Let’s Talk

In this episode, Andy and Cath are chatting about the “fatherliness” of God – a word they have swiped from Andrew Murray (Andy’s hero!). They talk about how He is Abba and not distant and aloof. How the place of lack in our hearts can be a blockage to really receiving the fullness of God’s “fatherliness” for us but also the healing He can bring if we let Him into these voids. It’s another probing chat with a challenge and an encouragement to lean in deeper and know Him more.

It’s another challenging chat with Andy & Cath today. They unpack why some of us carry a general feeling of “being guilty” around in the everyday of life. Maybe you sometimes find it hard to work out if something is your fault or is someone else’s problem. Mix in the work of the enemy to hold us in condemnation – it’s a recipe for a lot of restlessness and internal angst! Listen along as Andy and Cath share how God has been helping them learn the difference between when God is bringing His conviction and when the enemy just wants to make us feel bad.

Today Andy and Cath are chatting with friend, pastor and author; Andy Robinson. They chat together about the real issue of suffering… not a fluffy topic by any means! Like many of you we know God can heal and change lives, He can redeem, fix and mend any problem and situation – yet what do we do when He doesn’t seem to be healing or answering our prayers and we are still suffering? Andy R shares his personal story of living with pain and how God has been doing a much deeper work of healing. He is very honest about the suffering and the desperation he can feel but how when He reaches out to others and God from that reality, it is the place where God meets him.

We pray this episode will encourage and lift up the hearts of those who are suffering in very real situations and you will know you aren’t being punished by God or left alone to suffer in silence. God cares deeply and passionately about you and He wants to be there in the day to day of your life.

Which end of the spectrum of sharing your heart do you fall? Are you someone who pours out inner struggles a little too easily or are you someone who finds it harder to let people in and struggle to let people into the vault of your inner thoughts and emotions? We probably all fall somewhere between the two – trying to navigate vulnerability in relationships is really hard. What is God’s heart in all this? Andy and Cath have a chat together about the desire of the Lord for us to be healthy and balanced, free to share but also free to hold up boundaries. What does healthy look like? Listen along and see if God wants to challenge gently any area of your relationships and vulnerabilities.

On this episode, Andy and Cath take a look at how to navigate our priorities and live our lives in way where Jesus is at the centre. It can be hard to find the right balance of putting other people first in a healthy way, taking care of ourselves, and acknowledging valid needs, all while trying to live life with Jesus at the centre. Join Andy and Cath as they chat through this topic, and discuss some of the challenges that we all face when our human nature clashes with a lifestyle of putting God first, with plenty of laughs along the way!

Andy and Cath are back with a new podcast and this time they are chatting about self-confidence. It’s a funny balance as a Christian – how do we have a rightful self-confidence but still remain reliant on the Holy Spirit? Are we even meant to be confident in ourselves? Andy and Cath have one of their honest chats about self-doubt and how our confidence can get bashed and battered. What is God’s heart for us and how do we even find our confidence in Him? Listen along and let God probe some questions in your own heart. Andy and Cath don’t come with all the answers but rather an honest chat that leaves us all leaning into Him and wanting Him to speak and show us His way.

Burying our feelings and emotions doesn’t work in the long term - they soon catch up with us one way or another! God encourages to be real and truthful with Him about what we feel - He gave us feelings and emotions to express what is going on inside. But what happens when our feelings (emotions) overwhelm us? We can feel out of control and like we are drowning in a sea of overwhelm - we know we shouldn’t just disconnect and hide the feelings - but what do we do with them?

Andy & Cath chat honestly about the challenge to bring our feelings to God – what does that actually look like and where is the balance between compartmentalising our emotions and being consumed and ruled by what we feel. It’s a challenging chat… hopefully as you listen along you are encouraged to dig deeper with God and grow with Him. If you find this podcast helpful - do send it on to a friend, perhaps it’s just the encouragement or help they need! 

Do you ever get a bit stuck or dare we say... drifting... in your relationship with God? There is nothing worse for us as human beings than being too comfortable! It causes everything to slow down and settle - that can include our walk with God. Today Andy and Cath are challenging us, and themselves, to seek for more. To step out of apathy and instead to choose to dig into discovering more about who God really is - letting Him "out of the box" and free from our limitations. As you listen along we pray we are all stirred to believe for more of God and more of His power in our lives.

Not all of our struggles stem from negative things done to us. Sometimes the biggest impact is from the omission of things that we haven't received. In this episode, Andy and Cath chat about the challenges faced when affirmation has been missing and how there can be a deep hunger that motivates us to earn or seek affirmation in our daily lives. How many of us are driven by a much deeper greed for encouragements, striving, feeling sorry for ourselves and even using flattery and manipulation to meet the voids? How do we let God fill that void and become secure in His love for us and how do we become people who can speak true, life-giving words to the people around us?... Phew! Not easy! It’s challenging stuff! We would love you to join us as we grow together.

