Live Worthy Podcast

In the final episode of our Marriage Assignment series, Erin sits down remotely with one of her closest friends, Mariangel, for an honest conversation about living worthy in marriage — when you’re not married. If marriage is an assignment, how do you walk it well in a season of singleness? How do you live with desire without letting it define you? And how do you carry a promise you haven’t yet seen fulfilled? Mariangel shares vulnerably about her current season, what she’s learning about dating, how her love life has shifted as she’s grown in the Lord, and what it looks like to trust God in the waiting. They also talk candidly about the comments single women are tired of hearing — and the deeper truth that steadies the heart in the in-between. Whether you’re single, dating, divorced, or simply learning to trust God with unmet desires, this conversation will remind you: Your assignment is not your relationship status. Your faithfulness in the waiting still counts. And before you go, don’t forget to grab our very own Worthy Ministries children’s book, Mabel and the Overflowing Oil — available now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0fXoG92j

In this episode of the Live Worthy Podcast, Erin sits down with Sandra Tolsma, founder of Anna’s Circle (https://www.annascircle.org/ ), for one of the most honest conversations in our Marriage Assignment series. Sandra has spent years teaching and writing about biblical marriage — and then found herself walking through the pain of divorce after decades of covenant. In this episode, she shares what it looks like to live worthy not just in flourishing seasons, but in devastating ones. We discuss biblical grounds for divorce, the greatest lies attacking marriages today, why many women stay longer than they should, and how Sandra experienced the love of Jesus in the midst of heartbreak. She also offers wise, compassionate counsel for women who are considering divorce — and hope-filled truth for those rebuilding after it. If you are fighting for your marriage, grieving one, or starting over, this conversation will meet you there. Marriage is an assignment. But so is healing. — And before you go, don’t forget to grab our very own Worthy Ministries children’s book, Mabel and the Overflowing Oil — available now on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0fXoG92j

In Episode 27, Erin is joined by her husband Mickey to talk about The Marriage Assignment — what it really means to live worthy inside covenant. Marriage isn’t about self-fulfillment. It’s about two laid-down lovers choosing obedience to Jesus together. From Zechariah and Mary to Ananias and Sapphira, we explore what surrender looks like for husbands and wives — and how obedience draws a couple closer to the Lord and to each other. If you’re married, preparing for marriage, or healing inside it — this conversation will challenge and steady you.

I’m your host, Erin Arruda, and in this episode I’m joined by Certified Christian Neuroscience Counselor Vanderly Cillo for a timely and deeply grounding conversation centered on Kingdom building in you. Vanderly brings a beautiful integration of neuroscience, faith, and the finished work of the cross, helping us see how God designed the human brain for connection, healing, and transformation. Together, we talk about her journey into this work and ministry, the relationship between brain design and discipleship, and why true transformation requires more than information—it requires connection. We explore the power of attunement—being seen, protected, and received before being “fixed”—and how this practice reflects the heart of the Father. Vanderly also shares why so much modern discipleship has leaned heavily on teaching and strategy, while lasting change happens through joy, attachment, and shared emotional life. We unpack how joy becomes “locked up” in us and what it looks like to live out the truth that the joy of the Lord is our strength in practical, embodied ways. If time allows, we also touch on the mind’s greatest adversary in this hour, what our minds most need right now, and one simple next step toward lasting transformation. To learn more about Vanderly and her work, visit https://vanderlycillo.com/ . Professional Disclosure: Vanderly Cillo is an ordained minister and certified coach. She does not provide psychotherapy or mental health diagnosis or treatment. Her services are offered as pastoral care, neuroscience coaching, and faith-based support and are not a substitute for licensed mental health care.

In Part 2, host Erin Arruda continues the conversation with Nicole Hathorn, anchoring the beginning of the year in Luke 4—just after Jesus’ baptism and at the inception of His ministry. Moving beyond the familiar reflections of Luke 2, this episode explores three defining movements in Luke 4: temptation, rejection, and reception, and how these movements mirror the way God forms His Kingdom within us during seasons of transition. Together, Erin and Nicole discuss Jesus’ choice to begin His ministry not in comfort, but in wilderness, fasting, and testing—and why this matters deeply in our modern culture. They reflect on how temptation detaches us from earthly measures, how rejection can refine and strengthen faith, and how reception follows obedience as the Kingdom advances through healing, authority, and surrender. This episode invites listeners to approach the new year not as a blank slate, but as a sacred threshold—one where God is attentive, present, and faithful through every transition. As we learn to walk with Him through testing, rejection, and reception, we discover what it truly means to become in the Kingdom.

