How Doubt Impacts Your Witness (and What to Do About It) - With Andrena

The Blue Cord, by iHOPE Ministries

About the Guest:

Andrena Sawyer is an author, business strategist, and survivor of the civil war in Sierra Leone. She left Sierra Leone at the age of nine and experienced her first encounter with God at the age of seven or eight during an altar call at church. Adrena's family was able to leave the country during the civil war due to her mother's employment at KLM Airlines. Adrena's parents were on fire for the Lord when they arrived in the United States, and she followed in their footsteps, becoming involved in ministry and youth outreach. Adrena has faced doubt and unbelief in her Christian witness but has learned to overcome these challenges through surrendering to God and remembering His faithfulness.

Episode Summary:

In this episode, host Karen interviews Adrena Sawyer, an author and business strategist who shares her journey of faith and overcoming doubt in her Christian witness. Adrena discusses her early encounters with God in Sierra Leone and her family's miraculous escape from the civil war. She shares how her parents' faith influenced her own and how she became involved in ministry and youth outreach. Adrena also opens up about the impact of doubt and unbelief on her Christian witness and the process of surrendering to God and rebuilding her faith. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing doubt as spiritual warfare and the need to trust God's character and provision. Adrena's story serves as an inspiration for anyone struggling with doubt and seeking to deepen their relationship with God.

Key Takeaways:

• Adrena's first encounter with God came at a young age during an altar call at church, which sparked her awareness of a personal relationship with Him.
• Adrena's family was able to escape the civil war in Sierra Leone due to her mother's employment at KLM Airlines, highlighting God's provision and protection.
• Adrena's parents' strong faith and involvement in ministry influenced her own journey and led her to become involved in youth outreach and evangelism.
• Doubt and unbelief can impact one's Christian witness, leading to a desire to please others and compromising one's faith.
• Surrendering doubt to God and remembering His faithfulness are key in overcoming doubt and deepening one's relationship with Him.

Notable Quotes:

• "Be gracious with yourself because it's a process. I've gone through many stages of attempts at people-pleasing... But the outside of that was really just the Holy Spirit and just the grace for compassion." - Adrena Sawyer
• "Recognize doubt for what it is, which is spiritual warfare... Be okay with surrendering that to Him and not feeling like you have to fight the doubt yourself." - Adrena Sawyer

Resources:

• Adrena Sawyer's Linkree

Listen to the full episode to gain valuable insights from Adrena Sawyer's journey of faith and overcoming doubt in her Christian witness. Stay tuned for more inspiring content from The Blue Cord Podcast.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the podcast and guest, Adrena Sawyer
00:01 Adrena's first encounter with God at a young age
00:02 Adrena's family's escape from Sierra Leone during the civil war
00:04 Adrena's pursuit of the American dream and involvement in ministry
00:06 The impact of doubt and unbelief on Adrena's Christian witness
00:08 Overcoming people-pleasing and finding identity in God
00:10 The process of rebuilding and rediscovering faith
00:12 The power of affirmations and reminders of God's love
00:13 Conclusion of the rebuilding season and affirmation of identity
00:14 Impact of doubt on relationships and trust
00:15 Doubt shapes the way we live and pursue goals
00:16 The story of the Israelites in the wilderness and expectations
00:17 Recognizing doubt as spiritual warfare
00:18 Surrendering doubt to God and trusting His provision
00:19 Sharing the experience of peace and freedom in faith
00:20 Encouragement to remember the faithfulness of God