
Hiiii GGB! this week we are beyond honored to welcome the one and only Lisa Bevere! Lisa is a New York Times bestselling author, powerhouse preacher, and spiritual godmother to women across the globe. Her bold voice has called generations of...
Loading summary
Lisa Bevere
Oh, you guys are so precious.
Angela
I love you guys. I'm so happy you're here.
Lisa Bevere
And I'm so happy you're Italian.
Ari
I know.
Lisa Bevere
Sicily. Are you? Yes.
Ari
You're Sicily. I love it.
Lisa Bevere
Yep. My maiden name is Toscano.
Ari
Oh, my gosh.
Angela
Toscano. That's so good.
Lisa Bevere
You just feel Italian as soon as you say it. Yes.
Angela
You know I'm Albanian.
Lisa Bevere
I have Albanian, too. No, you don't. I do too. Okay. I do, too. Are you Lisa? Are you? No.
John
You are my sister.
Lisa Bevere
So does Addison. Addison has Albanian opinion. Like, we were cracking up.
Angela
Do you understand what that means for me?
Lisa Bevere
It was hilarious. Like, so I. So John is Italian? Believe it or not, he doesn't look it. Wow. So he's like 75% Italian, and he's like 15% Dutch or something. And so John's always like, I'm more Italian than you. So he gets me the test, and mine comes back 35% Italian, and then Albanian. Levant. You know what? They keep changing it. I had, like, 15% error. Oh, wow. Yeah. So I'm so interested. Albanians? Pretty much.
Angela
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
The same.
Angela
That is so cool.
Lisa Bevere
And then my other half was from my mom, but yeah. So I have dual citizenship with Italy.
Angela
That's so good. Did you. So were you born there?
Lisa Bevere
No.
Angela
No. But you got.
Lisa Bevere
I just applied for it. Yeah. So my grandfather came over as refugees.
Ari
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
And he never got his U.S. citizenship. And so kind of, in a way, to apologize there. That's where WAP comes from. It's without papers. And so they hold it. It holds them at a poverty level because they can't work in certain realms. And so the US Government opened it up that they could have dual citizenship. So it had to be your father. Had to be certain things. So I just applied for it. I just told John, I said, I really feel like I'm supposed to do this. And we were in Sicily and found out they warehouse our books in the village my grandfather's from.
Ari
Are you serious?
Angela
That is so sweet.
Ari
That is insane.
Lisa Bevere
When that happened, I was like, that's it. I'm. So I'm applying for the dual citizenship. Oh, my gosh. Isn't that crazy?
Angela
And so if anything bad ever happens.
Ari
In America, we're going to Sicily.
Lisa Bevere
Move there.
Angela
Thank you so much. Hi, I'm Ang.
Ari
And I'm Ari, and this is Girls Gone Bible.
Angela
We're a faith based podcast where we love Jesus more than anything in the world. Occasionally we have really, really special guests. Come on. And today is a really good day for us at GGB because we have the one, the only, Ms. Lisa Bevere. Thank you, Jesus, for your life, Lisa.
Lisa Bevere
Oh, you guys are amazing. I'm so proud of both of you. I'm just so honored that you guys have had the courage to invite other people on a journey. And I would even say the humility to say, hey, we want to learn. And, you know, I've had the opportunity to talk in the car with Angela. I was not raised to be a Christian. I was raised to be an exceptional heathen. And I got radically saved at 21 years of age and grabbed ahold of the word of God like it was a lifeline, because it is. And I'm watching you guys do the same thing, and it just stirs my heart. It really, really does.
Angela
It's so cute. I mean, it is, because we have so many people on here, and they're all so special and so amazing, and I just have always felt so connected to you because you're so open and unashamed about your past. You're unashamed of the fact that you were a heathen.
John
You don't care.
Angela
There's nothing about you that comes on and is like, I've been a perfect Christian, buttoned up my whole life. You're like, no, it was really bad, and look what Jesus saved me from. And I think you've truly given both of us so much permission to just lean into our past and lean into our stories rather than coming on and being like, oh, I've always been like this, and I've Jesus, I've always loved him, and it's always been perfect. And that's just not the truth for so many people. So even for girls gone Bible, I think it's really special to have you come on in your voice, because you just have the authority to say things that maybe other people can't, because you know both sides. You've been in the darkness. You've come out into the light.
John
And so you can just speak to.
Angela
People in a way that not everybody can. Do you feel that?
