Whit's End: Real People, Hard Questions

Whitney Scarborough
  • 5.0 (49)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Authentic conversations about life that help us navigate the hardest aspects of living out our faith.

  1. 4d ago

    Persecution in the Underground Church : The Cost of Christianity for an Afghan believer

    A few years ago, I had the privilege of interviewing a fellow seminary student named Samir, who was born in Afghanistan and came to faith in Christ as a refugee in Pakistan. Samir went on to found Lumens of Truth, a ministry devoted to helping the people of Afghanistan encounter Jesus, grow as disciples, and serve Him faithfully. Through social media and radio broadcasts, they are able to carry the message of the gospel into a country that remains largely closed off. In today’s moving interview, we continue exploring the realities of persecution and how the underground church operates around the world. I haven’t stopped thinking about our talk since we recorded, and I pray it stirs our hearts to engage meaningfully in this vital, eternal work. Memorable Quotes: “Afghanistan has a population of 43 million people, and less than 5,000 Christians - one of the least reached countries in the world. It was the grace of God and His mercy and favor that through a dream that my mom saw He brought us to Himself.” “From the time Christ came, it has been over 2,000 years, but the people of Afghanistan are hearing the gospel for the first time ever in our history.” “Overall, the underground church, in most places means the church is unauthorized by the government, it is not registered, it’s not known, people meet in secret. Now in the context of Afghanistan, actually the church does literally meet in basements. They do not even sing out loud because of the fear of being found out.” “It has been incredible to see the number of people that come to faith, but one of the biggest challenges in the underground church movements…is the epidemic of lonely Christians, Christians that are not a part of the community, and it makes sense because of the high risk associated with joining a community.” “We have many many people that come to Christ…but they are just believers on their own. And there’s no one around them actually. There’s no local community that they can belong to. And so that is one of the hardships of being a believer.” “Most of the believers won’t get a physical Bible ever in their life, and the other sad thing is that they usually never meet other believers.” “The numbers that Open Doors gives is 388 million Christians are under persecution right now around the world. That is almost the population of the US. So imagine that whole nation, our brothers and sisters under persecution.” “Persecution forces you to either really believe in this, that this gospel is really true, or there’s no reason to believe. Because there’s no solid reason that any rational person would accept this way, other than that they have met the risen Christ that has changed their life.” “My plea with the church in the west is to wake up, because we have taken the gospel so for granted for so long, that we assume it to be true for everyone.”  “Afghanistan is 99.97% Muslim. If  you talk with most Afghans, they would say we are the most Muslim country, we are more Muslim in terms of actually following the rules of the Sharia.” “There’s nothing that I can say, there’s nothing eloquent about what I say, or powerful enough to say, that will change the lives of 42 million people. I’m convinced of that. But if the church prayed, and if the church was on their knees, I’m convinced that the Lord would use even my voice, it’s not a very attractive voice…but he will use this voice, and the truth that comes from my voice.” “What kind of joy would fill our hearts if we saw a million Afghans come to Christ, and they will come, if we pray.” Show Notes: 1 Corinthians 15:34 Link to Season 3 episode with Samir https://www.lumensoftruth.org/ https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/ If your heart has been moved to respond, consider making a gift using the link in the show notes, or going to give.cornerstone.cc/servantsinternational and selecting “Afghan Lumens” under the Designation.

    Persecution in the Underground Church : The Cost of Christianity for an Afghan believer

