Before David was a king, he was forgotten.

Overlooked. Unseen. Not even considered worthy of being called in from the fields. Yet God saw what no one else could see.

In this episode, we walk through the life of King David—the shepherd, the giant slayer, the fallen king, and the repentant warrior—to uncover what his story reveals about our own spiritual battles.

We explore the pendulum of faith—the seasons where we feel close to God, the seasons where we drift, and the grace that never leaves us in either place. David’s life reminds us that faith is not about perfection, but about returning. His victories did not define him, and neither did his failures. His repentance did.

We also dive into the giants we face today—the lies that tell us we are too much or never enough, the battles that test our identity, and the discouragement that tries to convince us to stop fighting. Through the powerful analogy of boxing, we reflect on how prayer is not passive—it is training. Training for every battle. Every hardship. Every giant.

David’s life shows us that God does not choose the obvious. He chooses the willing. And even after failure, even after falling, David never stopped turning back.

Whatever giant you are facing, this episode is a reminder: you are not alone in the fight. And through prayer, you are being trained for faith.

Comparison has a quiet way of convincing us that we’re behind, overlooked, or simply not chosen. In this episode, we start with the trap of comparison and follow it all the way to the deeper wound it often reveals—the ache of not being picked, not being seen, or not being chosen.

Through honest conversation, we reflect on moments when we felt overlooked and how those experiences shaped our identity, faith, and sense of worth. Ultimately, this episode points to the truth that stands firm in every season: even when people don’t choose us, God always does.

This conversation is for anyone who has wrestled with comparison, rejection, or waiting—and is learning to trust that God’s choosing isn’t based on performance, popularity, or timing, but on love.

If you’ve ever wondered why you weren’t chosen… this episode is for you.

From grief to faith to finding ourselves, these are the movies that changed us. In this episode, we share the films that didn’t just entertain us—but met us in our hardest seasons and helped bring healing, hope, and perspective.

As part of our A Few of Our Favorite Things series, we reflect on how God can use storytelling, art, and film to reach places in our hearts that words sometimes can’t. Through seasons of loss, doubt, growth, and rediscovery, these movies helped shape us, strengthen our faith, and remind us we weren’t alone.

Whether you’re walking through grief, rebuilding your faith, or trying to find yourself again, this conversation is for you.

✨ In this episode, we talk about:

• Movies that helped us process grief
• Films that strengthened and challenged our faith
• Stories that helped us rediscover who we are
• How God can use movies and art as tools for healing

💬 We’d love to hear from you: What movie changed or healed you?

In this episode, we talk about chosen family—a kind of community rooted in love, faith, acceptance, forgiveness, and Jesus. A place where you are welcomed as you are, where honesty is safe, and where no one has to walk alone.

Through conversation and reflection, we share how true belonging isn’t about fitting a mold, but about being surrounded by people who love you well and point you back to Christ. Sometimes God invites us into new community—not because we don’t matter where we are, but because He desires something more life-giving for us.

If you’ve ever felt out of place, unseen, or unsure where you belong, this episode is a reminder: you are not alone, you are deeply loved, and there is a place where you can be fully yourself and still be fully accepted.

You belong here 🤍

There comes a moment when trying isn’t enough anymore.

In this episode, we share a powerful story inspired by a friend’s long journey through addiction—years of stopping, starting, rebuilding, and falling apart again. He once tried to change because he “had everything”: the family, the responsibility, the pressure to grow up. But when life unraveled and everything was lost, something was different this time.

This episode isn’t just about addiction. It’s about ownership.

We talk about why healing—just like faith—can’t be built for someone else. It can’t rest on expectations, guilt, pressure, or perfectionism. It has to be your yes. Your surrender. Your decision to choose peace over performance and honesty over appearances.

If you’ve ever felt stuck trying to change for the wrong reasons, or wondered why things didn’t last even when you “did everything right,” this conversation is for you.

Healing lasts when it becomes your own—and when God is invited into it from the start.

Shame has a way of distorting God’s voice—turning conviction into condemnation and truth into accusation. In this episode, we talk about how memories, guilt, and past mistakes can keep us stuck in cycles of self-blame and fear, and how learning to discern God’s voice brings real freedom.

God does not accuse, humiliate, or keep us in bondage. His correction is gentle, clear, and rooted in love. Together, we explore the difference between conviction and condemnation, why not every thought we hear is from God, and how honesty and vulnerability open the door to healing.

Your story doesn’t define you—but it does matter. Healing is possible, and freedom begins when we learn to hear God’s voice above the noise of shame.

In the final episode of our Life Is Messy series, we reflect on what it truly means to be loved as you are. Drawing from Matthew Kelly’s Life Is Messy (pages 168–195) and the wisdom of The Velveteen Rabbit, we explore how God’s love doesn’t make life perfect — it makes us real.

We talk about why shabbiness doesn’t cancel beauty, how wisdom is formed through storms, and why the valleys matter just as much as the peaks. From learning to remember people and stories honestly, to resisting distraction, unforgiveness, and perfectionism, this conversation invites us to choose meaning over control.

As we close this series, our hope is that you walk away with a healthier relationship with your own brokenness — trusting that you are loved as you are, in every season, and that what makes you real is also what makes you beautiful.

In this episode of The Open Doors Podcast, we continue our conversation through Life Is Messy by Matthew Kelly (pages 138–168) and explore the difficult but healing work of forgiveness.

Forgiveness isn’t easy—especially when we’ve been hurt, betrayed, or disappointed by those closest to us. We talk about how unforgiveness can quietly affect us emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and why forgiveness is not excusing behavior, but choosing to let go and surrender.

This conversation also dives into boundaries, people-pleasing, and the struggle to say no without guilt. After pain or trauma, finding your voice can feel overwhelming—but your needs matter, and your voice matters. We reflect on how our identity is not found in our yes or our no, but in who God says we are.

If you’re learning to forgive, struggling to speak up, or longing for healing and freedom, this episode is for you.