Lisa Bevere
Yes. And I also feel like it's part of the call to redeem. I mean, David said, cleanse me, and I'll be clean. But he didn't stop there. He said, then I will teach transgressors your ways. And so many times we say, okay, I'm clean. I'm clean, and we don't take this painful life that we had and flip it and redeem it, you know? And, I mean, I've lived in such a way where I don't want the next generation positioned to make the same mistakes. You know, my children are living marriage and parenthood better than John and I have, which I love. I don't want that. I don't want to pretend that I have lived a life that never had struggles. You know, I can. Since we're just going there, I can still remember the morning. I remember the kitchen. I remember everything. I am not a morning person. And my oldest son, Addison, walks down and said, mom, when you were you a virgin when you married dad? And I was like, what in the world just happened? Like, what? He was probably 13 or 14 and all the boys are like, what's a virgin? Am I a virgin? I want to be a virgin. I'm like, what is going on? I'm like, john's not home. And I was so happy. I was like, I have all boys.
Ari
I don't have to have.
Lisa Bevere
And I was like. So my mind is like, what do I say to my sweet little boys that just have heard about sexual. No, your mom was a hoe and dad was an amazing person. And so I'm like, what do I say? Do I say, that's before I was a Christian? But then I thought, no, that would mean no, I was not. Do I say, that's none of your business. That would mean no, I was not. Or do I tell them the truth? Not the details, but the truth. Because only the truth empowers the next generation to walk in more. And I looked at my sons and I said, I was not, but I want something so much more for you. And they just kind of, you know, then they said, was dad? And I said, yes, dad was. Yes, dad was. Mom was not. Dad was. And you know, again, those are moments where you do have a sense of regret, but you also have a sense of redemption. And when I look at my sons and how they have chosen their wives and not been pharisitical and been very redemptive with their stories and loved. Well, I'm so proud of them. And yeah, so it's, it's. It's redemption.
Angela
So special.
John
You guys. We care about what goes into our bodies, so of course we care about what the little ones in our lives are taking too. And honestly, most kids vitamins are basically candy. They're packed with sugar, dyes and gummy junk. But Haya is different. It's a super powered chewable vitamin made with zero sugar and filled with 12 organic fruits and veggies plus 15 essential vitamins and minerals like D, B, 12, zinc and more. Even picky eaters love it. I tried one myself to see what it tastes like and honestly they're good. Plus the first order comes with a fun reusable bottle and stickers so kids can decorate it themselves. And if you're tired of fighting to get your kids to eat their greens, HA now makes a chocolate flavored greens and Superfoods powder with over 55 whole food ingredients. Just scoop, shake and stick sip with milk or a non dairy option. And guys, we worked out a special deal for our girls gone Bible family. 50 off your first order go to hyahealth.com GGB that's H I Y-A H E A L T H.com GGB this deal isn't on their regular site so go and grab it while it lasts. You guys know this feeling when you're just so incredibly worn out. Like those nights where your body's tired but your brain won't stop. That's been me sometimes lying there, eyes wide open, overthinking everything from my to do list to packing, unpacking, social life, time alone. And honestly, it's frustrating because we know that rest is meant to be sacred.
Angela
Rest is important.
John
Sleep is so important. It's a time to recharge, to release control and to trust that everything is going to be okay. But actually letting ourselves rest? That's a whole other story.
Angela
And that's why I am so excited.
John
To share something with you guys that has truly made a difference in my life and in Ari's life. Beams Dream Powder Dream is a healthy nighttime blend packed with science backed ingredients shown to improve sleep so you can wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day. You guys, when Ari and I found Dream, I'm not even kidding. Everything changed. We sleep throughout the night without tossing and turning and we wake up energized, not groggy with a melatonin hangover. Dream is made with a powerful blend of all natural ingredients Reishi, Magnesium, L theanine, Apigenin and Melatonin. It's designed to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up feeling amazing. Plus, Dream tastes incredible and it's become a part of our nightly routine. Simple, easy and effective, it is basically our sweet treat at the end of the night. I'm honestly so grateful to work with Beam Dream because it has made a massive difference in my life. When we're well rested, everything works better. We're happier, we feel good, we are able to pour into others more efficiently. And we're not the only ones. Beam has already improved over 17.5 million nights of sleep helping people across the country wake up and feel their best. BEAM is giving our listeners their best offer yet for up to 40% off. Try their best selling Dream Powder and get up to 40% off. For a limited time. Go to shopbeam.com ggb and use code ggb at checkout. That's shop b e a m.com ggb and use code GGB for up to 4 40% off. Because true rest isn't just about sleep. It's about waking up ready to live out your calling, serve others and bring love into the world.
