HealingStrong's Around the Word
Join us around the table with friends who love the Lord and want to dig deeper into God's Word. Hosted by Cheryl Collins and joined by friends of HealingStrong, this podcast is sure to peak your interest in learning more about God's Word, as discussions on each podcast are short, bite-sized morsels that help to go deeper and enjoy God's Word. Cheryl and the podcast team will discuss stories that build trust in God through the history of Joseph, Esther, Jehoshaphat, Daniel, Nehemiah, the Disciples, and of course, Jesus! These episodes encourage our faith in overcoming our fear, and who doesn't need strengthened faith?
Episodes
79 episodes
Episode 79 - The Acts Series: Don't Stay Quiet (Acts 4:23-31)
The fastest way to lose your courage is to believe the loudest voices get the final word. We pick up Acts 4:23–31 right after Peter and John are threatened and ordered to stop speaking about Jesus, and we watch what the early church does next: ...
Episode 78 - The Acts Series: What if Courage is Simply Telling the Truth (Acts 4:1-22)
They arrest Peter and John for talking about resurrection, then act shocked when the message spreads. Acts 4 is a masterclass in Christian courage: a real man is healed after forty years of suffering, thousands believe, and the people in charge...
Episode 77 - The Acts Series: Power To Speak When You Are Scared (Acts: 2: 14-47)
We watch Peter move from fear to fearless clarity as he stands up after Pentecost and ties Joel, David, and the resurrection of Jesus into one urgent message. We sit with the crowd’s question, “What shall we do?”, and trace how repentance, bapt...
Episode 76 - The Acts Series: Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13)
We read Acts 2:1–13 and talk through Pentecost as a loud, disruptive, holy moment where the Holy Spirit comes with wind, fire, and supernatural speech. We explore what it means that people from many nations hear the mighty works of God in their...
Episode 75 - The Acts Series: Prayer Before Big Decisions (Acts 1: 12-26)
We read Acts 1:12–26 and watch the early believers face a painful leadership gap after Judas, choosing unity and prayer instead of panic. We talk through Sabbath day details, Peter’s honesty about betrayal, and why God’s calling still includes ...
Episode 74 - The Acts Series: What If Waiting Is Part Of The Plan? (Acts 1:1-11)
We open Acts with Luke’s letter to Theophilus and read Acts 1:1–11 out loud, stopping to ask what the text actually says and why it matters. We talk about Jesus’ command to wait for the Holy Spirit, the disciples’ kingdom expectations, and the ...
Episode 73 - The Daniel Series: Fireproof Faith
When life’s heat intensifies and escape feels impossible, we turn to Daniel 3, Romans 8:28, and Isaiah 41:10 to discover what courage looks like amid real flames and uncertain outcomes. By shifting focus from a worldly “little k” king to the so...
Episode 72 - The Daniel Series: Out Of The Fire
Daniel 3’s blazing furnace and the unburned trio offer more than a miracle—they reflect how we face pressure, pain, and public scrutiny today, revealing the difference between admiring God from afar and trusting Him intimately in the midst of t...
Episode 71 - The Daniel Series: Fourth Man In The Fire
This episode uses the powerful image from Daniel 3—three men walking free from a roaring furnace without a trace of smoke—to explore real-world trials like illness, broken relationships, and career challenges, highlighting how faith can transfo...
Episode 70 - The Daniel Series: Standing Firm In The Fire
In this episode, we delve into Daniel 3:13–23, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego face King Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery ultimatum with unshakable conviction, calmly refusing to bow even without guaranteed salvation—exemplify mature faith that dec...
Episode 69 - The Daniel Series: Taking a Stand When Others Bow
In this episode, we explore Daniel 3:8–12, where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand firm with quiet conviction among pressure to conform, challenging a culture fixated on performance and spectacle. We examine the human dynamics of jealousy, ...
