Help & Hope

Send us a Text Message.Neglect. Rejection. Sin. Conflict. Change. It’s difficult to attend church when you’ve suffered some of your deepest hurts.Megan Hill understands that church can be hard. In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Megan talk about why church hurt can be so devastating, the root of church hurt, people in the scriptures who experienced church hurt and how they responded to the priceless gift of community, and reasons to pursue life in a local church even when it hurts. Megan gently leads wounded people on a pathway to peace as she encourages us to explore the source of our struggles, find ways to express our sorrow and consider wise actions to take. Others have struggled as well—and found hope. There’s hope for you too.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Children raised in the same family sometimes grow up with very different responses to life. Such is the story of Julie Malone and her beautiful daughter, Allie. Julie and her husband, Tim loved their lives as parents and Tim’s ministry to teens. But their idyllic life would take a turn into a foreign land of broken places. Julie says, I am very thankful for my childhood as I came to know and love the Lord as my savior at a very young age. I really never knew a day without Jesus in my life. I married Tim, and we had 4 beautiful little girls. We were raising our kids to know Jesus. We were a close family. Life was good. But Tim and I often wondered how and when real suffering would enter our lives. For us, it didn’t come in one huge blow. For us it came in pieces. A little ding here, and a little ding there – until the repeated dinging of the chisel brought true hardship that often made me feel weary and worn, and well…broken. And much of this brokenness focused on our journey of parent

Send us a Text Message.Many people have experienced betrayal, someone violating your trust perhaps by lying, cheating, some kind of abuse, putting their own interests ahead of yours when they promised otherwise. Betrayal affects every part of our hearts, often in ways we don’t understand at first. Some hurts we carry with us to the day we die, they are so deep and seem impossible to resolve. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Wendy Alsup shares the impact of betrayal from her own life, not only through an unwanted divorce but also in her church life. But Wendy doesn’t leave us in the mud of betrayal. Instead, she speaks frankly about the power of forgiveness. Wendy’s view of forgiveness is not stereotypical. Pulling examples from her own life, Wendy talks about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation and how understanding ambiguous loss can help us as we grieve the losses of betrayal. Whether you are still gasping for air as the impact of betrayal hits you hard or you are carrying the wou

Send us a Text Message.Did you know 40 million adults suffer from depression, and 4 in 10 US adults have developed high levels of stress and anxiety since the start of the pandemic? 58% of those are young adults. Clearly, we have a mental health crisis in America. In this conversation, Christopher Cook, author of Healing What You Can’t Erase and host of the WinToday podcast, and no stranger to deep depression, says anxiety acts like a smoke alarm, demanding we find the source of the smoke and deal with it. He uses the acronym SEED to help us understand the 4 steps to uncovering the root causes and replacing lies with truth. His goal is to encourage us to intentionally pursue inside-out transformation by making small choices every day.Support the Show.

Send us a Text Message.Due to generations of hurt in his family, country music singer Ben Fuller turned to cocaine and alcohol at a young age. He got involved in a devastating drug-fueled relationship which led him to understand better, the other side of addiction. And then, he abruptly lost his best friend to a heroin overdose, and his entire outlook on life shifted. In this Help & Hope conversation with Sharon Betters and Danielle Cantler, Ben talks about how a move to Nashville to pursue a career as a country singer in late 2018 transformed his life. He shares how a family friend invited him to church, and as he walked into the auditorium filled with 3,000 people, he knew one day he would sing “that kind of music” for the rest of his life. Falling face first into his new-found relationship with Jesus, he began writing with a burning desire to share what God did to turn his life around. Today, Ben lives completely sober while sharing his story, which is filled with hope, mercy, and grace. By turning his

One in four adults are estranged from their parents, so says one 2022 study. According toanother study 11% of mothers ages 65 – 75 with two or more grown children were estrangedfrom at least one of them. Most of the time, the seeds for these conflicts were planted duringthe growing up years of the young adults. Gaye Clark, who is the author of Loving Your AdultChildren, The Heartache of Parenting and the Hope of the Gospel talks to Sharon Betters aboutthe seeds of these conflicts and how parents can navigate these tumultuous relationships,starting with personal repentance. This conversation shines a spotlight on the hearts of theparent, not with condemnation, but with instruction on how to respond with kindness ratherthan anger, gentleness rather than wrath. Gaye challenges listeners to consider carefully andprayerfully how to reflect the fruit of the Spirit in a way that invites an estranged child to “tasteand see that the Lord is good”.Support the Show.