Angela
Yeah, I know you've probably told your testimony so many times, but if you don't mind just giving us however in detail you want to go. You told me a little bit in the car. Your testimony is just the best. It's hilarious and powerful and special. So if you could just tell us a little bit.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah. So I had picked the University of Arizona to major in sun tanning and partying. And I was driving home in my car by myself on no doze. I decided I wanted to do it in a like two day drive. I did not want to stay in a hotel. So I'm yelling, trying to keep myself awake. I'm hyped on no doze and I'm yelling out loud, top of my lungs. I'm on the highway to hell. I'm singing AC DC and I just had a moment. I was like, I, I actually am. I actually am on the highway hill. I am a novel person. I had been alone in the car with myself for two days and I thought, you have become everything you never wanted to be. You are shallow, you are mean, you're immoral. I mean I was like, who am I? Who am I? And I remember kind of having this fear of God in my life in that moment, but at the same time saying, I don't know how to find God. I don't know how to find him. And so I came back to my parents house. My dad's an alcoholic. My parents were married, divorced, remarried each other and divorced again. They were in the second separation and the fighting and the tension and the oppression in the household. I had not been around that for a while. And so I remember I was like, I don't want to be in this house. So I went out to the bar, found my dad and I said, hey dad, I don't want to live with mom. And he's like, I don't want to live with mom. And I was like, can I move into the dorm at Purdue and he said, absolutely, you can move in the dorm. She's an. I mean, just like totally disparaging. I move into the dorm and I meet John at breakfast. And I am recounting my night from before about getting drunk and falling into a creek and putting a car in a ditch. And he's just looking at me and I'm cussing because I can't really make a sentence without cuss words. I thought they were some kind of function. And he gets up and leaves the table. And one of the little sisters from his fraternity were sitting there and she's like, I know you don't know this, but he's like a big Christian guy and you might not want to cuss in front of him. And I thought, oh, I don't really think I'm a bad person, even though I was. And so I found him later, but it was so strange. I would kind of avoid him because he'd always look at me and say, you look so tired. And I'd be like, he's looking into my soul. Stop saying I look tired. You know, trying so hard to not look tired. And he. So I thought, okay, I don't want him to think I'm bad. So I walk up to him and I said, hey, I hear you're like the big Christian. I said, so my mom thinks that she like got healed and she like believes in speaking in tongues or something. I think she thinks like she's an apostle. What do you think about that? And he just looks at me and he's like, if you really want to know more about this, you can call me next week. And I thought, I don't even know why I'm talking to you. I am not calling you. So I didn't call him. He calls and invites me to a Bible state picnic. I have zero intention of going. And then he calls me like two days later and says, do you want hot dogs or hamburgers? I'm like, oh, wait a minute, is this a date? Am I going with a nerdy Christian boy that's colorblind? Like, wait, what just happened here? And I like panic. But I thought, well, you know, I'll go to a picnic, free food, and then I'll leave. And then I started to notice the address around the corner from my parents house. So I called my mom. I'm like, you trying to get me to be a Christian?
Angela
Are you sending me a Christian?
Lisa Bevere
Who's John Bevere? Like, you know, John Bevere? She's like, I don't know who you're Talking about. I'm like, I'm not getting saved. I made it. I am not becoming a Christian. I'm gonna live how I might wanna live if I wanna do this later. My mom was like, whoa, whoa. My daughter's either demon possessed or she's on the verge of becoming a Christian. So I go to this Bible study picnic. The girls are not nice. They are the Bible study girls. They've all been like, john is cute, nice, godly. I come in, this heathen girl. They're all like, she's a heathen. And he's like, I know. They're like, coming up to me. You're going. We're praying for you. And he's like, I need you to stop. I feel like you guys are angry. Praying that I am in a circle. This is 1981. Cause John had been married 43 years. This year, 1981. They're singing songs. They're putting their hands in the air. I'm, like, so disturbed by that. I'm like, do you have a question? You've got a song that you need to put your hands down. So distraught. So I looked down at the song sheet, and the next song was a song called Robes of Righteousness. And it said that when God looked at me, he would no longer see me, but he would see Jesus. And I heard, I can't look at you. You're covered in sin and shame. And I elbow John. I said, is this true? Is this true God could ever look at me and not see me? And John said, yeah. And so we went walking on the campus, and he preached to me from Genesis to Revelation. I finally just said, I want to do this. Like, what do I need to do? Light candles? Like, what needs to happen? I want to do this. And he said, what? I said, the Christian thing. I want to do it. And I prayed with John for the, you know, to be born again. And he said, now you're saved. And I said, what does that even mean? And he said, it means you're whole again. Spirit, soul and body. He had no idea how broken I was. He had no idea I had an eating disorder. He had no idea I couldn't digest any kind of dairy products. I had lactose intolerance. He had no idea how crazy I was in my past. I said, okay, so I can't have cheese. And he's like, what? I said, you just said I was whole. I have lactose intolerance. He was just panicked. He was like, I just got her saved, and now she's doing this. So he grabs my hand, has me do a fill in the blank prayer. Thank you, Jesus, for healing me up. And I said, lactose intolerance. And I literally felt love come into my body and untie the knots. I'd been there since I was 15. And I got up the next morning while I spent about an hour and a half looking for the book of Paul that night. Because John Paul said this and I had like, away New New Testament. And I just. I just remember, where's the book of Paul? Where's the book of Paul? I found Corinthians. Finally noticed that Paul had written it. And I got up the next morning and as soon as my feet hit the floor, I heard nothing happened last night. You can't just pray some prayer. It's not some magic wand. You're too bad you can't just be a Christian after all the things you've been. And then I realized I'd been getting up for 21 years and I'd never heard you're not a Christian. And I realized I am a Christian. And I mean, as soon as I shook off that voice, I actually heard that the man I heard this, the man you were with last night is your husband. And I've called you into the ministry. And I went home to my mom because she was a Christian, but she was kind of mean Christian back then. I went to my mom and I said, mom. And I told her all this and she was like, you probably just feel special about him because he led you, Lord. I'm like, no.
