Girls Gone Bible – If You're Hurting, Watch This

Hosts: Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma
Date: December 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Girls Gone Bible centers on finding hope, honesty, and healing during tough seasons—whether you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in shame. Angela and Arielle share personal struggles, scripture, and a healthy serving of humor, aiming to remind listeners that in suffering, intimacy with Jesus and authentic community are lifelines. The episode weaves candid faith discussions with lighthearted Q&A, creating a safe, relatable space for vulnerable conversation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recognizing Everyday Struggles

• Physical Basics Matter: The hosts start with relatable struggles—feeling exhausted, grumpy, or foggy, sometimes simply from neglecting basic needs like hydration.
• Quote:
  • "It's not always the big things that make me feel off... I'll be like, why am I exhausted? Why am I grumpy? Why do I feel foggy?" — Angela (00:04)

2. The Reality of Religious OCD/Scrupulosity

• Angela and Arielle open up about experiencing intrusive thoughts during prayer or worship, which can create guilt or a sense of spiritual inadequacy.
• Key Insight: These aren’t character flaws or weak faith. Many Christians struggle with them; it could be religious OCD, which is treatable.
• Quote:
  • "Learning that these thoughts aren't character flaws or signs of weak faith. They might be symptoms of religious OCD, also known as scrupulosity." — Arielle (01:41)

3. Being Real About Anxiety in Faith

• Both hosts admit to recent anxiety, sharing how hard it can be to ‘sit in the secret place’ and find intimacy with God during restless seasons.
• Openness & Community: Even saying “I’m anxious” out loud can disarm shame and lessen anxiety's power.
• Quotes:
  • "Sometimes when you're so anxious, it's so hard to stay on your knees, stay in that quiet time." — Arielle (06:35)
  • "Just saying that... it like loses its power a little bit. That's why it's so good to be open about things." — Angela (10:20)

4. The Weight and Worth of Ministry

• Ministry work is described as “heavy” and “costly,” but ultimately worth it. Representing Jesus means spiritual battle is continual.
• Quote:
  • "If you are representing and proclaiming the name of Jesus, you're in battle 24 hours a day, seven days a week." — Angela (09:26)

5. Finding Strength & Comfort in Scripture

Angela on Isaiah 48:9-11

• The passage is grounding: God’s mercy is rooted in His faithfulness. Though we suffer due to our disobedience, He never lets us be destroyed.
• Quote:
  • "God should be so incredibly angry at us... But because I'm faithful and I keep true to my promises, I'm not going to destroy you." — Angela (17:28)
  • "Even if I'm facing such deep suffering, I will never be destroyed by it. God's never going to take you through something that will destroy you." — Angela (19:47)

Arielle on Psalm 32

• Confession brings joy and relief from shame. God always forgives honest repentance; lingering shame after forgiveness is not from Him.
• Quote:
  • "Finally I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, I will confess my rebellion to the Lord and you forgave me. All my guilt is gone." — Arielle reading Psalm 32 (30:39)
  • “When we come to that place of repentance and we cry out to God... and then we're still feeling shame—I want you to understand that that isn't of Jesus.” — Arielle (37:13)

6. Suffering, Humility, & Growth

• Suffering, when submitted to Jesus, forges character, compassion, and humility.
• Quote:
  • “Suffering that's not submitted to Jesus will end in bitterness and a calloused heart... but suffering under the blood of Jesus can only produce goodness inside of you.” — Angela (22:21)
  • “Every time that things go awry or I'm hit with tragedy, I feel humbled almost every time. And God cares way more about you being humble than he cares about you being comfortable.” — Angela (33:40)
  • “The best parts of us were forged in the suffering.” — Arielle (21:15)

7. Practical Encouragements for Hard Times

• Don’t Suffer Alone: Share your struggles—vulnerability diminishes shame and builds community.
• Rejoice in Pain: Even if it feels forced, thanking Jesus in suffering is a powerful spiritual weapon.
• Don’t Hide in Shame: If you keep feeling shame after confessing, recognize it's not from God. Take authority over those thoughts (37:13).
• Quote:
  • "If I have to go through something, just don't let me miss what you're doing in me, Jesus." — Angela (25:24)
  • “One of the greatest practices of relationship with Jesus is... following and falling into your friend's arms like a child and just not hiding.” — Arielle (26:13)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

Suffering, Shame, and Repentance

• “Humility is more important to God than comfort.” — Angela (33:40)
• “Repentance has been the greatest gift in my life.” — Arielle (32:31)
• “We need him. We love him. He's alive. He speaks. He wants to be in relationship with you. Yeah. Jesus is everything. He should be everything.” — Angela (06:14)

Literal Laughter: Lighthearted Q&A

• “Do you find it annoying when the person praying over the food is taking too long?” — Audience Q, answered enthusiastically (38:11)
• Rapid-fire banter about embarrassing moments on stage, animal comparisons, and even “Do you think Jesus farted?” (41:28, 41:36)
• Playful impressions of each other:
  • “Can I just see [the almond milk label]? Thank you so much. This is my new favorite place.” — Angela impersonating Arielle (58:11)
  • “Thank you so much… No, you really don’t understand. Like, I will never forget what you've done for me.” — Arielle impersonating Angela (59:18)
• “If Paul wrote a letter to GGB, what would he say? Stop giving dating advice. Neither of you are married.” — Angela (56:10)

Vulnerability: A Recurrent Theme

• “Just saying I was anxious… it, like, almost loses its power a little bit.” — Arielle (10:20)
• “If you made it to the end of this episode, comment ‘GGB Gang.’” — Angela (62:39)

Segment Timestamps

• [00:04-00:31]: Relatable life struggles & hydration discussion
• [01:41-03:32]: Addressing religious OCD
• [06:32-10:28]: Candid talk about personal anxiety, vulnerability
• [15:36-20:49]: Deep dive into Isaiah 48 and God’s character
• [21:15-26:40]: Discussion: What suffering produces, especially when surrendered to Jesus
• [30:39-33:07]: Reflection on Psalm 32, repentance, and battling shame
• [33:40-35:52]: Humility as the root product of suffering; “God prefers humility over comfort”
• [37:13-37:45]: Authority over shameful thoughts—“that is not of God”
• [38:11-58:39]: Fun Q&A: faith, food, embarrassing moments, and animal comparisons
• [58:11-61:17]: Impressions of each other—playful and self-deprecating humor
• [62:39-end]: Reflections on the episode format and closing encouragements for prayer and community

Closing Encouragement

• Main Takeaway: Jesus is not angry at your weakness; suffering and humility are part of the journey and draw us closer to Him.
• “Go rejoice in your suffering because it's producing something really good in you.” — Angela (64:20)

Call to Action:
The hosts invite listeners to share prayer requests, leave comments, and remember that grace and vulnerability are at the heart of growth and community.

Tone & Language

The episode blends humor, warmth, and earnest spirituality. Angela and Arielle speak like close friends—sometimes tangential, always inviting, never preachy. Their openness and ability to switch quickly from deep-hearted truth to laughter make their encouragement feel accessible, not intimidating.

For listeners feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or weighed down by their past: This episode assures you—you’re not alone. Suffering can be redeemed, shame has no place in true repentance, and the love of God is deeper than any darkness. And also, it’s okay to laugh (a lot) along the way.