves as a helpful tool to sift through the noise of the media and consider the greater story at hand.  Watch a previous interview with Raymond and His wife, Edith, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4aNaOUr554 00:00 Origin Story 05:15 What is persecution, really? 13:00 What’s happening in Iran & why it matters 23:00 The first country to adopt Christianity 26:15 Biblical books written in Iran 32:00 How does God work through persecution? 39:30 Persecution coming from inside the Church 43:20 Tortured for Christ, a story 47:00 What do we do about this & how do we pray? What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text In this episode, Fawn Ellerbrook is joined by Tabitha Caplinger & Chris Rowton to explore Matthew 5:9, diving deep into what it truly means to be peacemakers in a world filled with division and conflict. The Hebrew word 'shalom' reveals that biblical peace isn't simply the absence of conflict—it's about wholeness, oneness, and restoration even in the midst of turmoil. We discover that peacemaking requires intentional effort, starting with cultivating peace in our own relationship with God before we can offer it to others. This episode challenges us to examine our motives: are we speaking to be right, or are we speaking for the sake of heaven?  Want to study further? Check out BlueLetterBible.org, BibleProject.com, and EnduringWord.com. You can also download the free Bible app that includes a variety of translations as well as reading plans at Bible.com.  ___ 00:00 Recap 05:25 Defining Terms 13:00 Peace is a gift, not something to earn 20:00 Everyone gets love 28:00 Solid ground & sinking sand 34:00 Peace when the stakes are high 45:00 Anchored in peace 52:00 Peacemakers consider the whole story ___ What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text What if having a pure heart has less to do with our actions or more to do with our motives? In this episode, Fawn Ellerbrook discusses Matthew 5:8 with Tabitha and Brian Caplinger, and we're challenged to understand that spiritual flourishing isn't about checking boxes or maintaining a perfect image. Instead, it's about the internal work God does within us when we position ourselves in the right place. The Hebrew understanding of 'heart' reveals it as the center of our intellectual and emotional life, where our desires, affections, and choices originate. This means purity isn't about following a religious checklist; it's about having undivided allegiance to God, with motives aligned to His will rather than our own self-protection or image management.  ____ What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text In this episode, Brian and Tabitha Caplinger sat down with Mary Stoinski - founder of Demential Life STL - and Wanita Foster - a member of Faith Community staff.  They talk about what it means to show mercy, why it's important to receive it ourselves, and how showing love to others can make a huge difference in the world around us.  ________________________ 00:00 Welcome & Introductions 03:15 Blessed are the Merciful - Defining Terms 06:52 Simple kindness matters 17:30 We're not above needing help 24:00 Healthy boundaries for caregivers 28:30 Where does forgiveness fit in? 37:45 How do you express mercy in everyday life? 49:30 Barriers to Mercy 54:00 Receive mercy yourself Learn more about Dementia Life STL here. What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text Following Jesus is a choice, not a feeling. In this conversation, we continue our look at the Beatitudes with a couple of new guests you're going to love! Chet Hunter and Madison Hunter have such great insight into what it means to hunger and thirst after righteousness throughout the seasons of life.  02:30 Recap & today's Beatitude  04:00 Defining Terms 10:00 How our journeys began 20:00 Going after the healthy food for your soul 28:00 What does it look like to find satisfaction in God? 30:00 Following God is a choice, not a feeling 40:00 How do we identify what's missing? 50:00 People can be weird, God is not 55:00 The Power of Community ___________________________________________ If you're new to the Bible or want to take your study further, consider these free resources we use ourselves: Bible.com - A free, digital Bible with many translations from YouVersion that also provides hundreds of devotionals BibleProject.com - A free resource from The Bible Project that provides in-depth overviews and studies of Scripture as well as key concepts and themes within the Bible. What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text As we continue our discussion on the Beatitudes, we're chatting about the next Beatitude in our series - Blessed are the Meek. Tabitha sat down with a couple of friends to discuss the common misconceptions of meekness and how practicing it leads to God's blessing in our lives. Spoiler alert: it has nothing to do with weakness!  00:00 Last Episode Recap 03:30 The misconceptions & truth of "meekness" 17:50 What meekness means Biblically & how it makes us feel 20:00 It's not about me 24:50 Learning to be content with how God made you 27:00 The why behind the what 39:00 The promise of meekness 50:00 The power of the pause  ___________________________________________ If you're new to the Bible or want to take your study further, consider these free resources we use ourselves: Bible.com - A free, digital Bible with many translations from YouVersion that also provides hundreds of devotionals BibleProject.com - A free resource from The Bible Project that provides in-depth overviews and studies of Scripture as well as key concepts and themes within the Bible. What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text What if grieving sin is actually a way to grow closer to the God who loves us and others? As we continue our study of the Beatitudes, Tabitha Caplinger sat down with Josh Quick and Fawn Ellerbrook to chat about what sin is, what it means to mourn it, and how we walk with others as we learn to follow Jesus together. 00:00 What does "blessed are those who mourn" actually mean? 04:30 Defining sin and why it's something to mourn 17:00 The consequences of our sin 25:00 The hope for something better because of God's mercy 30:00 Having compassion for ourselves and others 42:00 Walking with people who are struggling 50:00 God transforms us from the inside out  ___________________________________________ If you're new to the Bible or want to take your study further, consider these free resources we use ourselves: Bible.com - A free, digital Bible with many translations from YouVersion that also provides hundreds of devotionals BibleProject.com - A free resource from The Bible Project that provides in-depth overviews and studies of Scripture as well as key concepts and themes within the Bible.  