Ari
Because he what?
Lisa Bevere
Because he led you, Lord. I'm like, no, I don't feel special about him. And she said, well, you probably just feel. I said, I don't even think he's cute. I do now, but at the time, I had such a warped idea of what a man was and what was attractive. I chose men that were hard to get and therefore hard to keep. Like my dad. Yeah. And so. Yeah.
Ari
Wow.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah.
Ari
Sorry, I just thought. I'm like, that's okay. Go ahead.
Angela
Do you need a second?
Ari
No.
Angela
While we're on that topic, there's so many places we could go. I think Ari and I talk about this a lot. Can we just talk about men really quick?
Lisa Bevere
Yeah.
Angela
Because I think all three of us coming from dating, from a worldly perspective, you can really mistake lust for attraction. And sometimes when you meet a godly man who doesn't have lust in him, he's not lusting over you, you actually mistake that further not being a connection. But really it's just Pure. And so for you with John, what was that switch was there? I guess what I'm trying to ask.
Lisa Bevere
You'Re saying, did I feel attracted to him?
Angela
I guess what I'm trying to ask is because you had a perception of what masculinity was and what was attractive. And then you meet John and it's kind of the opposite probably of what you thought. Because when a man is like Jesus, they're probably not like the men we used to like.
Lisa Bevere
Well, I definitely think that you're hitting on something that people confuse.
Ari
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
And I remember I had to actually lay down some of my ideas to God. I said, God, I pick horrible men. I have horrible taste in men. And I don't understand the difference between love and lust. And I need you who know me more than I know myself to choose for me. Because I will go the route of the pattern of a mother who was married, divorce, remarried the same guy in divorce, grandmother married, divorce, remarried the same guy and divorced. I will follow a pattern of brokenness if I don't surrender this. And I had been dating a Serbian before John, like the people that start World War I.
Angela
Anyway, Lisa, I am screaming.
Lisa Bevere
I couldn't find Albanian, so I had to go for a Serbian. Albanian. Serbian, very similar, very Serbian. And I remember when he walked into the restaurant, my mom said, please tell me that's not him. And I turned up, she's like, yeah, that's him. And I was like, how did you know? And she said, because he looks just like your dad at that age. And so I was picking. When people have brokenness, they either go back to the same thing to try to recover their power, or they go to God and say, I need healing. And so I had to really say, I need healing. And my husband now is. He's the only man I'm attracted to. It doesn't mean I don't notice that other people are attractive. And, you know, that's also probably disturbing for people to even hear that 65 year olds have any kind of attraction. There's a difference between love and intimacy and lust and chemistry. And you build a legacy of intimacy where I swear my husband sees me in the light of the love that we have shared. He does not see me in an aged body. He sees me in the way that he loves me. I know that sounds crazy, but yeah, I had to have a lot of deep worship sessions where I say, God, when the Bible says, and this is the thing, God never said sex is wrong. He says, it's not time, it's not Time. And he says, do not arouse or awaken love before it's time. And I was like, I stole something that was meant for a different time. So I've awakened it in the realm of lust. I want to put it back to sleep and worship so that it can awaken again in the realm of love. And that was something that was. You know, I try to. Zephaniah 3:17 says, the Lord, your God is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with singing. He will quiet you with his love. And I needed that area of my life to be quieted.
Ari
Was that hard for you, from going from a worldly life to then walking? Because it would seem like it was a quick revert, right?
Lisa Bevere
Yeah.
Ari
You went from worldly and then you started walking in purity. Was that tough for you?