Do these words haunt you: "Mom, Dad, I don't want your rules and morals. I don't want to act like a Christian anymore! And I'm not going to," Barbara Juliani (then Barbara Miller) made this declaration at the age 18. As her father desperately attempted to reason with her, Barbara grew more resentful, choosing a path of immorality that only deepened her parents' pain.Such a declaration from a child, no matter their age, creates havoc and soul-searching in the hearts of their parents, who often ask, “What did I do wrong?”In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson, Barbara Juliani shares her story and addresses some of the ways parents take on the guilt of their children and responsibility for their decisions. You might be surprised by some of her conclusions. Her dad, Jack Miller wrote:"I am not ignorant of human depravity," writes C. John Miller, "but I had long denied that it could exist in our family." That reality, however, forced him to c

“So who am I now that there’s only one place at the table….one pillow with a head dent, one towel damp after a shower? There’s only one toothbrush in the holder. The seat is never left up anymore. I can still write Mrs. in front of my name, but I’m no longer in a marriage relationship. You need two people for a marriage, and there’s only me.” These words, written by our guest, Gayle Roper, capture the longing of every widow. Has a widowed friend ever said, “I wish you could understand the loneliness…..how every minute I’m reminded I’m alone…how I long for my husband’s touch, his protection, sitting across the table eating, watching a movie together, going for an evening walk, running errands….I’m so alone.” And you wish you could understand, too, but you can’t. This conversation between Gayle Roper and Sharon Betters is not only for the widow but for those who love her. Gayle gives us a tender glimpse into the daily life of a widow, what a widow can do after her husband dies that will help her find a new leve

In this wide-ranging interview between two mothers who have experienced the grief of the deaths of their children, Nancy Guthrie transparently answers questions asked by Sharon Betters. From how to push the question “why” through the grid of God’s love and sovereignty to practical counsel for protecting marriages assaulted by grief, Nancy doesn’t flinch. Nancy’s loss of two children uniquely qualifies her to offer help and hope in sorrow’s darkest night. No matter how shattered the heart, there is hope in the midst of grief.Support the show

Someone has said there are only two sure things in life – death and taxes. While this is meant to be funny, the part about death is true. Each one of us will die, yet not many of us intentionally prepare for that unique part of our journey. In this conversation, Elizabeth Turnage, author of Preparing for Glory, talks to Sharon Betters about the “art of dying”. Elizabeth answers questions like: How does Jesus show us how to prepare ourselves and our loved ones for our death; how do we say “enough” to medical intervention; what information and documents we should prepare for when we are incapacitated or die; how to leave an emotional legacy, intentionally forgiving and pursuing forgiveness, thanking those who have impacted our lives and much more.This is not an easy topic, but death is the “elephant in the room” and Elizabeth puts a map in our hands to help us navigate this difficult pathway.Support the show

After trying everything she could to stop her slide into a dark depression, young mother Christine Chappell tearfully told her husband she needed help and admitted herself to a facility. In her book, Midnight Mercies, Walking with God through Depression in Motherhood, Christine describes this heartbreaking season but does not leave us in the dark. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Christine transparently tells how depression strangled her and drove her to a point of hopelessness – and yet, the Lord did not abandon her. Christine and Sharon talk about the emotions of depression and how one leads to the next, how God responded differently to each person in scripture who experienced depression, some of the causes of depression in motherhood, and how our culture encourages us to declare, “I got this!” vs. “Help, Lord!” Christine offers practical steps we can take in battling depression and how friends can come alongside a hurting friend. Whether your depression is mild or severe, this conversation will ac

In this moving and sometimes emotional conversation, Sharon Betters talks to Susanna Musser and her friend and counselor, Heidi Scott, about the sudden, accidental death of Susanna’s adopted son, Tommy. Susanna and husband Joe and their entire family welcomed Tommy into their home even though he had severe disabilities. No strangers to raising a child with disabilities, Tommy quickly experienced unconditional love. Yet God often calls us to hard places that are much more difficult than we expected. Through circumstances no one could have imagined, Tommy died. Susanna, with the help of her counselor, Heidi, shares the story of her family, her passion for adoption of children with special needs and the enormous struggle she experienced in trying to reconcile Tommy’s death while carrying self-imposed guilt no parent should experience. This conversation will not only encourage others in similar places, but will give listeners a renewed understanding of the burdens some parents bear and how to help them.Support th

Do you have questions about same-sex attraction? Is it wrong? Is it ok? Are you struggling with same-sex attraction personally? Is your child?Chuck and I recently had the privilege of asking these questions and many more of Dr. Rosaria Butterfield, nationally known speaker and author ofSecret Thoughts of an Unlikely ConvertDr. Butterfield's down to earth, compassionate, common sense and biblical approach to same-sex attraction resulted in a conversation that we wish everyone could hear.We live in a culture that challenges us to reexamine long held convictions and decide if what we believe is really scriptural or culturally based. None of us wants to be on the wrong side of the issue of same-sex attraction. People we love and respect are making choices that beg for acceptance and compassion. What must our response be? Chuck and I had the unique privilege of asking this and much more of Rosaria. We hope many will listen with an open heart and mind, hungry for truth, and conclude there are solid biblical an