Episode 68 - The Daniel Series: Peer Pressure and A Furnace
In this episode, we reflect on Daniel 3:1–7, where King Nebuchadnezzar’s decree and golden image demand submission amid intense pressure, mirroring modern struggles with public expectation and the urge to rush God’s timing. We explore the repea...
Episode 67 - The Daniel Series: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream Interpretation
In this episode, we explore Daniel 2:24–49, where Daniel calmly interprets Nebuchadnezzar’s vision of a statue made of layered metals, revealing the rise and fall of empires—Babylon’s gold, Medo-Persia’s silver, Greece’s bronze, Rome’s iron, an...
Episode 66 - The Daniel Series: Fear Gives Way To Praise
In this episode, we reflect on Daniel 2:19–23, where a king’s ultimatum and a sleepless night lead to a transformative prayer that shows praise as a powerful response to fear and pressure. We explore how Daniel’s focus of seeking God, waiting, ...
Episode 65 - The Daniel Series: When Pressure Rises, Seek God First
In this episode, we dive into Daniel 2:1–18, where Daniel faces the impossible demand to reveal the king’s dream or face execution, showing how faith moves amid pressure by seeking God first. Connecting this crisis to modern challenges like hea...
Episode 64 - The Daniel Series: Ten Days To Ten Times Better
In this episode, we explore Daniel 1:9–21, where a teenager’s small, courageous request for ten days of vegetables and water—trusting obedience over argument—sets a revolutionary example of wisdom, integrity, and health amid pressures from both...
Episode 63 - The Daniel Series: Resolved Faith In A Pressured World
In this episode, we explore Daniel 1 and the quiet strength behind his choice to refuse the royal menu, using it to examine how conviction, health, and integrity intersect amid modern pressures. We discuss the importance of setting clear standa...
Episode 62 - The Daniel Series: Names That Stick And Names That Save
In this episode, we reflect on Daniel 1:3–7, where Daniel and his friends are renamed by Babylon, illustrating how labels—though promising clarity—often steal identity, a pattern still seen today as culture assigns us names tied to our seasons ...
Episode 61 - The Daniel Series: Guarding Your Heart From Idols
In this episode, we explore how the heart drifts toward compromise by examining Exodus 20 alongside Daniel 1, revealing how a people called to exclusive allegiance slowly replace the living God with “little g” gods—good things like work, family...
Episode 60 - The Daniel Series: When You Walk Through The Fire, You Are Not Alone
In launching a new series on Daniel, we focus our time in Isaiah 43:1–2, where God affirms our identity as created, redeemed, and called by name—promises that transform how we face trials, offering His presence amid flames and floods that don’t...
UPDATES: A Holiday Pause, Resources, and January Expectations
We are taking a brief holiday pause, then come back to listen in January for a new series on Daniel. Listen in as we share some updates across HealingStrong and what resources we have for you over this break season. Listeners get re...
Episode 58 - The Esther Series: Courage in Crisis (Esther 10 NIV)
The story of Esther demonstrates God's sovereignty as He works behind the scenes, using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes to fulfill His redemptive plan.• Mordecai is elevated to second in command under King Xerxes, paralleling...
Episode 57 - The Esther Series: The Tables Turn in a Divine Reversal (Esther 9:1-32 NIV)
The tables turn dramatically for the Jewish people as what was meant to be their day of destruction becomes their day of victory and deliverance through Queen Esther and Mordecai's influence in the Persian court.• God turned what enemie...
Episode 56 - The Esther Series: Turning the Tide Against Destruction (Esther 8:1-17 NIV)
We explore Esther chapter 8, where divine providence unfolds as Mordecai rises to power and the Jewish people gain the right to defend themselves against annihilation.• Haman's estate is given to Esther, who then appoints Mordecai to ma...
Episode 55 - The Esther Series: Courage in the Face of Annihilation (Esther 7 NIV)
Queen Esther displays remarkable courage as she reveals Haman's genocidal plot against the Jews during a second banquet with King Xerxes. The king's furious reaction and Haman's desperate attempts to save his life lead to a dramatic conclusion ...