Lisa Bevere
Yeah, it was. Because again, I didn't know you could even surrender that to God. I was like, oh, that's carnal. God doesn't get involved in carnal. And I realized, no, wait, anything that affects our life is important to God. I didn't know you could talk to God. So even though I was like, oh, yeah, I'm trying out for the sexual gymnastics team at the University of Arizona, even though I had that kind of past that I thought was freedom, it wasn't freedom. It was lust and it was bondage, and it drove me. I did not control it. So now I have to invite God into a place that I felt nothing but shame. And so I had to realize that he wasn't angry at me. Matter of fact, you know, when we see the woman caught in adultery, which, that just got so much in there. But he says to her, I do not condemn you. But he also says, go and sin no more. And he also says, I am the light of the world, and he who walks in my light no longer walks in shadow. And so I had to leave a shadow realm and walk into the realm of light, where I had to just be honest. So it was hard. And I've tried to tell so many young girls, like, okay, when Addison and Julie got engaged, Julie was kind of like, hey, you know, we're engaged. We're kind of married in the spirit already. It's okay for us to be a little promiscuous. And so Addison, my son, Kelsey. No, no, you have to love her. You have to love her. And she would tell you this. And so Addison was like, mom, I need you to start texting me every night at 10. At 10 o' clock. So they're engaged. I'm like, no. And he's like, nothing good happens after 10. And Julie is not respecting my boundaries. I'm like, what? He goes, you need to talk to her. I'm like, she will hate me. Are you serious? No, I'm not talking to your fiance. And so he was like, mom, no, she's not. She's not respecting me. I was like, oh, my gosh. So I remember this moment where I bring Addison and Julie out on the deck. And I said, julie, I have your past. And I said, you think that you guys are married in the spirit you are. What? And I said, you are going to regret awakening your sexual intimacy in this realm because then you're going to have to fight to win it back in a realm of love. And she, of course, looks at us like, you told your mom. And he's like, I told my mom because my mom understands. And I said, I'm not attacking you. I'm actually trying to rescue your future intimacy. And I remember when she gave birth to Asher, I was in the room with her and she looked at me. She said, I'm surprised you didn't kill me. And I knew what she was talking about. And I said, I thought about it. I thought about it.
John
So we don't have a cat, but our best friend Carolina does. And let's just say her cat is her actual child. Her name is Leah, and she's got taste. Like, if the food isn't up to par, she will literally knock it over. This podcast is sponsored by Smalls, and Leah is now living like a queen. She used to buy whatever was on the shelf until she realized that a lot of those brands were basically junk food. Now she's eating protein packed meals made with real preservative free ingredients that you'd actually find in a fridge. No mystery meat, no fillers, just food that's good for her and she devours it. Her favorite is the fresh chicken recipe, but honestly, she's loved every flavor. Carolina even did a bold test. Old food on one side, smalls on the other. And she sprinted to Smalls. Since then, fewer hairballs, softer fur, better breath, and a cleaner litter box. Are you still not convinced? Well, cats.com, forbes and Buzzfeed all named it the best. So give your cat the royal treatment. Go to smalls.com and use code GGB to get 35% off plus an extra 50% off your first order. That's promo code GGB for an additional 50% off plus free shipping@smalls.com let's be real, guys. Taking Care of your health sounds empowering until it feels overwhelming. One minute you're trying to be proactive, and then the next you're drowning in conflicting advice. 12 open tabs and a specialist appointment you can't get for three months. We have totally been there. But here's what we've learned. That your health isn't something to just wing. Our bodies are everything and our health matters more than almost anything. And that's where Jevoty comes in. They offer at home blood testing twice a year, covering over a hundred biomarkers. That's five times more than the average doctor's panel. No waiting rooms, no guesswork. It's based on your results. Jevoty customizes everything from your supplements to lifestyle recommendations so you get exactly what your body needs. And for just $129 a month, you get it all. Comprehensive labs, 40 off, personalized supplements, prescription savings, and unlimited access to a team of health experts who are actually invested in your well being. Use code GGB for 20 off your first three months. Go to gojevity.com that's G-O G E V-I-T-I.com to start optimizing your health today without ever leaving your home. Location based restrictions apply.
Angela
You know what's coming to my mind? Because you come from a similar background too, just of like with brokenness and family dynamics of dysfunction. And there was yelling in your home and there was ways of responding in conflict. That's obviously not healthy. You meet John, you guys go on this journey together. You just meet Jesus when you meet John. So.
Lisa Bevere
Right.
Angela
You're in your dating process. How long were you guys dating and engaged?
John
So.
Lisa Bevere
All right. And that's kind of a journey too. So we immediately started dating. Yeah, I think we were dating for like a week. And John says to me, I could never marry you because I'm called into the ministry and I'm probably gonna need to marry a pastor's daughter. And I said, I don't remember asking you to marry me. And at that point he was like, all right, I have met my marriage.
Ari
How Italian of you.
