Life on Life with Punky Tolson

God is alive and he wants to communicate with you personally and intimately! Nothing and no one else have done more to transform my life and save my mind like God's word. And he will save yours, too. Join me for practical tips to get serious about spending time in God's word in 2023.

Recalibrate under God's truth in the breathing room with your Bible open, and ask God to show you what you can eliminate– what's not important. Eliminate the distractions, the urgent, and the unnecessary so that you can jealously guard your relationship with Jesus during this year and always.

This world has us thinking that faster is better, and that if we don't rush we will never be ready. Not so with God. If you're in a rush, you'll miss out on being ready for what He has for you!

Punky shares her final encouragement for 2022 and a spiritual charge to all of us for 2023. Listen to the very end for an important update! To access all the resources mentioned in today's episode, visit: https://punkytolson.com/podcast-episode/ep87

Join Punky and a couple friends as they talk about some of the most meaningful life-on-life moments that have happened…in the living room! Tune in!

If we're being honest, family gatherings have the potential to be "The best of times and the worst of times" (Charles Dickens) during the holidays. And, it all starts long before we ever get to the celebration, right? Days before, we begin remembering all the offenses and before long, we're carrying a big grudge that weighs more than the turkey! So, what are we, as Jesus followers, supposed to do? How are we supposed to walk this out? Well, I've got a few practical, biblical tips for you in today's episode. Tune in!

Have you ever shared your faith in Jesus with another person? Don't be embarrassed if you haven't–about 95% of professing evangelical Christians have never shared their faith with another person. Why is that? As Christians, we know it's important that we use what God has given us (our voices, our resources, our spheres of influence) to have an impact for Christ. Do you know what you believe and why you believe it? Then, share your faith! Not sure how? Tune in! *All resources mentioned in today's show can be found at: https://punkytolson.com/podcast-episode/ep84/

Who's talking to you? Who are you listening to? What are they influencing you to think about, to do or to become? Words are powerful. Throughout history, people with the ability to communicate have written things and spoken things that all of us have been influenced by. Words can convince us and convict us, change the way we think…and therefore change our attitudes and our behavior. And as a result of all of those words filtering in us–they have the ability to change our life for better or for worse–depending on who or what we're listening to. So, who's in your head?

Have you ever felt like your head is cluttered and your soul is being suffocated by the enemy of "too much"? Before we know it, we can allow the accumulation and the abundance of many things to pull our focus and deprive us of attention that could be better spent in better ways. What does God say about this? Tune in and find out!

If you don't know what you believe and why you believe it, then it's likely you're going to cave the moment you get pushback. In times like today, we are called to stand strong in our faith in the face of adversity. What we believe leads us in a particular direction in life. So, what do you believe? Tune in! Show notes: The State of Theology (2022) by Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research: https://thestateoftheology.com

Why are you here? What are you here for? That's the deeper question of every human heart and it's a question about purpose. No matter what age we are, we all want to know why we're alive and what our purpose is on this earth. We all want to know that our lives matter for something…if we were meant for more. What if there is more to this life? (Spoiler alert: There is!) Tune in!

Mother's Day used to hurt my heart. Like a lot of you, my little girl dreams were to grow up, get married and have children. From the time I can remember I pretended my dreams to come true; playing house, mothering my baby dolls, and honing my God-given need to nurture— because I was wired for it. In fact, all women are wired by God to mother and nurture in some way. So, what do you do when your dreams haven't come true? Tune in and listen to the Mother's Day message you weren't expecting, and purchase The Four Priorities book at TheTolsonGroup.com.

In the previous episode, we unpacked the first part of Ephesians 2:10 that tells us that we are God's masterpieces. Today, we'll continue the second half of this verse– that we are created in Christ Jesus to do good works that God prepared in advance for us to do. So as God's masterpieces, we have the Master's work to do! And what is that? Tune in to find out!

Do you ever wonder what does God think about when he thinks about you? Well, to say that he thinks highly of you is an understatement, because God created us as his masterpiece! There are five things that I'll talk about in today's episode that if you can get them into your mind and your heart and believe these things– it will make a huge difference in the way you live your life and how you see yourself as God's child. Tune in!

