Girls Gone Bible | Faith Hall Of Fame (Hebrews 11)

Hosts: Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma
Date: August 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this uplifting and deeply personal episode, Angela and Arielle—your hosts of Girls Gone Bible—unpack the concept of faith by exploring Hebrews 11, often called the "Faith Hall of Fame." Drawing from their own journeys, major biblical examples, and plenty of heartfelt encouragement, they discuss what it really means to live a life of active, enduring faith—especially in the face of hardship, unanswered prayers, and uncertainty. The episode is rich with memorable stories, practical advice, and spiritual insights, emphasizing that even a small seed of faith can change a life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Friendship, Gratitude, Growth

• The episode opens with warm banter (02:11–05:40), reflecting on the hosts’ friendship, personal growth, and the journey of the podcast community.
• Angela mentions, “There are two, three amazing parts of this. First, doing this with Jesus. Second, doing this with each other. Third, doing this with you guys. ... We’re so grateful that you guys are journeying with us.” (05:40)

2. Rest, Routine, and Social Media Fasting

• Ari describes her current season of rest and simple joys, like beach walks and home décor (06:45–07:32).
• Angela shares her experience with a social media fast: “After just two days, I see a massive difference… I can sit and connect with Jesus, become aware of the Holy Spirit, rather than immediately going to my phone.” (08:28)
• Practical encouragement for listeners to try social media boundaries to deepen their spiritual focus: “It’s the worst thing you can do for yourself, period, point blank. ... The scrolling is insane how bad it is for you.” (10:39)

3. Introduction to Hebrews: Why "Faith Hall of Fame"?

• Angela provides critical background on Hebrews—written for persecuted Christians struggling with the disparity between their suffering and the promises of faith (14:08–17:37).
• She draws a clear line between actual gospel versus prosperity gospel, stating: “The gospel of Jesus Christ is deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow me…The gospel is come and die. Prosperity gospel is come and receive everything you ever wanted.” (15:31)
• The Book of Hebrews is about:
  • The supremacy of Jesus over all (17:00)
  • Christ as the perfect sacrifice (18:00)
  • An exhortation to endure in faith and mature spiritually (19:36)

4. Personal Faith Story: Suffering and Surrender

• Ari reads from their devotional “Out of the Wilderness,” recounting her own breakdown, deep pain, and how raw dependency on God transformed her life (21:08–24:34).
  • Quote: “I believe raw dependency on God comes from deep suffering… My pain had caused me to cling to Jesus’ hem because I had finally found what I longed for." (23:02)
  • Ari reassures listeners: “You guys too will be like, ‘Thank you Jesus! Yes, my faith has made me well. Now I can be in peace.’” (24:50)

5. A Prayer for Impartation and New Faith

• Angela leads a passionate blessing: “Faith will be stirred in your spirit today, like I believe it with all my heart…You’re going to be pregnant with faith in Jesus name, and you’re going to give birth to the type of faith that truly does move mountains.” (25:20)
  • She normalizes doubt and wrestling as part of the faith journey.

6. Scripture Dive: Reading Through Hebrews 11

Angela and Ari read and discuss key verses, highlighting the examples of:

• Abel, Enoch, and Noah (26:39–32:38):
  • “It is impossible to please God without faith. ... He rewards those who sincerely seek him. That is what faith is.” (Ari, 28:38)
  • Noah’s faithfulness for decades despite ridicule models endurance.
• Abraham and Sarah (32:42–34:55):
  • Abraham sacrifices comfort and certainty, stepping into God’s promises by faith.
  • Sarah’s faith despite delay—a reminder that the promise often isn’t seen in our lifetime, but serves a greater purpose.
    • “Sarah lived in a way where she had to have faith, and she never even fully saw the outcome.” (Angela, 34:55)
• Common Thread: Many Old Testament heroes didn’t see the final fulfillment of God’s promises but persisted in faith—an invitation to trust beyond visible outcomes.