Lisa Bevere
I'm so, so Italian. And so I was like, I'm not asking you to do that. And so he went to Dallas and I went back to University of Arizona. So he had already graduated from Purdue. I went back to University of Arizona and found out pretty quick that it felt like every single day I was walking past my past. I remember being in an econ class and the student body president stood up in this big lecture hall and he's like, hey, Toscano, I hear you jumping for Jesus now. He's like, we're gonna land on the Theta house, and we're gonna pick you up in a helicopter, and we're gonna make you do illicit drugs and sex. And I just, like. In front of everybody, I just, like, stood up and jumped and then sat down since he said I was jumping for Jesus, but it was, like, it was so hard. And then I was this wild Christian who doesn't know a whole lot but loves Jesus a lot and, like, walking the halls, praying over my sortie sister's rooms, calling him out of a kingdom of darkness. And I get in trouble for that. Like, the president, who is a Christian, she's like, listen, you're just taking this too far. You need to calm down. We're all Christians. I'm like, you're a Christian. You'd come in my room and ask me about my partying night. You knew I was sleeping. You knew how broken I was. You never once told me about Jesus. You were living vicariously through me. Why did you not witness to me? And so then I had freshman girls that would come and knock on the door and say, we heard that you used to be mean. I had been elected to be the marshal in my sorority, which is in charge of all hazing and initiation.
Ari
Hazing?
Lisa Bevere
Hazing.
Angela
What's that?
Lisa Bevere
That's when you're mean to the freshman girls that are the pledges. You, like, try to break them as they're coming in to pledge. I had just come back, and I became a Christian. I said, I'm not gonna do that to the freshman pledges. I'm not going to be mean to him. And they're like, well, we elected you to be basically mean. And I was like, well, I've become a Christian, and this is who I am now. And so the girls would knock on the door and say, we heard you used to be this. We heard you used to. We heard, used to be loose, and now you're a Christian. Can you pray for us? And I was kind of like, wait, I take the Campus Crusade track off the thing. I'd be like, close your eyes. I pray everything. Even in the instructions. Just make sure. And then they'd be like, what am I feeling? I'd be like, that's the Holy Spirit. And they'd be like, can I get that? I'd be like, sure, we'll ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life. And they were like, what are you doing? You're converting freshmen? I'm Like, I. They're coming to my door. They're coming to my door. Wow.
Angela
That's prophetic for how your life would go. That's crazy.
Lisa Bevere
But, I mean, I didn't know it was, like, illegal if I wasn't, I don't know, say, for 18 years. So I'd been saved for, like, two months.
Ari
I hope the college girls do this that are listening.
Angela
This is so good. This is so helpful. That's so helpful. Because I think obviously Ari and I have wrestled through that too, where you become a Christian and you're just flailing your arms, trying to figure out, like, you love Jesus. You don't know everything. And so I think people can really look down on new believers sometimes and be like, they are not equipped to be going and talking and witnessing. And it's like they're the ones who are as on fire as they are because they've just seen Jesus for the first time. So I think that's really helpful, even for us personally, that you're just. It's never too early. You're never too new. Like, you can go out and change lives the day you meet Jesus yourself.
Lisa Bevere
Absolutely. And actually, you really need to. And I get very concerned that there is a religious spirit in operation in the U.S. church. I was reading through the Book of Acts, and, you know, where it talks about how, you know, Peter and John, they pray for the lame man, and the whole city's in an uproar. And the religious leaders bring them in, and what do they do? They forbid them to preach and teach in the name of Jesus. And of course, they answer back, well, do we obey God or do we obey you? And they said, well, as far as we're concerned, we're going to obey God. And when I read that, I heard. I heard a generation of women have been sent out to preach the gospel. And the religious leaders are calling them back and forbidding them to preach and teach in the name of Jesus. And God is saying, I need my sons and my daughters. You know, and here's the thing. All of us are called to preach. Not all of us are called to pastor. All of us are called to preach. And at the end of the day, are we gonna obey God? Are we gonna obey the fear of man? Are we gonna obey a religious spirit? John's working through the seven churches in the book of Revelation. And something he saw, he said, lisa, you know, I'm reading, and Jesus is talking to one of the churches, and he said, you hate this wickedness. You hate that. You hate that but you've lost your first love. And the truth is, if we really believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, how can we bow down to the fear of man and be quiet? And I watch you guys from afar, and, you know, I consider it an honor to pray for you. And I want to say this as an older woman, like, you inspire me, because you can become a place where you become used to the word of God, and it loses its wonder. Used to the privilege of traveling and speaking, and it loses its wonder. Used to actually having messages without the Holy Spirit or the presence of God. Because the church has gotten so good with atmosphere, you know, and we forget that we need to rely on the word of God and the spirit of God. Not the letter, but the love. And so I am proud of you guys. And I've. You know, I. You know, women my age, we. You know, sometimes they get a little bitter and they get frustrated. Like, why is it so easy for them? Why is it such. Well, I have always prayed that what was hard for me would be easy for the next generation.
