The Deep Dish

Melissa and Courtney discuss how to cultivate discernment when seeking advice. They talk about how sometimes we think we need information when what we really need is relationship. They discuss what kind of advice they like to get from the internet or Chat GPT, why they don’t recommend it for wisdom issues such as marriage and parenting, and why we should not let advice from AI or influencers replace wise counsel from the body of Christ.
Resource Mentioned:
Kitchen Table Counseling Within Your Local Church
Related Resources:
Let’s Talk: Finding a Mentor and Being a Mentor
Want to Grow in Wisdom? You Need Gospel Friends.
Why AI Parenting Advice Falls Short
Don’t Treat AI as Your Pastor
Discussion Questions:

1. When you face a difficult decision or struggle, where do you typically turn for advice?
2. How do you discern whether online advice is helpful or unwise?
3. What makes advice offered within a personal relationship different from advice taken from an online blog or influencer or generated by AI?
4. How might repeated exposure to ideas about marriage, parenting, or relationships on social media influence our thinking without us being aware of it?
5. What do we lose when we turn to online sources for counsel instead of investing in relationships with people who know and love us?
6. Who in your life knows you well enough to speak honestly into your decisions and loves you enough to do so? How can you cultivate those kinds of relationships?
7. How would you like to grow in your ability to offer wise counsel to others?

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Melissa and Courtney talk with Randy Alcorn about what we can and can’t know about the life to come. They talk about the importance of understanding the new earth and its continuity with this world and they discuss what we know about the state of those who die in Christ before they receive resurrected bodies. Randy explains why he wrote a whole book about animals in heaven, and why questions about animals bring into focus key aspects of the new creation.
Resources Mentioned:
Heaven by Randy Alcorn
All God’s Creatures by Randy Alcorn
Related Resources:
Will You Be Bored in Heaven?
Heaven and the New Earth
Where Is God When Your Dog Dies?
Discussion Questions:
1. Prior to listening to this episode, what did you tend to picture when you thought about heaven? What has influenced your understanding of what heaven will be like?
2. What surprised you in this conversation? Is there anything about heaven that you find difficult to understand or believe?
3. What are some things in this life that you deeply enjoy? How does your enjoyment of those things make you long for a renewed creation?
4. How does the promise of a renewed creation give you hope when confronted with aspects of this world that feel broken?
5. How does spending time thinking about the life to come help us live more faithfully today?
6. What aspect of the new heavens and earth are you most looking forward to, and why?

Pick up a copy of Stand In Awe wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/standinawe to learn how to get 30 percent off with a free Crossway plus account.

Get 20% off a course of your choice when you use code DEEPDISH20 at checkout. Learn more and register now at lifeway.com/academy. That’s lifeway.com/academy
Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

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Click here to sign up for notification of on-demand access to keynotes and breakout sessions from our recent conference, TGCW26!

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In this live recording from TGCW26, Courtney and Melissa talk with Nancy Guthrie and Jen Wilkin about how to persevere in faith for the rest of your life.They make the point that we shouldn’t give up on something just because it is hard, and they discuss how to cling to faith through suffering, prosperity, and even when our Christian heroes fail. Listen to and be encouraged by the Bible promises that keep these four women anchored in the faith.
Resources Mentioned:
Revelation (Bible Study) by Jen Wilkin
Nancy Guthrie and the Reformation of Women’s Ministry
12 Faithful Women
Verses to Anchor Endurance:
2 Corinthians 12:9
Isaiah 58:11
Romans 8:32
1 Corinthians 10:13
Discussion Questions:
1. Share a time when you had to persevere through something difficult. What helped you keep going?
2. When you think about following Christ for the long haul, what encourages you? What intimidates you?
3. How is enduring in seasons of comfort or prosperity different from enduring through suffering or hardship?
4. Who are the people God has placed in your life to help you endure? Or who might be encouraged by your faithfulness?
5. Have you ever started to become cynical because of disappointment, suffering, or watching other Christians fail? What helped you resist that temptation?
6. What do you think it means to move from simply praying for something to praying into a situation—bringing every part of it before the Lord while learning to trust his will?
7. What promises from Scripture have anchored your faith during difficult seasons?

Pick up a copy of Stand In Awe wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/standinawe to learn how to get 30 percent off with a free Crossway plus account.

