Depression, burnout, and how God meets us there through the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 19.

As we head into the holiday season, so many of us especially those in ministry are carrying silent exhaustion. You want to serve, you want to help people, you want to glorify the Lord… but the weight of it all can feel crushing. In this episode, I walk through Elijah’s story in 1 Kings 19 and show you seven specific ways God dealt with his exhaustion, depression, and burnout and how He wants to minister to you in the same way.

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t do this anymore,” or even like Elijah, “Lord, just take my life,” this conversation is for you. You are not faithless. You’re exhausted. And God has a very tender, very intentional way of meeting you in that place.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

- Why even strong believers and leaders hit the wall

- How exhaustion and fear distort how you see yourself and your calling

- What Elijah’s story reveals about isolation, rumination, and “I’m the only one” thinking

- The difference between spiritual failure and simply being worn out

- How God restores your strength and re-establishes your purpose

Where to dive in:

00:00 – Welcome & Holiday Overwhelm

02:40 – Elijah’s Exhaustion Begins

09:50 – Running for His Life

13:30 – God’s Care: Rest, Touch, Nourishment

17:10 – The Still Small Voice

30:10 – Correcting Elijah’s Thinking

36:20 – Renewed Purpose

39:20 – Prayer & Encouragement

If you’re on the edge of burnout or quietly battling depression, this is your invitation to let God reset your body, mind, and spirit.

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

Imagine nurturing a seed for years, only to wonder if it will ever sprout. This week, my sister Jenny Brown joins us on a heartfelt journey to explore the profound lessons in patience from nature and scripture. We reflect on the wisdom of James 5:7 and draw inspiration from the incredible resilience of the Chinese bamboo tree, which teaches us that growth often happens beneath the surface long before it becomes visible. Pastor Harry Saylor enriches our conversation with a story about ancient seeds that retained their vitality over centuries, reminding us that persistence and faith can bridge the gap between our efforts and their eventual fruition.

Together, we tackle the cultural struggle between the need for instant results and the enduring value of patience. With Jenny's insights, we emphasize the importance of cultivating deep roots in our faith, communities, and careers to withstand life's inevitable storms. We share stories of personal faith and trust in divine guidance, even when circumstances feel daunting, like a family navigating a challenging house purchase. Our talk underscores the importance of character over charisma and encourages you to trust in God's provision, holding tight to the belief that your seeds will bloom in their season. Join us for a conversation that nourishes the spirit and encourages you to keep sowing seeds of faith and patience.

Where to dive in:

(00:08) Sowing Seeds

(10:43) Cultivating Patience and Delayed Harvest

(18:57) Trusting in God's Provision

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

In this episode, I sit with my sister, Jenny Brown, to talk about a powerful biblical principle that affects every part of your life. If you want to reap, you have to plant. What you sow is what you will harvest, and Scripture shows that God works through very specific seasons and appointed times.

We walk through Ecclesiastes 3 and the many scriptures that talk about time, what it means to sow intentionally, how to avoid careless seed, and how to trust God with the outcome. Jenny also shares practical stories and powerful lessons about obedience, prayer, timing, and the everyday seeds that shape our future.

If you have been praying and waiting, or if you feel like you are in a season of drought, this message will help you see your moment in a new light. God has appointed times for travail, growth, and happiness. Your job is to plant with intention. God is the Lord of the Harvest.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why time in Scripture has multiple meanings and why that matters for your season

• The spiritual principle of sowing and reaping

• Why your words, actions, and attitude are seeds

• Why careless seeds produce unwanted harvests

• Why obedience in the moment matters

• How to plant for the future you want

• Why you cannot control the outcome

• Why God controls the harvest and the timing

Key Scriptures:

• Genesis 18.10
• Genesis 24.11
• Genesis 38.27
• Ecclesiastes 3
• Ephesians 6.7-8
• Luke 6.31-38
• Galatians 6.7
• Romans 12.1

If this message encourages you, make sure to subscribe so you can hear part two of this teaching next week.

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

Have you ever felt like your prayers are hitting a wall, like you are in a spiritual drought and God seems silent? In this episode of The Jaime Luce Podcast, I share from 1 Kings 17 and 18 about how God uses dry seasons to deepen our faith, strengthen our roots, and prepare us for the abundance of rain that is coming.

Elijah’s story has always encouraged me because it reminds us that when we see nothing, it does not mean God is doing nothing. I talk about how obedience in the drought positions us for breakthrough and why the miracle often comes only after we go again.

Here is what you will learn in this episode:

- Why God allows spiritual droughts and how they prepare you for blessing

- The importance of repairing your altar, your prayer life, before the rain comes

- How the widow’s obedience released a miracle in her home

- How to grow deeper roots in hard times and keep your faith alive

- The power of persistence when everything looks dry

If you are waiting for your suddenly, your breakthrough, or your downpour, this message is for you. Do not give up. God is faithful, and your rain is coming.

Where to dive in:

(00:08) Overcoming Spiritual Drought Through Faith

(10:51) Navigating Spiritual Drought Through Obedience

(22:58) Navigating Drought Through Faith and Obedience

(39:33) Deep Rooted Faith in Drought

(50:27) Faith and Obedience Bring Miracles

(01:00:59) Preparing for the Abundance of Rain

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

If you need answers, you need an altar.

When life feels overwhelming, prayers seem unanswered, and your efforts produce no results, this message is for you. In this Bible study, Jaime Luce walks through 1 Kings 18 and Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal and shows a powerful truth:

If the altar is broken, the answers will not come.