Angela
Wow.
Lisa Bevere
And I remember a beautiful young girl preaching a message. She'd read my book. It touched her. She asked me to come to her very first conference she ever held. And I said, I would be honored. I come to it, and she. I'm sitting listening to her. She's ministering Friday night, and she gets up and she preaches a message that I had written out in my book better than I've ever preached it. Cuter, doing it cuter, cuter clothes, no struggle. And I'm, like, getting mad, thinking she's. She didn't pay a price for that. She didn't pay a price for that message. And I'm just, like, in my head, I'm starting to get mad. And God said, oh, you're despising the answers to your own prayers.
Angela
Wow.
Lisa Bevere
You said you wanted it easier for them, and now you see it easier, and you're mad. And he's, like, took me to the whole parable about those that labor for eight hours, and then the ones that come in at the very end and gives them all the same. And then I love how the message translation said, are you angry with me because I'm generous? You agreed. You agreed. And so in the last days, God says. And that's what I always think about Acts 2:17. In the last days, God says, I'll pour out my spirit on all flesh. What does that mean? That means he's gonna pour it out on people. I don't Think he should pour it out on.
Ari
Wow.
Lisa Bevere
He's gonna pour it out on people I don't think have earned the right to be poured out on. He's gonna pour it out in unexpected places. He could pour it out in a. In a gathering of Gay Pride. He could do whatever he wants. I hope so, because God's outpouring is not his approval of behavior. His outpouring is his love of the earth. And so he said, I'm gonna pour out my spirit on all flesh. And then he says, you sons and your daughters will prophesy. And prophesy means to speak under divine inspiration. And then he goes through and he talks about the signs and the wonders. Young men are gonna have visions. Old men dream dreams. And then he goes, and on my men, servants, and my. And so when people say, oh, women can't preach, I'm like, we're not in. And we're not in first days. We're not first days where women couldn't read the Bible. We're not in the first days. We're in last days. And in the last days, God's gonna have a say.
Angela
Oh, such a good point.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah.
Angela
Oh, you just.
Ari
Everybody asks us that.
Angela
You just completely. I've never heard anybody with that revelation of, like, the. How you combat the scripture that says, like, women stay quiet in churches. He literally comes back and says, man and woman on everybody. I will pour out my spirit. They will all speak.
Lisa Bevere
And he says, in the last days. Yeah. And again, Paul's speaking. And again. I get it. I get it. You know, I feel like there's an understanding for some people to say, well, women can't pastor, or, you know, like, here's the thing. What is it? What is the saying? If you beat the word of God long enough, it'll say whatever you want it to say. You can take scripture and you can twist it however you want, but that we have to understand that preaching is a command. And, you know, like, one of my favorite. I think it's Augustine who said, preach the Word at all times, and when necessary, use words. I mean, so we are people that should preach with our lives. That's the platform. The idea of a pulpit did not even happen till a couple thousand. You know, like, I can't remember. It was 1200 A.D. so pulpits were not a thing. And Paul was telling the women, when he said, I suffer a woman not to preach or teach or have authority over a man. There was a lot of reasons for him to say that. Number one, the women were uneducated. Number two, there was persecution of the church at that time. And even when he says, I suffer, it's crazy. Even the church, the religious spirit, can happen so fast. The church, Father Tertullian, I remember he found out a woman had written a song. And he was like, the church is singing a song a woman wrote. We need to stop singing it. And they, like, put it through a man. Whatever. What about Miriam and Aaron? First song ever recorded was I will sing unto the Lord, for he is triumph gloriously the horse and the rider thrown into the sea. And it was Miriam and the women singing. So, like, this is a weird distortion. It is the enemy of both male and female. When you isolate men from women and women from men. We are back in the garden where the man is blaming the woman, the woman is trying to take the man's power. But Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost. And we lost our relationship, male and female as well as sister to sister, brother to brother, people to the earth. And Jesus is coming and saying to his church, come on, I need all hands on deck. I don't pastor, I don't pastor, but I don't feel like I have the right to tell somebody else not to if they feel like God told them to do that. And that seems to be, to be honest with you, that seems to be such a point of contention. And you know, in my mind, it's not whether what the biological sex of the person preaching is, it's what are they preaching? Yeah, it's not that. It's not whether they're male and female. It's Christ being preached. It's just ridiculous. We fight over who is saying it. I've literally had people say to me, a woman with the name of Jesus in her mouth in the pulpit is a witch. And I'm like, so what you just told me was my gender is more powerful than the name of Jesus. Do you understand that? I've even gotten in trouble for putting Instagrams of a woman's meeting on where men can see it on Instagram. So it's a religious.