  2. Jul 15

    Parenting in Today's Culture : Tools to Disciple the Next Generation with Axis

    Several years ago, I was introduced to the ministry of Axis, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping parents to navigate tough topics and disciple their kids toward a faith-filled life in Christ. I’m a big fan of their weekly newsletter called the Culture Translator, which has become an invaluable resource as my kids are entering the teenage years. Today, I’m joined by Irene Tucker, one of their content creators and podcast hosts.  As a mom of five children spanning a wide range of ages, Irene brings both professional expertise and personal experience to this conversation. I was deeply moved by her vulnerability. Not only does she believe passionately in this work, but she’s also witnessed its impact firsthand in her own parenting—shaping the way she disciplines, engages with, and responds to her children. She shares candidly about what she would do differently if she could go back, knowing what she knows now. Together, we discuss the privilege and responsibility of being our children’s “memory keepers,” why curiosity is often more powerful than jumping to conclusions, and how parents can lean into difficult and sometimes uncomfortable conversations with confidence and grace. And because parenting conversations can’t be serious all the time, we also talk about which '90s trends are making a surprising comeback thanks to viral TikTok videos.  Memorable Quotes: “What I’ve found to be really effective is having an opinion about something and if it is not the right one, it turns into a starting point to have a conversation rather than trying to pull something out.” “It’s really been helpful for me as a mom…taking time to pause and open up and be willing to understand this generation rather than being judgmental or critical even I think has just totally changed the way I parent and makes me want to be curious more often.” “Since working for Axis, I’ve been able to use really mundane moments to connect with my kids in a way that I wouldn’t have thought to before. Whether it’s, I’m doing laundry and putting in an airpod, I could be having a conversation with a kid. So I think it’s just opening me up to realizing the opportunity around me to connect with my kids in a way that is meaningful.” “Sometimes I think we parent in this kind of blanket way, like this is what we do, we go to church, and we go to youth group, and we do these things a certain way as a family all the time, and I think that I wish I would have catered to my specific children in different ways.” “If I could encourage parents in any way it would be to slow down and make margin in your lives for that intentionality because it goes so fast - I know we all say that all the time, but suddenly they’re grown up and and they’re not necessarily right under your wing as a parent in your home every day, where you’re investing. You have an opportunity to invest every day. That moment will come, they will have to leave, and you’ll realize - I wish I took more time to see you.”  “I think listening more than lecturing is probably pretty important in that phase, I think staying curious like we talked about before, and asking, being willing to ask good questions…also being willing to repair after conflicts with your older kids. It takes a lot of humility to tell your kids after conflict, ‘I’m wrong, I did this wrong, I’m so sorry.’” “I think we have to be ok with making them uncomfortable. Sometimes I think with teenagers, we’re so desperate to be in their good books, that we can avoid things as well…but sometimes it’s worth getting uncomfortable for them and for you, and that opens up opportunities for deeper relationship.” Show Notes: Axis: Biblical Resources to Help Parents Disciple Their Teens IG @axisconversations

    Parenting in Today's Culture : Tools to Disciple the Next Generation with Axis

  3. Jul 8

    An Invitation : How Bible Study Breathed New Life into Donna Webb-Wessels

    If you’ve met Donna, you’ve probably experienced her contagious joy firsthand. She has one of the biggest hearts and a smile to match. You may know her as the owner of Reve Salon in La Grange, but this glass-half-full friend hasn’t had an easy journey. In November of 2025, Donna shared her story at the Woven banquet. She talked about hitting rock bottom about 20 years before when she lost both her parents within a short period of time. She described the slow process of rebuilding her life as a young adult dealing with unimaginable grief, and she also reflected on how she first connected with Woven when a friend invited her—and why she hasn’t missed a Bible study since. Donna once told me she’s read countless self-help books, but nothing has healed her soul like the Word of God. More than anything, this episode is an invitation to dive in and join us. Whether you’re unwrapping a brand-new Bible just before walking through the doors or you’ve been studying Scripture for years - It’s never too late to begin.  Memorable Quotes:  “I know for myself I have to continue to do these weekly things or I’ll get out of the routine.”  “You never know what God can do with what you have been given already.” “God took the very years I once feared and He filled them with purpose. Now I can’t wait to see what’s in store next. He is faithful.” On Bible study: “Just give it a chance. Go, and continue going. Finish one Bible study. Test it out.” “I think what I’ve learned too is just it’s not about me at all - it’s about God. And it’s about what He’s done and his faithfulness. Just test it out. Really, what does it hurt?” Show Notes: Psalm 1:2-3 Psalm 34:18 FB: @ Re’ve Salon, @ Donna Jo Webb-Wessels

