Podcast Summary

Podcast: Christ With Coffee On Ice
Host: Ally Yost
Guest: Angela Halili
Episode: Trust Your Gut with Angela Halili
Date: July 18, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Ally Yost welcomes Angela Halili—co-host of "Girls Gone Bible" and creator of the 31-day devotional Out of the Wilderness—for a conversation marked by honesty, vulnerability, hope, and encouragement. The two friends explore what it looks like to pursue Jesus daily, discuss discernment and decision-making as Christians, and share powerful stories from their personal journeys with faith, recovery, and healing. The episode is filled with laughter, warmth, deep spiritual insight, and practical wisdom for Christian women navigating modern life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Community, Friendship & Prayer

Timestamps: 00:00–02:21

• Ally and Angela recall how praying together—even over the phone—has deepened their friendship and faith ("That was special, us praying together through Jesus." – Ally, 00:29).
• They emphasize the value of having believing friends to process faith, opportunities, and challenges ("He loves when we're in community... He loves when you and I call each other and we're like, 'Hey, can you kind of help me?'" – Angela, 16:14).

2. Behind the Scenes of Out of the Wilderness

Timestamps: 02:21–05:19

• Angela describes the challenges and intention behind the devotional’s cover art, reflecting on aesthetics, publisher demands, and wanting the cross to take center stage ("We ended up, thank God, with a cross on it, because that's the most important part." – Angela, 03:49).
• The devotional was co-written with Ari from "Girls Gone Bible," giving readers multiple perspectives on faith. The book invites readers to substitute their own struggles into the authors’ stories, making it accessible and relatable.

3. Discernment, Open Doors & Trusting God’s Direction

Timestamps: 06:11–14:59

• Both women discuss the tension between saying yes to opportunities and making room for God’s actual calling.
• Angela: "The door might open, but you might not be called to that door. That's what it is." (07:48)
• Ally admits to being previously burnt out by overcommitment and not practicing spiritual discernment before meeting Jesus.
• They reference scripture about God opening and closing doors (potentially Rev. 3:7), highlighting that not every open door is from Him: "I used to live a life where I believed that every open door was just God, and that's not the truth." – Ally, 09:07
• Angela underscores the critical role of the "secret place"—time alone with God—in discerning His will: "You have to spend an extended amount of time with Him in the secret place for anything to take place." (10:08)

4. Grace in Making Mistakes & the Sovereignty of God

Timestamps: 13:18–16:14

• The conversation turns to the reality of mistakenly thinking you’re following God’s voice and the comfort in God’s ability to redirect: "Just because you heard me wrong doesn't mean I can't pivot. I'm God." – Ally, 13:19
• Angela: "He’s obsessed with cleaning up our messes. He loves it." (14:18)
• Both emphasize that faithfulness and heart posture matter more to God than flawless execution.

5. Spiritual Practices: The Secret Place & Intimacy With Jesus

Timestamps: 18:03–29:18

• Angela details her daily practice of waking early to spend time with Jesus, calling the "secret place" (private prayer) the source of her strength and clarity ("Everything that I need, I'm going to find on my floor, on my face, by myself with Jesus." – Angela, 22:11).
• She challenges listeners to make intimacy with Jesus the primary priority—even above ministry, work, or family ("I'm never going to get to a place where I'm talking about Him more than I'm speaking to Him by myself." – Angela, 23:46).
• The two laugh about distractions ("For 10 minutes, I'm looking at rugs, and then I put my phone down and I'm like, I am so sorry." – Angela, 19:12).

6. Knowledge vs. Encounter: Scripture, Affection & the Pharisees

Timestamps: 25:53–28:55

• Both emphasize that knowledge about God isn’t the same as love or intimacy with God.
  • "Our reflection of our love for God is based off of how much we’ve actually encountered Him." – Ally, 26:42
  • Angela references Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees in John 5:39–40: "You search the scriptures for eternal life, but… you won’t turn to me that you may have eternal life." (28:22)

7. Learning to Trust Your Gut: Intuition, Emotions, and the Spirit

Timestamps: 43:50–47:02

• Angela and Ally talk about Christian discernment and the biblical basis for intuition.
• “I didn’t think intuition was a Biblical thing… but it is. It’s in the book of Job.” – Ally (44:35; cf. Job 38:36).
• They encourage listeners to examine their motives, admit when feelings can be misleading, and link godly "gut feelings" to the Holy Spirit working within.