Get 20% off a course of your choice when you use code DEEPDISH20 at checkout. Learn more and register now at lifeway.com/academy. That’s lifeway.com/academy
Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

Click here for more information about Women's Initiatives at The Gospel Coalition!
Click here to sign up for notification of on-demand access to keynotes and breakout sessions from our recent conference, TGCW26!

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Melissa and Courtney talk with Jen Wilkin about their mutual love of children’s books and why reading to children can be a key part of discipleship (as well as a delight!). They talk about what books they loved as children as well as the ones they read to their own kids. They consider the benefits and limitations of children’s Bibles, and discuss why they’ve written books for kids.
Books Mentioned:
The Book of Virtues
The Chronicles of Narnia
Are You My Mother?
Go, Dog, Go!
The Little Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings
Arlo Takes Off
Caddie Woodlawn
B is for Betsy
Betsy-Tacy Books
Chronicles of Pydain (Includes Black Cauldron)
The Dark is Rising Sequence
Hannah Coulter
The Jesus Storybook Bible
Andy and His Big Question: A Story About How God’s Love Always Comes First
Made Like Me: A True Story from the Beginning of Everything
His Grace Is Enough
Count It All Joy
Related Resources:
How Storytime Shapes Your Children
Parents: Use Children’s Literature to Point Toward Christ
Classic Christian Picture Books Every Family Should Read
A Complete Classical Christian School Reading List: Grades 1-8
Discussion Questions:
1. What was a favorite book you remember reading as a child? Why did you enjoy it, and how did it influence you?
2. We often think of books as a source of entertainment or education. How can they also be a form of discipleship?
3. What are some books you've enjoyed reading with the children in your life? What virtues have you seen those stories promote or cultivate?
4. How can we prioritize reading with the children in our lives, even after they become independent readers? Why is reading together so important relationally?
5. When choosing books for your children (or yourself), what do you tend to prioritize (educational value, enjoyment, literary quality, or something else)?
6. With so many books available, how do you find quality options for your family (and yourself) and discern what’s worth spending your time reading?

Pick up a copy of Stand In Awe wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/standinawe to learn how to get 30 percent off with a free Crossway plus account.

Get 20% off a course of your choice when you use code DEEPDISH20 at checkout. Learn more and register now at lifeway.com/academy. That’s lifeway.com/academy
Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

Click here for more information about Women's Initiatives at The Gospel Coalition!
Click here to sign up for notification of on-demand access to keynotes and breakout sessions from our recent conference, TGCW26!

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Courtney and Melissa talk to Blair Linne about her struggle with anxiety and panic attacks and the tools that have helped her to fight anxiety. They discuss the mind/body/spirit complexities of anxiety, when anxiety becomes sinful, and how to listen with compassion and wisdom to others who are struggling. Blaire’s story and wisdom provide great encouragement and hope for any Christian walking through anxiety.

Resources Mentioned:

Made to Tremble by Blair Linne

A Practical Treatise of Fear by John Flavel

Related Resources:

Rightly Ordered . . . Anxiety?

Take Your Anxiety to Church

Understanding Adolescent Anxiety, Depression, and Mental Health

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What situations and subjects trigger feelings of anxiety for you? Are there patterns you've noticed?

2. When you're anxious, where are you most tempted to look for control or reassurance?

3. What are ways God has used past seasons of uncertainty or anxiety to deepen your faith or dependence on him?

4. Are there particular Scriptures you return to when you’re afraid or overwhelmed? What do those passages remind you about God?

5. What are ways we might unintentionally make someone's anxiety worse when we're trying to help?

6. How might experiencing our own weakness change the way we respond to others who are struggling?

Pick up a copy of Stand In Awe wherever books are sold or visit crossway.org/standinawe to learn how to get 30 percent off with a free Crossway plus account.

Get 20% off a course of your choice when you use code DEEPDISH20 at checkout. Learn more and register now at lifeway.com/academy. That’s lifeway.com/academy
Check out The Pour Over Podcast — politically neutral news for people who want the facts without the spin, and with a brief biblical perspective

Click here for more information about Women's Initiatives at The Gospel Coalition!
Click here to sign up for notification of on-demand access to keynotes and breakout sessions from our recent conference, TGCW26!

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