Season 2 opens with host Erin Arruda welcoming listeners into a new year and a new season of the Live Worthy Podcast—a space created to urge and equip you to live worthy of the calling you’ve received, because you have been called by God. In this episode, Erin is joined by longtime friend Nicole Hathorn for a thoughtful conversation on spiritual seasons and the Kingdom God is building within us. Nicole is a mom of three, environmental engineer, Bible teacher, Worthy Blog content director, and devoted disciple-maker known for her curiosity, steadiness, and love for truth. Together, they reflect on what we carry from God’s Kingdom into the rooms we enter, Nicole’s journey back to Jesus, and why the New Year holds such meaning as a marker of spiritual transition. They explore how seasons shape formation, how awareness brings clarity, and how God works intentionally within our linear experience of time. This episode sets the foundation for Season 2—inviting listeners to slow down, name their season honestly, and trust that God is purposeful in every phase of becoming. https://onplanners.com/templates/wheel-life https://simply.coach/blog/exercise-wheel-of-life-template-coaching/

In this bonus episode, we close out Season One with a powerful moment from the 2025 Worthy Conference, Through the Veil. All season we've explored the fivefold graces and the rhythms of grace and rest—and this communion experience beautifully ties it all together. Before communion, the Lord led us into a silent Outer Court experience—300 women moving quietly through stations designed to help them listen, reflect, create, and meet with Him. It was counter-cultural, holy, and became the anchor for everything that followed. This episode features the communion devotion that came right after that silent encounter—honest, emotional, and centered on the invitation to come boldly to Jesus. We’re also making the Outer Court Guidebook available so you can walk through the stations at home and create your own moment of rest with the Lord. Download the Guidebook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KVHqsc0wbXfmCBFCLx2GCJIHxMhMmhJp/view?usp=sharing Support Worthy Ministries: https://worthyministries.ddock.gives/ Whether you joined us at the conference or are experiencing it for the first time, we pray this time of communion draws you deeper into His presence and into a rhythm of rest with Him.

In our final episode of Season One, host Erin Arruda invites her husband Mickey Arruda back to share a glimpse into what Sabbath looks like for their family. Over the past six years, the Arrudas have learned to embrace Sabbath as a weekly rhythm rooted in Scripture—a sacred invitation to rest, reflect, and be restored. Through moments of reflection, restoration, and recreation, they’ve discovered the beauty of letting the Holy Spirit lead their family into true rest. Their story reminds us that Sabbath isn’t about perfection, but about presence. Even starting small—a walk, a pause, a meal shared slowly—can begin to shift the rhythm of your week and your heart toward freedom and worship. This conversation is inspired by Exodus 5, where Moses declares to Pharaoh: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.” Even then, God’s heart was to free His people from endless labor so they could experience His joy and presence. 📚 Resources Mentioned: Sabbath as Resistance by Walter Brueggemann The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer 🕊️ Weekly Sabbath Reflection Questions: Take time to slow down and meet with the Lord through these guiding questions. How did the Lord show up for you this week? Did you receive any blessings this week? How did you walk in more hope, confidence, joy, or peace this week? In what ways did you grow closer to the Lord? What are you proud of or celebrating for this week? What did you learn of God‘s character this week? How did you reflect the image of Christ this week? What felt hardest about this week? What felt easiest about this week? What did you learn from this week? What made you laugh the hardest this week? When did you want to give up this week? When did you feel weak and vulnerable this week? When did you feel courageous and strong? Who gave you encouragement this week? What did they say? What wise decision did you make this week? When did you feel most alive? What felt scary this week? What was your favorite moment of the week? What surprised you about this week? 💛 As we close Season One, our prayer is that you’ll take even one step toward creating space for rest—and that you’ll encounter the presence of God there. 🔗 Support Worthy Ministries: https://worthyministries.ddock.gives/

This week on the Live Worthy Podcast, we’re closing out our Fivefold Equipping Series with a tender and powerful breakout session from Worthy Conference 2025. Dr. Robin Harper shares a heart-filled message on how to care for the hearts of others—offering wisdom for walking with people through healing, growth, and discipleship. This final session highlights the gift of the shepherd, equipping you to nurture, guide, and protect those God has placed in your life with grace, truth, and love. Not sure where you’re strongest in your fivefold grace gifts? Take the free assessment here: https://overflowchurch.typeform.com/to/B4c3XWxU