What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text In Matthew 5, Jesus shares a set of profoundly rich statements about what it means to be blessed as you follow Him. In this episode, we jump into the first statement - "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." Tabitha Caplinger is joined by Lauren Earls, Brian Caplinger and Fawn Ellerbrook to chat about what this statement means and what it looks like in our everyday lives over 2,000 years later.  02:00 What does it mean to be poor in spirit? 14:00 You don't have to be enough. 24:00 What we can learn through lack 27:00 How do we love in humility? 40:00 Sanctification is a process. 44:30 What are my expectations rooted in? _________________________ To get a free digital Bible, visit Bible.com. To learn more about the Sermon on the Mount & The Beatitudes, visit BibleProject.com. What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text We're starting a new series walking through the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5. In this first episode, we'll get an overview of what this section of scripture is and talk through our thoughts on what this means for us. Tabitha Caplinger got to chat with three friends from Faith Community - Grant Reeves, Nicole Sullivan, and Fawn Ellerbrook - as we kick off the series. 00:00 Welcome & Introductions 03:00 Reading the Beatitudes 04:58 What does it mean to be blessed? 16:55 Our thoughts on the Beatitudes 23:25 Jesus made things right for us 33:00 We're called to follow Jesus & partner with the Holy Spirit in every season 46:15 The eternal perspective 51:50 It's all rooted in God's love for us ___________________________________________ If you're new to the Bible or want to take your study further, consider these free resources we use ourselves: Bible.com - A free, digital Bible with many translations from YouVersion that also provides hundreds of devotionals BibleProject.com - A free resources from The Bible Project that provides in-depth overviews and studies of Scripture as well as key concepts and themes within the Bible.  What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text We’re all influenced by our surroundings - our friends & family, the media we consume, the work we engage in. So how do we determine if our influences are helping or hindering us? How do we create healthy boundaries, build healthy relationships, and consume content that helps us move toward the person we want to be? In this conversation, Brian Caplinger, Radonda Rowton and Fawn Ellerbrook chat about how to assess and steward our influence well.  ________________________________________ 00:00 Welcome & Introductions 04:25 What is influence? 08:35 The importance of knowing who you are 12:00 Life is seasonal, things can change!  15:30 How does our family of origin impact us? 20:00 Influence as connection 22:25 How do we determine what influences to keep and what to let go of? 30:35 What questions can we ask ourselves to determine how to care for ourselves? 39:29 The problem with pornography 41:44 Overcoming the voice of shame 44:30 Reframing our thoughts with what's true 47:00 Learning from King Solomon's story 53:00 You don't need to change people 1:04:00 How do we steward our own influence? 1:12:18 You are in charge of your own influence and what influences you What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text We're back with another season of podcasts! In this episode, Tabitha Caplinger chats with Josh Quick and Chris Rowton about what it means to think critically as a Christian and why the way we process & share information matters.  00:00 Welcome & Introductions 00:42 Information Overload & How to Deal with It 05:00 Empathy, the anti-trigger 10:22 Just walk WITH people 13:14 Seeking THE truth, not MY truth 15:40 Reach over the wall 19:20 A Kingdom kind of love 21:50 Jesus welcomes you just as you are 26:00 Different doesn't mean evil 29:35 Responsible social media 38:42 The whole perspective  44:20 How to think critically and ask questions ___________________ What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text This episode wraps up our Easter series as we explore what it looks like to live life in light of the resurrection. Pastor Josh and his friend Pastor Bob Poley from Grace Union sit down to talk about the powerful transformation we experience when we encounter Christ and what it looks like to walk out our salvation in everyday life no matter where we’re at on the journey.  If you would like prayer, please send us an email to [email protected].  What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text Throughout life, there are seasons of grief and loss as we experience the death of a loved one, a dream, a job, or an expectation. In this episode, Pastor Josh and Lauren sit down to talk about Jesus as a dying Savior and how we walk through a variety of losses in our own lives. They discuss the difference between death and dormancy and how God walks with us every step of the way as we allow Him to lead this powerful process of growth.  00:00 Welcome & Introductions 03:40 Jesus had to die to resurrect us 07:00 What does it mean to "die to yourself"? 09:30 The difference between death and dormant 15:45 The winter season is vital 18:00 How God works through the process 22:15 The other side of the pain 29:00 Allowing people to process their pain 31:30 Grieving expectations 35:50 Someday you'll see purpose in it 43:30 God works through people in the process 44:45 Let people in to help  49:50 If you're in the middle of it, God will lead you on the way through Watch the Savior series on our YouTube channel here. What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190

Send a text As we learn to follow Christ, we experience many seasons of life, including those marked by difficulty and pain. So how do we find Jesus here? What if He could relate? In today's episode, Pastor Josh sits down with his friend, Daniel Taylor, from Elevation Church STL to discuss what it means for Jesus to be angry. They talk about their experience with anger, suffering, and the unexplainable working power of Christ.  00:00 Welcome & Introductions 01:00 Siri's Interruption 06:30 Can Jesus really be an Angry Savior? 14:30 The issue with self-reliance 18:28 Why is it difficult to think of Jesus being angry? 20:00 Wrath is a temporary action, not an attribute of God. 28:20 Anger at the Tomb 35:00 What's the difference between an action & attribute of God? 37:50 Righteous Anger 39:08 The evil & unnaturalness of death 44:45 Experiencing resurrection power today 51:29 Suffering can be for our formation 55:48 In prayer we can praise what we don't prefer What Matters Most is a podcast from Faith Community Church.  Connect on socials: Facebook Instagram YouTube channel No matter where you're at on your journey, you are welcome here. Faith Community Church [email protected] 636.671.4190