If you are sacrificing to the wrong thing, the results will always disappoint.

Elijah did not ask God to send fire until the altar of the Lord was repaired. Many people are exhausted because they are giving their time and energy to things that cannot give life. Meanwhile, the altar God commanded stands neglected.

In this episode, you will learn:

• What a biblical altar truly represents

• Why your approach to God matters

• How humility positions you to hear from God

• Why worship without sacrifice leads to frustration

• How to rebuild what has been spiritually broken

• How God responds to a heart fully surrendered to Him

God is not silent. He is waiting.

Real answers begin where real surrender happens.

It is time to repair the altar.

Where to dive in:

(00:08) Rebuilding Your Altar

(13:24) Examining Our Altars for Success

(26:13) Repairing Your Approach to God

(38:25) Approaching God Boldly With Surrender

Scripture References:

• 1 Kings 18,
• 2 Samuel 24:24,
• Hebrews 4:14 to 16,,
• James 4:3 to 10
• Isaiah 55:8 to 9

Reflection Questions:

• Have I been expecting answers from the wrong altar?

• What needs to be surrendered in my life?

• Where is God calling me to draw near to Him again?

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691

Are you living for God part-time? In today’s message from 1 Kings 18, Jaime challenges us to take an honest look at where our devotion truly lies. Elijah asked the people of Israel, “How long will you falter between two opinions?” They knew who God was, yet their hearts and lives were divided.

This episode explores:

• Why we struggle to trust and follow God with our whole heart

• How modern believers can unknowingly fall into idolatry

• The difference between striving for empty sources of fulfillment and resting in the One true God

• What it means to rebuild the altar of the Lord in your own life

• How God responds when we call on Him with sincerity and faith

The false gods of this world demand everything and give nothing in return. But the living God responds in power when we turn fully toward Him. Today is an invitation to move out of lukewarm living and into a deeper, mature walk of obedience and relationship.

If this message encourages you, be sure to like the video, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs to be reminded that God hears and answers His people.

Where to dive in:

(00:07) Challenging Being a Part-Time Christian

(16:18) The Power and Authority of God

(19:54) The Choice

(29:27) The Sacrificial Worship of False Gods

(37:40) Serving God vs. Baals

(48:45) Fully Surrendered to God's Will

(57:18) Seeking God's Manifest Presence

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

Can indecision hold your spiritual life hostage? We explore this compelling question by diving into the dramatic biblical story of Elijah's confrontation with King Ahab and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. This narrative underscores the vital importance of making firm choices and committing to God, especially amidst life's uncertainties. Drawing from the profound insights in James, we emphasize the necessity of seeking God's wisdom to overcome the paralysis of indecision, as wavering beliefs can lead us astray.

As we navigate the "valley of decision," inspired by Joel chapter 3, we confront the internal struggles and fears that accompany choice-making. Indecision often stems from fear of the consequences, but recognizing the urgency and judgment that awaits can spur us to action. Here, we learn the importance of taking self-inventory and pursuing wisdom, while considering the eternal consequences of our choices. With examples from notable figures like Charlie Kirk and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, we discuss the transformative power of living for God and the courage required to embrace truth and self-denial.

Finally, we reflect on the essence of choosing to live by faith, inspired by the teachings of both scripture and the lives of those who have walked the path before us. Through prayer and seeking God's guidance, we can find the strength to become not just hearers, but doers of the word. Join us as we explore how each decision impacts not only our lives but also future generations, reminding ourselves of the peace and direction found in committing wholeheartedly to faith.

Where to dive in:

(00:08) Decide

(12:32) Valley of Decision and Consequences

(22:40) Seeking God's Wisdom for Decision Making

(36:51) Choosing to Live for God

(44:18) Deciding to Live by Faith

(57:07) Choose You This Day

(01:05:51) Finding God's Guidance Through Faith

Next steps:

- Spend Time in the Word: Read the passages mentioned today: 1 Kings 18, James 1, Joel 3, and Joshua 24.

- Reflect on what it means to choose God daily — not just in belief, but in every decision.

- Ask God for Wisdom Daily: Make it part of your morning routine to say, “Lord, give me wisdom for what’s ahead.” Let that simple prayer be your first step toward clarity and peace.

- Share This Message: If this episode encouraged you, send it to a friend or family member who might also feel stuck between choices. Sometimes, your obedience opens the door for someone else’s freedom.

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/

In this episode of The Jaime Luce Podcast, we unpack Proverbs 1 and ask a sobering question: What does it really mean to be wise in an age overflowing with information, but starving for truth?

From social media noise to political confusion and false teaching, this episode calls believers to return to the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom. Get practical insight on how to discern truth from deception, how to take personal responsibility for your spiritual life, and why ignorance is no longer an option for followers of Christ.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the chaos in the world, this episode will help you anchor your faith, sharpen your discernment, and walk boldly in God’s wisdom.

Where to dive in:

(00:08) Seeking Wisdom in a Chaotic World

(10:24) The Fear of God and Responsibility

(26:26) Responsibility and Wisdom in Life

(41:32) The Pursuit of Knowledge and Wisdom

(57:11) Encouraging Truth-Seeking on Social Media

About your host: Jaime Luce’ testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

Free chapter of Jaime’s new book: You Don’t Need Money, You Just Need God: https://jaimeluce.com/book/

Connect:

- Website: https://jaimeluce.com

- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.luces.page

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaime_luce/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-luce-00395691/