    An Invitation : How Bible Study Breathed New Life into Donna Webb-Wessels

  4. Jul 1

    Open & Unafraid : A Fresh Look at the Psalms with David O. Taylor

    Over the past year, our Woven Bible studies have journeyed through all 150 psalms together. In light of that focus, our leadership team has been reading through Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life by W. David O. Taylor. Today, he joins us from Austin, where he serves as a priest, author, and seminary professor with his wife Phaedra and their 2 kids.  In this conversation, David reflects on how Eugene Peterson encouraged him nearly 30 years ago to immerse himself in the Psalms, a practice that deeply shaped his spiritual formation. He shares the heart behind his book, highlighting the remarkable gift of the Psalms: they free us to approach God vulnerably, inviting us to bring our raw emotions ranging from anger to grief, joy to sadness. He points us to the movement from lament to praise throughout the book  — a movement that mirrors both the grand story of Scripture and the direction of our lives in Christ. David and Phaedra have also created several beautiful and practical resources to help you and I engage more deeply with the Psalms. You can find more information about those in the show notes below. Memorable Quotes: “There is a theological purpose to the psalms, and a devotional, or doxological purpose to the psalms. The theological purpose of the psalms is to teach us how to talk to God and how to listen to God.” “The doxological or devotional purpose of the psalter is to counter the effects of original sin.” “The Psalms are helping us to stay pliable and gentle and humble and open so that the grace of God has a fighting chance as it were to continue to attune our hearts to the things of God.” “We have to be retrained in the grammar of prayer.” “God is giving us this language to be able to be fully sad and fully mad, righteously sad, righteously mad, but not move to bad, in a manner of speaking.” “God comes to us in the psalms more so than any other part of the Bible or book of the Bible, at least in the Old Testament, as a shepherd.” “A lot of the gift of these poets is that they’re helping us to re-see, and to re-feel, and re-perceive our own lives.” “But these very visceral, bodily, sensory things, are actually God’s designed provision to bring us to healing…God has made us with bodies that have bodily needs and our bodies are aids to our movement towards a place of peace and equanimity and a settledness…God wants us to yell, God wants us to howl, God wants us to have these ugly cries.” “It seems impudent, but it’s not. It’s God ordained holy language to let it all out, and to let it all out in faithful ways.” “God knows that His people will always need language to tell Him how mad they are when they are in experiences suffering from physical abuse, spiritual abuse, economic abuse, political abuse, legal abuse, any kind of abuse.” “Other scholars helpfully come along and tell us that the reason we have this revenge language is to deliver us from acting upon our revenge fantasies.”  “Bonhoeffer, the German theologian of the mid-20th Century, who was hung for his Christian convictions by the Nazis, he said that no Christian has any right to pray the imprecatory Psalms until and unless he has stood before the cross of Christ and reckoned with his own sin, his own brokenness, his own tendencies to want to dash the babies of others against the rocks.”  “The other gift that the psalms give us is the invitation to practice joy, so I might not be feeling it, and the psalms aren’t wanting us to fake it, but they are inviting us to practice joy.” “I think what I would hope is that folks would allow the psalms to become a lifelong companion.” Show Notes: www.wdavidotaylor.com Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life Open and Unafraid: Prayer Cards Prayer for Life Cards Bono & Eugene Peterson: The Psalms Substack (@wdavidotaylor) and Instagram (@davidtaylor_theologian)

    Open & Unafraid : A Fresh Look at the Psalms with David O. Taylor

  5. Jun 24

    Fortifying Our Minds : A Challenge to Dwell Differently with Natalie Abbott

    In this refreshing conversation, I sit down with Natalie Abbott, co-founder of Dwell Differently. She shares her powerful journey of seeking God through various religious texts and how, in time, He opened her heart in a profound way. Soon after, the Bible came alive to her, and she discovered that God’s truth is not only accessible but deeply transformative. We explore the “why” behind Scripture memorization, along with the science of how our brains work—unpacking how God designed our neural pathways to be shaped, strengthened, and renewed throughout our lives. Natalie opens up about the joy of working alongside her sister, the weight that can come with doing work the enemy seeks to undermine, and the deep encouragement she’s found in hearing testimonies of God’s Word taking root and bearing fruit in people’s lives. Memorable Quotes: On verse memorization: “If I’m meditating on it, if I’m memorizing it, if I’m allowing it to sort of saturate deep into my bones, then it’s going to affect me, it’s going to deeply and profoundly transform me because that’s what God’s Word does, and it’s going to come out in my life.” “I’m going to pray, ‘God if you’re there, show me who you are,” and that is what I did every single night.” “I thought, ‘that book has made me feel so guilty and so terrible for so long, I’m going to burn it.’ And at that moment, the Lord just intervened and was like, ‘Natalie, all those things that you couldn’t live up to, I did, in Jesus, I did that for you. Will you believe that?’ And I gave my life to Christ and it changed everything.”  “If God is speaking in that book, like really actually speaking, and we say that we believe it, how come it’s building up dust on the side of our bedside tables?” “It’s just a few small words, that you put into your heart and into your mind, and you allow it to be the guiding force in your day, you allow God himself to speak into your heart and into your mind. Man it is so powerful. It is so good.” “Anything I say that is good or wise or helpful, it’s a regurgitation of what God’s already said.” “In some ways what we do at Dwell Differently is like the feeding of the 5,000. How can I even possibly know what God does with all of that nourishment that He is giving to His people? I have no idea. I’m the guy with the two fish and the five loaves and I’m saying, ‘God would you multiply this.’” “Wherever God is calling you, the enemy is always going to have those super highways, negative super highways - he’s going to use those, they are powerful tools, he has used them before, they work, he is going to speak those lies to you, and you have to turn right back around and say, ‘That is not true. That is not true.’” Show Notes & Scripture References: Psalm 23:1 1 John 3:1 Psalm 139 John 15:7 John 10:27 Psalm 16:3 Since recording, Dwell Differently has recently moved away from their monthly membership model, but their mission and ministry will continue through their podcast, website, and social media channels.  Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth Social media: @dwelldifferently, @nataliejoyabbott Website: dwelldifferently.com