We are not made to live isolated and alone, but we are made to have times of solitude. We're also wired to be social (to be in relationships) and our greatest relational need is our relationship with Jesus. Every other relationship in our life will be affected, positively or negatively, by the depth of our personal relationship with God. And that relationship requires SOLITUDE… quality time alone with Jesus. If we want to have "ears to hear" our Shepherd's voice—we're going to have to do our part and discipline ourselves— our heart and mind— to be quiet and listen. Tune in today for practical help in learning The Gift of Solitude!

The most important relationship in our lives is our relationship with Jesus. We've got to learn how to listen to his voice and know his voice. Jesus gives us his wisdom and his guidance to be able to hear him and discern what he tells us to do, so it's critical to our walk of faith that we learn to listen to him. But this is really, really hard for us! Right? So, why is that? Tune in and hear practical tips and tools for learning to listen to Jesus!

The question I get most often from women I disciple is "What does faith look like in real life?" As part of the answer to that question, I'm going to show you a sneak peek into my quiet time with the Lord. If you read the Bible but struggle to connect it to your life, then it's my prayer that this will help you. So, grab your Bible and read Acts chapters 3 and 4, and then tune in!

People leave relationships for all kinds of reasons– maybe it's a lack of commitment, a lack of communication, or a lack of meaningful, honest conversation. They drift apart from one another and then their interests turn elsewhere. It's the same with our relationship with Jesus. Like a spouse who may love their partner but has drifted away, so are we when we stop engaging with Jesus. How do we get back and fall in love again with our First Love? Tune in to find out!

Prayer is a vital necessity to our spiritual life. So, why is it so hard to pray? In the Christian faith, we pray to our God who is alive, who talks to us, and we can have a conversation with him. That sets us apart from every other religion and every other faith– our God is alive! And not only is he alive, but he wants to have a relationship with us! He loves the sound of your voice and he waits for you to speak to him. So, what's holding you back? Tune in today for practical help in strengthening your prayer life! Go to punkytolson.com/podcast/ep72 to download the resources mentioned in this episode.

The greatest threat to our relationship with Jesus will always be the work that we do for Jesus. That's right! It's easier than we think to leave our First Love while we're busy doing the good work for Christ. How do we make Jesus a priority and return to our first love? Tune in!

How are you going to make the most of 2022? What's your plan for living the most effective life that God has purposed for you? Go to the link in my bio to download The Four Priorities Planner, and then come back to watch or listen as I walk you through how to use it. It's a very practical and doable tool that will set you up to live out Ephesians 5:14-17 and take aim at what matters most in 2022. Tune in!

Let's make the most of 2022! In today's bonus episode, we'll look at some really practical ways that we can plan and aim to live with more intentional purpose, especially when it comes to the ways of following Jesus and growing in our faith. All the resources mentioned today can be found at punkytolson.com/podcast. Tune in!

We live in the direction of our thoughts - positive or negative. In today's episode, I'm sharing helpful, practical suggestions for how to use God's Word and prayer as tools in the battlefield of our minds so that you can overcome the negative, lying thoughts that the enemy intentionally hurls at you to keep you stuck. Tune in! Resources mentioned in today's episode: 1. Go to PunkyTolson.com and subscribe to emails! When you do, you'll receive a FREE gift on "How to Study Your Bible." The sign-up is on the main page, but you may have to scroll down a little to see it. 2. Biblegateway.com or your Bible's concordance: Look in the concordance (in the back of your Bible) to dig deeper in the scriptures with words that resonate with you. Maybe you're struggling with fear, or doubt, or hope - whatever it is, identify that word and then look it up in the concordance and you'll find more scriptures that also mention that word. That's one way to dig into the scriptures to see what God has to say about it. You can…

Fear is not a mind game. It's an all-out battle and your mind is Satan's target. That's what he's after! Satan will try to captivate our minds and capture them with destructive, lying thoughts that produce paralyzing fears. These fears not only stay stuck, but they cause our minds to bend away slowly and surely from God and His truth. Satan wants his lies looming larger in our minds than God's truth, speaking louder to us than God's voice. So, how do we fight back? Tune in!

Fear has a voice. It's that chattering that goes on in your head 24/7 that lies to you, confuses you, and fills you with doubt. We've got to learn to deal with it! Not just ignore it, or push it to the side, or wish it away­– no, we've got to acknowledge the fear and call it out. How? Tune in!