Andy and Cath are back from summer holidays and are feeling the fight! Perhaps we forget it but we live in a daily battle with the enemy and with our carnality. That’s not great news until we remember we are on the winning side. In this episode they chat about how as we recognise the battle, we can learn to stand up in His authority and victory – before we know it we are disarming the enemy in his strategies. Join Andy and Cath as they unpack some of the enemy’s tactics but most importantly as they remember and remind us we are on the winning side and we can stand up and take our place as children and heirs.

Join Andy and Cath as they chat about the horrible experience it is to be or feel misunderstood; how restricting the fear of being misunderstood can be in our lives and how it can subconsciously drive our behaviours. The chat gets more challenging as they then tackle the very real question “are we also misunderstanding others?”, the reality of how quickly this can become judgements and the encouragement to be aware of reaping what we sow. Listen along and let the Lord bring His challenge and know you are not alone in these very real struggles, but with Him there are always opportunities to grow and change.

The world talks a lot about self-improvement and, of course, it seems a good idea to make ourselves better human beings. But what is God’s way for change in our lives? What is the difference between improving ourselves and allowing God to do a work of transformation? Join Andy and Cath as they ponder and chat about the way God wants to come into our lives and work by His Spirit on His agenda. We hope you will be encouraged in your walk with the Lord as you listen with us.

We all have blind spots - the problem is, we can't see them! But what if our blind spots are affecting our relationships and are even holding us back from more that God has for us? It is when we come alongside each other in real love and build trust and relationship, that there is a safe place to speak the truth in love. Join Andy & Cath as they chat about the challenge that it is to be accountable to others and to allow people to speak truth into our lives? It is also a challenge about how and when we have the right to speak to others about their potential blind spots. Listen along and be challenged to ponder this issue that affects us all.

How can we can find God and hold onto Him “When Life feels out of control”? The world is definitely being shaken and if we are honest, as human beings, whether we are in Ukraine or not, it can shake us deeply inside to see all that is happening. The shaking we all feel is very real but what do we do with that feeling? How do we balance being real that we have questions and worries, but not coming under them? In the midst of the shaking God’s voice is clear “Get ready!” – the days are dark and we need strong foundations in Him to stand. He is coming back and like the wise virgins, our oil lamps need to be filled! Join Andy and Cath as they chat about all this and hopefully be inspired to dig deeper into God and let Him build a more solid foundation inside.

None of us will go through life without having to face disappointment of some kind. For many it’s a daily struggle in relationships, in circumstances, in hopes deferred. What do we do with the feeling of disappointment and how do we dare to keep taking risks to keep hoping and stay vulnerable? What if some of the disappointment that we feel is because we have unrealistic expectations? What about when disappointment takes such a hold in our life that we end up feeling deep inside that we are a disappointment! Join Andy and Cath as they chat about another real challenge in normal life. Together we will unpack God’s heart to heal and strengthen us deep inside so we can dare to keep trusting and keep hoping.

Andy and Cath are kicking off 2022 having a chat about what it means to have a purpose in life. What could our purpose be? Do some people have a better purpose to their life than others? What could hold us back from living life to the full for God and where do we even start getting our life fully on track for Him. All good things to ponder and discuss as we head forth into a new year full of new opportunities.

This is Ellel’s last podcast for 2021! Join in and listen as Andy and Cath chat about the very real struggle of loneliness. It isn’t just those who are alone who feel lonely – sometimes it can come from a much deeper place inside where we feel we don’t belong or fit. Circumstances can cause there to be periods of drought in relationships and connections that leave us feeling lost with questions like “Is there something wrong with me?”. How the Lord longs to meet us in this place and show us His heart – His Emmanuel heart – God with us!

As something a bit different Andy and Cath have roped in their son, Ben, for a chat about all things young! There are so many challenges for the next generation and hopefully this chat will both encourage those who are in a similar age range to Ben - and inspire the older ones of us to know how to pray. Do pass it on far and wide to encourage any younger folk in their walk with God and to break through the loneliness and isolation there can be in following after Jesus in today’s world.

We all love to be approved of and recognised for what we are doing and who we are. Why is it that sometimes the validation we are given is never enough? It makes us feel good for a bit and then we just need more. We can easily get into a habit of telling ourselves that when we meet a certain target we will be good enough, but God says we are approved of just for who He made us and how He made us. If we really knew this deep inside it would change our lives! Join Andy & Cath as they chat about this hidden hunger that can drive our lives from deep within.

This might seem an unexpected topic for a Podcast from a healing ministry, but we all have to face the reality of unanswered prayer and ongoing healing needs. Andy and Cath are joined by Peter Brokaar (Ellel Exec member and leader of Ellel Scotland) to chat about how we handle these times when God does not heal us in the way we want Him to, when we want Him to! We can be left with real question marks about ourselves (have I done something wrong?) or about God (does He not care about me?). As we navigate these genuine questions we are reminded of the goodness and faithfulness of the God of Hope, even when we cannot fully understand His ways.