    Fortifying Our Minds : A Challenge to Dwell Differently with Natalie Abbott

  6. Jun 17

    The Podcast Hijack : Reflections on Leadership, Family Life, & Small Beginnings

    Y’all, today’s conversation is a whole lotta fun, a little bit of tears, and a good dose of vulnerable dialogue, but it all happened because two friends, ladies I consistently get to work alongside of in this ministry, asked if they could come on the show and interview me for a change. So in this podcast hijack, Melinda Williams and Sam Hadaway put me in the hot seat and ask questions I had not read before we recorded, which made it even more fun and raw.  We talk about the very humble beginnings of Woven, hilarious moments along the way, how God used formative friendships in my teenage years, marriage dynamics behind the scenes (including sacrifices and pain points), and what it looks like to juggle the demands of motherhood and life while doing something I kind of stumbled into, which is leading this nonprofit. I love these women, and truly it was a gift to get to share and process through all we touch on. They see all kinds of ways that I’ve failed along the way and keep cheering me on. My hope is that you feel like you are just joining us in my living room for this episode of Whit’s End.  Memorable Quotes: “There was so much that He was forming in me to lead me to this place of craving it for myself and also seeing the need in our community where it just lined up.”  “I feel like I’m an indecisive person in general, and what I’ve learned is the only thing that gives me peace to confidently make decisions is unhurried time in prayer, really waiting on the Lord, and it feels so counterproductive.” “The more that I get to do this ministry, it’s really beautiful to get to see the fingerprint of God on people so beautifully and uniquely displayed.” “I’m always trying to find this balance as a mom, of ‘I am so crazy about you. I love you so much,’ and also, ‘the world does not revolve around you.’” “Consistently, I feel like that is where God not only just speaks to me but it’s like my whole demeanor changes. Again, it’s the counter-productiveness, because it’s like I still have things I need to do…it’s almost like I feel God re-inflating me.” “I’m praying for the Lord to just help me to enjoy - to enjoy my husband, to enjoy my kids, to enjoy this season of ministry, to delight in the things He has given me and not see my life from a place of scarcity or lack but truly of gratitude and fullness already.” “It’s the small things that God uses to build us and grow us into who He wants us to be.” “A lot of times, when I vent to God like that, I don’t really feel a need anymore to talk to anybody about it.” Show Notes: Link to Sam’s podcast Link to Melinda’s podcastSocial media : @woven.ministry, @wlscarborough, @melindawilliamstxco, @samanthahadaway

    The Podcast Hijack : Reflections on Leadership, Family Life, & Small Beginnings

  7. Apr 19

    Psalms final week: a soundtrack for life

    As we wrap up our year-long study on the Psalms, we reflect on how this book has encouraged personal faith and connected believers across generations, revealing God as both relational and sovereign. The Psalms portray a God of immense power who still invites honest, vulnerable dialogue, offering justice and mercy in equal measure. As the “songbook” of God’s people, they create space for the full range of human emotion and call believers into a lifelong posture of worship—not just as an occasional act, but as a way of living. Through practices like reading, singing, memorizing, and praying, the Psalms become a continual source of spiritual formation, modeled by pillars in the faith like Tim Keller, who immersed himself in them consistently over decades. Worship is deeply embedded in human nature—everyone directs their devotion toward something. Vivid “stadium moment” experiences illustrate how collective passion and awe mirror the essence of worship: recognizing and responding to something greater than ourselves. Psalm 150 serves as a fitting conclusion, calling all creation to praise God with wholehearted expression, everywhere and at all times, for who He is and what He has done. Ultimately, the Psalms provide a lifelong soundtrack for faith, shaping a rhythm of worship that endures and deepens over time. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey through the Psalms! Scriptures: Psalm 150:1-6 Show Notes: Purchase your copy of the Psalms Journal in Woven's shop Songs of Jesus: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Psalms The Book Tim Keller Has Read Every Month for 20 Years

    Psalms final week: a soundtrack for life

  8. Apr 3

    Repentance, waiting, & our source of hope in Psalm 130

    Psalm 130 shows us a journey from personal repentance to hopeful trust in God, reminding us that confession is the starting point for restored relationship with Him. The psalmist teaches that when we honestly bring our sin before a merciful God, we make space for His presence and His promises to move in our lives. It also highlights that waiting on God is not passive but active—like a watchman alert for morning, we engage our hearts and minds in hope and expectation. In this penitential song, we’re reminded that conviction is a gift that leads to freedom. It is not the same as shame that leads to isolation. Ultimately, our hope is not in people or circumstances, but in God alone, who is faithful to redeem and restore. Scriptures: recap of previous chaptersPsalm 1302 Chronicles 7:14-18Psalm 119:47Psalm 63:5-6TED Talk from Brene Brown "Watchman" by Josh Garrels "I will wait for you" by Shane & Shane

    Repentance, waiting, & our source of hope in Psalm 130
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