God has chosen each one of us to carry out his plan on this earth through our individual lives– right here, right now– precisely where he has put you in this generation. In this episode, I specifically address the kind of fear that keeps us spiritually stuck as it relates to doing what God has called you and me to do with our lives, for the fulfilling of his plan and for his glory on this earth. Tune in!

Fear is a part of life. There are legit reasons to be afraid (like snakes!) and we shouldn't be fearless to do things that are unwise and ungodly. But, as people empowered by Christ, we play it too safe. Let's look at how we can take the risks God is calling us to take for him… even when we're scared. Tune in!

How do you keep on hoping when your situation seems hopeless? When there's trouble all around you, when you feel like all hope is gone, when life seems like one big impossible situation… how do you continue to build your hope in the Lord? In this episode, I'll show you how to "put on shoes and walk this out" as we build more hope into our lives and practically apply it to our circumstances. Tune in!

People search every day for hope. When we are hopeless, what we want is certainty. We want something that is going to sustain us. But at best, the world can only give us a hollow hope with no substance whatsoever. God never intended for you and me to live without hope! As believers we have hope in Jesus Christ. But I wonder… do we really understand what that means? In today's episode you'll take away greater hope and greater assurance in the certainty of the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

What do you do when God answers your prayer with a "no"? Do you believe that God still cares about your situation? Do you still believe that he loves you? Or do you think that perhaps he just doesn't love you the way you thought? Well, that's absolutely not true at all, but we can easily kind of slide into thinking that way when we fail to trust God and to trust that his "no" to us is actually a "yes" in some ways. Tune in for encouragement with what to do when God says no.

Today's culture is full of hateful and hurtful words … just waiting for us to take the bait and fight back. In today's episode I'll give you Biblical, practical steps for practicing self-control, exercising wisdom and discernment, and speaking truth in love– not hate.

Many of us are feeling tired and weary from being squeezed into a different way of life over the past 18 months. We're fatigued from the daily grind of work, everyday chores, raising kids and all the pain and suffering in the world. But, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are supposed to persevere in our faith, even when it's hard, and keep at the good work of loving God and loving others. Even when we don't have it in us, we're supposed to keep going and doing the work God has given us to do. Why do we do this? And, how? Tune in to find out!

SHOW NOTES: To deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus day after day requires a conviction that is soul deep. It takes conviction to follow Jesus and to stand firm in your faith. That's what we've been talking about this whole podcast season. That's not just what a disciple does… that's *who* a disciple is– she is a woman of conviction who stands firm and her faith!

SHOW NOTES: We are distracted people living in a world full of distractions designed by the devil to disable Christians– to captivate our minds and pull us in a direction away from the Most Important Thing and get us fixated on something less important. If you and I want to stand firm in our faith, we've got to get our minds focused and free of distractions. Why? So that we can maintain that spiritual fervor and focus that God intended for us to live with. How? We've got to get our head in the game!

SHOW NOTES: When we exercise, we work out our muscles so they'll get strong and firm. In the same way, God is calling you and me to train up our spiritual muscle strength as we learn to stand firm in our faith. That training happens through becoming strong in the truth of God's word: Knowing it, believing it, and living it. That's what makes you (and me) strong in faith and therefore, firm in faith. Are you ready? Listen in!

SHOW NOTES: God has given us the Holy Spirit in order that we can live the Christian life NOW in 2021. You were born to be alive in this time for a God-given purpose. It's not a random accident that you are alive right now– you are part of God's well thought out Kingdom plan. You and I are His appointed players with a particular and profound purpose to be lived. Are you ready? Listen in!

SHOW NOTES: One of the most supernatural hallmarks of the Christian life is that you and I get to talk to our Lord and our God through prayer. He not only hears us– he also listens and responds to us, just like you would in a family relationship on this side of Heaven. And that's what God wants with us– a relationship. He wants this because you are his child, and you are his own. But most of us aren't thinking of it in those terms so we don't even engage in this kind of conversation with God. And if we don't, we are missing so much! Tune in and let's dive in together to learn more about talking with God