7. Examples of Real Faith in Action

• Ari and Angela recount the faith of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and the martyrs (38:27–43:06), emphasizing suffering, risk, and obedience as essential aspects of authentic faith.
• Angela: “It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ... He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.” (39:36)

8. Living and Growing in Faith—Personal Reflections

• Ari recounts her earliest days clinging to hope and learning about faith at her church, fighting through darkness and “walking by faith, not by sight.” (46:04–51:07)
  • “It didn’t mean that I wasn’t in pain and I didn’t doubt. ... But I kept showing up and I held onto that hem.” (Ari, 48:17)
• Both hosts highlight the importance of godly friendships and community:
  • “That’s why you need to be around people. … When you fed me the word, when you discipled me … I was able to just stand on these scriptures.” (Ari, 51:08)

9. How to Grow in Faith: Practical Spiritual Wisdom

• Angela: “Faith is a substance. God is also a substance. He’s not just some airy thing. Like, He is real ... The Holy Spirit Himself is the Spirit of faith.” (54:23)
• Steps to cultivate faith:
  • Worship and connect to Jesus—faith is produced in His presence, not by willpower (59:12–59:35)
    • “You do not muster up faith yourself. He gives it to you in His presence.” (Angela, 59:19)
  • Faith is spelled: R-I-S-K. True faith often involves risk and stepping out when you’re afraid (61:08).
  • Stand on God’s faithfulness—recall “history with Jesus” when doubts hit (62:11).
  • The Holy Spirit leads into truth and gives us the gift of faith (65:44).
  • Faith is a choice: “It’s literally that easy to make a choice, to have faith in Jesus, to believe that he is who he says he is.” (Angela, 67:43)
  • Not seeing every promise fulfilled is not failure but participation in a much larger, generational work of God.

10. The Power of Legacy and Breaking Generational Chains

• Angela passionately shares about breaking negative generational cycles through faith in Jesus (68:51–71:42).
  • “Then I see a line drawn right above my head and I say, it ends there. ... My children have a beautiful, spirit-filled life. These are the things I put my faith in.” (Angela, 69:30)

11. Impartation and Closing Prayer

• Angela prays for released and multiplying faith in listeners:
  • “I pray for fiery faith to be released today, in Jesus’ name, Amen.” (Angela, 71:42)
• Ari closes with final encouragement: “If we can just tell you anything: small seed of faith means hold tightly to the hem of his garment. ... Because on the other side, when you don’t give up ... is a harvest.” (73:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Angela (on prosperity gospel vs. real faith):
  “The gospel is come and die. Prosperity gospel is come and receive everything you ever wanted.” (15:31)

• Ari (personal testimony):
  “I believe raw dependency on God comes from deep suffering... and though my healing was not a quick fix, I’m glad it wasn’t. My pain caused me to cling to Jesus’ hem because I finally found what I longed for.” (23:02)

• Angela (on faith and action):
  “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Faith is about taking risk. … My most faith filled, bold moments have been when I don’t feel like I have any faith.” (61:08)

• Ari (on finding faith through seeking):
  “Seek me with all your heart and you’ll find. ... Through the doubts, through the heartbreak, ... I still seeked Him with all of my heart. And I found Him.” (53:00)

• Angela (on breaking cycles):
  “I see a line drawn right above my head and I say it ends there. Nothing comes down. … Through my faith in Jesus ... my children have a beautiful spirit filled life. These are the things that I put my faith in.” (69:30)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:11–05:40: Friendship, podcast growth, gratitude
• 06:45–08:28: Rest, routine, and starting a 21-day social media fast
• 14:08–19:36: Background on Hebrews, real gospel vs. prosperity gospel
• 21:08–24:50: Ari’s story—suffering, breakdown, and finding Jesus
• 25:20: Blessing of faith for listeners
• 26:39–43:06: Reading & discussion of Hebrews 11 (“Faith Hall of Fame”)
• 46:04–51:08: Ari’s further testimony, importance of faith community
• 54:23–59:35: Practical teaching—faith as substance, cultivation through worship
• 61:08–62:11: Faith = risk, acting despite fear
• 68:51–71:42: Breaking generational cycles, legacy, and prayer of impartation

Final Encouragement

The heart of Angela and Ari’s message is this: Faith isn’t about always feeling confident or having every answer. It’s about actively seeking God, being honest through your doubts, obeying even when you’re afraid, and refusing to let go. Whether you’re in a season of darkness or light, faith will grow—sometimes quietly, sometimes painfully—if you keep seeking and keep saying yes.

“Hold tightly to the hem of His garment. Don’t give up. Keep fighting with Him… Because on the other side…is a harvest.” (Ari, 73:10)

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