Pam Benton started noticing small changes in her pastor husband. Though Wilson had retired, he had agreed to serve as interim pastor in another church for eighteen months. Eighteen months turned into five years. Pam’s concerns grew when Wilson started using notes for his sermons. Since both of their mothers had Alzheimers, Pam and Wilson did not hesitate to get their doctor’s opinion, hoping for a simple answer, but knowing Alzheimers was not unlikely. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Pam describes how a diagnosis has changed the direction of their plans for retirement, how important it is to get an early diagnosis and the way the Lord has grown her faith. Pam’s children told her that in spite of a lifetime of ministry, this season of life is perhaps the most important as she models for them how to love their dad well in what many call the long goodbye.Support the show

Relationships can be so hard and sometimes painful. Are they worth it? What are some of the pitfalls of relationships? How can our expectations of others sabotage our relationships? When someone we care about disappoints us, and they will, what questions should we be willing to ask ourselves to determine how to proceed?How can God use disappointments and broken relationships for our good?Is there ever a time to just walk away? Sharon Betters asks Ellen Dykas these questions and more. All of us struggle with relationships. We know this conversation will encourage and equip you to not only understand yourself better but how to navigate what can sometimes be a scary minefield.Support the show

The week the Covid sheltering in place began, Barbara Thompson and her husband, Mark, moved from Louisiana, where they had lived for most of their lives, to Mississippi. Barbara and Mark desire is to finish and age with grace. They now live near their son and his family. Caregiving for Barbara’s parents was a ministry priority until her mother and father both passed away in August 2020. Barbara’s great joy is to, as she defines it, “sit on the bleachers” for women - praying, listening, connecting, and rejoicing as these women grow in grace. She’s a proud “spiritual mother” and rejoices to have a part in God’s work among us, through us and in us. Barbara is intentional about connecting with her grandchildren and even learning to listen to the music they love.Support the show

We all want to be beautiful and successful. Often this desire pushes us off a cliff into concluding we are never enough. And sometimes these feelings lead us into addictions in our pursuit of beauty and success. At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States. Perhaps you are one of them or you know someone suffering from an eating disorder. In this Help & Hope interview Sarah Ivill, talks with Sharon Betters about her own struggle with an eating disorder and how it reflected her view that she was never enough. But an eating disorder is not the only addiction resulting from feeling inadequate. With great compassion, Sarah discusses some of the lies that feed into the feeling that we are never enough, the need to get to the root of the lies and how an eating disorder is an addiction that can take a long time to break. Though you may have no experience with an eating disorder, the truths that Sarah shares apply to any place in our lives where we feel we

Infertility, ministry conflict, chronic pain – experiencing just one of these life crises can be all consuming. But all of them at the same time – and more? How does a woman not just survive, but thrive? Glenna Marshall, author of The Promise is His Presence, Why God is Always Enough, joins Sharon Betters to share her journey that has taken her to some very broken places. But as you will hear, she discovered priceless treasures as she struggled to make sense of it all. Support the show

Imagine taking on the responsibility as CEO of a failing business – not just any business but a corporation that was inches from being closed forever. In this conversation, Pastor Chuck L. Betters talks with Skip Schoenhals, the man who led WSFS Financial Corporation from the brink of failure to being the leading independent bank serving the greater Philadelphia and Delaware region with a local presence and national subsidiaries. Skip readily admits his faith in Jesus guided every aspect of this daunting journey and gave him help and hope at his lowest points. Skip freely shares how his challenging personal journey helped prepare him for the battle to save a corporation that is now 190 years old.Skip chronicles his journey in his book, From Failing to Phenomenal, and in this conversation with Chuck, discusses behind the scenes events in his nail-biting battle but also biblical principles of business that will help equip listeners to lead their own companies in a way that glorifies God.Author: From Failing to

When Clarissa Moll’s young husband Rob she soon realized she was a crossroads. Would she walk toward hope or slide into hopelessness? In this conversation with Sharon Betters Clarissa answers such questions as:Is there any way to prepare for such a tragedy? Are there stages for grief? What kind of work can grief do in our hearts that grows the fruit of the spirit? How is it helpful to “welcome” an emotion like fear – how does dissecting an emotion help us keep those emotions in check – or should we even try to keep them in check? What about regrets? Either for our own behavior or bitterness toward the one who died? How do we find freedom from guilt? How is a child’s grief journey different than an adult’s and how can we help them grieve in their own way? What about wrestling with God? What are some scriptures that acknowledge the sorrow of a broken heart? How can grief become an old familiar friend?And many more. This conversation will not only encourage the bereaved but help those who love them be better equ