SHOW NOTES: What does it mean to "walk" or "live" by faith? Walking by faith is simply taking one step after another, one day after another, obeying God's word in our everyday lives– even when it's difficult, even when it contradicts the popular opinions and ideas of the world. Even if that it means being shut down or shut out or canceled, it means to trust God with your whole life, to surrender every aspect, all areas, every detail of your life to his loving and caring authority. Walking by faith means living your life with a heavenward mission in mind, at the forefront of your thoughts with eternity set in your heart. Want to know more? Tune in! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: The anti-Christ world is moving, acting, and working to fulfill Satan's mission to steal, kill, and destroy. So, when we believe what Satan wants us to believe, we end up looking at the things that God says are right and we call them wrong. Satan also lies to us and deceives us into looking at the things that God says are wrong and calling them right. Either way, if we fall for his trap, we begin to normalize sin. How do we recognize sin for what it is? Tune in and find out! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: There are only two ways to go in this world… the right way or the wrong way, the way of truth or the way of lies. You and I will never stand firm in our faith if we are intoxicated by the worldly ways around us – the same world that is corrupted by Satan's lies. Friends, these lies that go against God and are not good for you. So how does a believer get caught up in lies? Tune in and find out! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: What does God say about any and every matter? What is his right judgment on any given issue that you could possibly have? Whatever it is… he has the answer. Whatever the answer is… he's always going to be right, because God is never wrong. Every question you and I have stems from something God created and designed to function in a particular way. Therefore, the answer to every question that you and I have is found in God, the one who created everything. And because he created everything, he will always provide the right answer for everything. LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: This bonus episode will encourage you to stand strong and stand firm in your faith. As you stand on the rock of God's word, I encourage you to approach your time reading God's word and studying God's word from the perspective of loving God more and learning about him so that you may know him intimately. LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: In today's episode we continue looking at what it means to stand firm in our faith. In order to stand firm, we must grow deep roots down into God's word. And the way we grow is by who we know: God. The way we come to know God is by reading and studying God's word and becoming deeply rooted and grounded in God's truth. When we engage with God in this way it isn't just mechanical. This is where we start to deepen our relationship with him. And guess what happens? Intimacy happens! Intimacy creates a deepening of our love for God. But what if you don't feel this intimacy? How could you study the scriptures as much as you have been and not love God? How can we sit in Bible studies and church and fill-in-the-blanks with all of this information that we've gotten out of God's word… and not love him? If you feel this way, tune in today! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: What does it mean to stand firm in our faith, biblically and practically speaking? What does that look like? Tune in to find out! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: Punky shares a personal application of when she stepped away from a confusing season and intentionally carved out time to be still (Psalm 46:10) and practice the presence of God. LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: Where are you standing in your faith today? How are you standing in your faith? Is your faith strong enough right now to keep you standing firm when everything around you is out of control? Let's unpack this today in Episode 2! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: In this age of constant access to information (to the point of overload) we have to try harder than ever before to vet the sources of the information we digest. We're taking in a lot of information that's not actually credible. Sometimes, it's simply hearsay but we believe it as truth and then get carried away when the information falls apart. The internet is full of "unedited authors" that publish whatever they want, whenever they want without any level of accountability. In this episode, Punky returns with a new season and encourages you to critically look at the sources you follow before taking their words as truth while standing firm in your faith. And, Punky shares her own accountability and authority that she's submitted to in this ministry work. LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: People ask me, "How do you practically live out 1 Peter 3:9 that says, 'Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.'" In today's episode, I give you practical tips on how to do just that – give a blessing those who are difficult to love in the midst of their hate and hurt. LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Twitter: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: Don't take the hate bait. Don't go looking for a fight to pick. Don't set yourself up to get stirred up. I fully expect the world to fight using the weapons of the world (harassing, hate-filled words). But not you, not me, not us. As Jesus-people, we're called to a radically different way of life. LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Twitter: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast

SHOW NOTES: Like you, I am sitting on the edge of my seat today over this election! But here's the thing y'all, no matter what happens we are not going to be thrown off IF we are putting our faith, trust, and hope in the ONE who sits on His eternal throne forever. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, you and I can be the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow… because we have confident hope and assurance that our Almighty God and Savior is Lord over every detail of our lives - including this election. Tune in for more encouragement! LOOKING FOR MORE? Website: punkytolson.com/podcast Instagram: @punkytolson Twitter: @punkytolson Facebook: facebook.com/lifeonlifepodcast