Podcast Title: Faith When You’re Tired: Finding Rest and Renewal in a Weary World Hosts: Greg Richter and Laura J. Axelrod Opening Brief welcome and introduction of topic: “We’re talking today about what to do when you feel just plain tired — not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally tired from everything happening in the world.” Acknowledge the collective fatigue many believers feel. Segment 1: Naming the Weariness Share a personal story or recent moment when you both felt overwhelmed by the news or world events. Middle East/perpetual issue, Russia/Ukraine, other hotspots, US political climate, divisive Talk about how even faithful Christians can grow discouraged. Scripture connection: 1 Kings 19:4–8 — Elijah’s exhaustion and God’s gentle response. Key idea: God meets us in our weariness, not after we’ve “pulled it together.” 4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree. Then he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” 5 He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat!” 6 He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 Yahweh’s angel came again the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.” 8 He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, God’s Mountain. Segment 2: Rest as a Command, Not a Luxury Explore Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28–30 — “Come to me, all who are weary…” Discuss the biblical concept of Sabbath — trust, not laziness. Share how you each find spiritual rest: prayer walks, unplugging, worship music, journaling, etc. 28 “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Segment 3: Faithfulness Over Fixing the World Discuss how easy it is to feel guilty for not “doing enough.” Recenter around Micah 6:8 — act justly, love mercy, walk humbly. Encourage focusing on small, faithful actions: caring for neighbors, showing kindness online, mentoring others. Reflection question: “What’s one area where we can serve with peace instead of panic?” He has shown you, O man, what is good. What does Yahweh require of you, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Segment 4: Hope in a Tired World Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:16–18 — “Though outwardly we are wasting away…” Discuss hope as an anchor, not an escape — believing that God is still writing history. Share personal ways you renew hope: worship, fellowship, gratitude lists, remembering answered prayers. 16 Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward person is decaying, yet our inward person is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory, 18 while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Closing Summarize main takeaways: Weariness is part of being human. Rest is a spiritual practice. God calls us to faithfulness, not omnipotence. Hope is alive because Christ is. Scriptures are quoted from the World English Bible. This guy gets it: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1370076668014225 Greg Richter is an award-winning journalist and unapologetic theological gadfly, exploring where faith, culture, and curiosity collide. Follow and support his writing, podcast, and video projects by joining him on www.patreon.com/gregrichter or buy him a coffee on ko-fi.com/gregrichter