8. Vulnerability, Testimony & the Sovereignty of God in Recovery

Timestamps: 48:34–57:04

• Angela candidly shares about her battle and deliverance from alcohol addiction, describing a supernatural experience where the desire to drink disappeared after encountering God ("Somehow I did… I didn’t even make a decision to stop drinking… I look back, and that was the sovereign hand of God." – Angela, 53:31).
• She highlights the role of mentors and community in recovery, and how the Holy Spirit transforms from the inside out.

9. Therapy, Healing, and the Layered Work of Jesus

Timestamps: 58:46–62:24

• Angela shares about her ongoing journey with therapy ("Love therapy. Jesus and therapy." – Angela, 59:15), emphasizing that while spiritual deliverance is real, some wounds need deeper healing and professional help: "God’s like, but you can’t cast out your father wound. Oops." (59:35)
• Both discuss how Jesus deals with the "big stuff" early and, as you mature, brings deeper issues and wounds to the surface for further healing.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The door might open, but you might not be called to that door." – Angela, 07:48
• "Just because you heard me wrong doesn’t mean I can’t pivot. I’m God." – Ally, 13:19
• "He’s obsessed with cleaning up our messes. He loves it." – Angela, 14:18
• "You have to spend an extended amount of time with Him in the secret place for anything to take place." – Angela, 10:08
• "Everything that I need, I’m gonna find on my floor, on my face, by myself with Jesus." – Angela, 22:11
• "I actually can’t even love you until you love me first." – Angela, 27:36
• “I didn’t think intuition was a Biblical thing… but it is. It’s in the book of Job.” – Ally, 44:35
• "Somehow I did… I didn’t even make a decision to stop drinking… I look back, and that was the sovereign hand of God." – Angela, 53:31
• "God’s like, but you can’t cast out your father wound. Oops." – Angela, 59:35

Segment Timestamps

| Topic/Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Praying Together & Friendship | 00:00–02:21 | | Out of the Wilderness: Devotional Origins | 02:21–05:19 | | Discernment: Saying Yes/No to Opportunities | 06:11–14:59 | | Grace, Mistakes & God’s Sovereignty | 13:18–16:14 | | The Secret Place: Spiritual Practice | 18:03–29:18 | | Bible & Encounter: Knowledge vs. Intimacy | 25:53–28:55 | | Trusting Your Gut, Godly Intuition | 43:50–47:02 | | Testimony & Recovery: Angela’s Sobriety Journey | 48:34–57:04 | | Therapy, Deeper Healing, and Maturity in Faith | 58:46–62:24 |

Tone & Atmosphere

Friendly, honest, vulnerable, hope-filled, and deeply encouraging. Ally and Angela are both candid about struggles and mistakes, but always point back to hope, grace, and the unchanging, loving presence of Christ.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This conversation offers a transparent look into the spiritual disciplines, decision-making processes, and healing journeys of two young Christian women. From practical encouragements about prioritizing secret time with Jesus, to deeply personal stories of deliverance, and honest talk about seeking therapy, this episode is a refreshing reminder that faith is a daily, relational, and communal journey. Their friendship models what Christian sisterhood can look like—full of laughter, accountability, support, and prayer.

Action Step:
Inspired by Ally’s closing words (63:50–64:00):
"Let’s walk more like Him, talk more like Him, be more like Jesus today and just spread His love and His goodness."

Resources Mentioned:

• Out of the Wilderness: A 31-Day Devotional by Angela Halili and Ari
  (Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target)
• "Girls Gone Bible" Podcast