Angela
That they'd be like, out there evangelizing, doing something productive. I mean, it's just. It's it's just too much. It's just too much. I can't believe that you deal with stuff like that. I mean, we don't really.
Lisa Bevere
I'm sure. I'm sure you guys.
John
I'm sure there's a couple in there, like, be quiet.
Angela
But.
John
You guys, stewarding your body and your home starts with what you Put on the table people. And if you're anything like us, you want to do it with integrity. But here's something most people don't know. Over 85% of grass fed beef sold in US stores is imported. Here's how Good Rancher solves that problem. They are a hundred percent American sourced. Every cut of beef, chicken and pork is born, raised and harvested here in the usa. Supporting real family farms. And it's tariff proof. With all the price hikes happening at the grocery store, Good Ranchers keeps your cost stable because their supply chain is all American. What I love is that it's clean and it's trustworthy. No antibiotics, no added hormones, no seed oils. Just high quality meat that you can actually feel good about. And now more than ever, you need to make the switch to Good Ranchers. We've had their boxes delivered, had the burgers, had the chicken, and we taste the difference. It is one of the most practical ways we found to take care of our homes and support our country. And if you subscribe to any Good Ranchers box today, you'll get your pick of free meat for life. That's free wagyu burgers, hot dogs, bacon or chicken wings in every box for the lifetime of your subscription. And if you use our exclusive code GGB at checkout, you'll get an extra $40 off. So visit goodranchers.com to shop, subscribe and stand with American Ranchers. And remember to use our code GGB to get your free meat for life and that extra 40% off good ranchers American meat delivered. Okay, friends, let's talk skin care and let's talk real talk. Because the truth is, our skin probably was not meant to need 10 products, three serums and a chemistry degree. But somewhere along the way we got sold the lie that more steps means more beauty. But your skin is smarter than that. And that's why we have completely simplified our routines with LA Pure Naturals Beef Tallow face cream. And we will never go back. It's made with ingredients that I can actually recognize, like colloidal oatmeal, raw honey, essential oils, aloe vera, and of course, beef tallow. One of the most nourishing God designed moisturizers out there. I know you guys have heard the hype about beef tallow and it really is as good and effective as people are saying it is. No parabens, no synthetic fragrances and no nonsense. Just real pure hydration that feels like peace if you use it morning and night on your face, on your hands and even dry spots. It will replace half of your bathroom shelf and the glow it is giving beautiful. Your skin will look calmer, softer and more radiant. And it is all from one jar. So if you've got seven sensitive skin or if you're just over the overwhelm, this is your sign to go back to basics. Because your skin was never meant to be complicated. It was meant to be cared for. Right now you can get 40 off when you go to lapurenaturals.com GGB and use code GGB. And yes, they offer free shipping and a hundred percent money back guarantee, so it's risk free again. Head to www.lapurenaturals.com and use code GGB to save 40 on your first jar. Give your skin what it's really asking for. Wholeness, nourishment, simplicity.
Angela
If we can just get a little insight for people who come from dysfunctional, broken backgrounds and then they enter into even just a life with Jesus or even a marriage where now like you have your parents marriage that you saw their parents, marriage, divorce, brokenness, fighting. And then like, for example, you meet John. Yeah, you guys get married and then your problems don't just go away. And Jesus heals and he does beautiful work of the Spirit in us by the Spirit.
Lisa Bevere
And.
Angela
But unfortunately, things follow us from our past and our upbringing. And so what do you just, what do you say to people who are trying to heal brokenness, who are trying to change the way they respond to conflict? If you're somebody who yells when you get angry, abandonment gets triggered, deep wounds get triggered and you lash out on people. You know, I think I've heard you speak about just like your early days.
Lisa Bevere
Of marriage and the first eight years.
Angela
Yes.
Lisa Bevere
So, yeah, I definitely had a problem with anger. And I just remember there was a New Year's Eve, I had one son and I prayed. I said, God, you know, I want you to come into my life and I want you to excavate it. You know, I want yout to take every hidden thing, every displeasing thing, and every shadowed thing. I want you to excavate my life. Two weeks later, I was like, I did not mean that. I said. I said excavate. I meant to say accessorize. I was like, what has just happened? My anger, that was kind of out of control. Maybe right before my period, it wasn't once a month anymore. Now it's every two weeks. I'm just like angry and snapping at my husband. And John would say, what is wrong with you? I'd be like, yo, what's wrong. I threw a plate. I threw a plate at John and it missed him and it broke a window in our apartment. It went out a picture window in our apartment. And John was like, you just threw a plate at me. And I'm like, I can't even throw a Frisbee. I'm chocolate.
Angela
Why is that so comforting?
Ari
I'm like, I saw that every other weekend.
Lisa Bevere
He was like, I am going to have to call the apartment complex and tell them my wife tried to decapitate me with a plate and broke the window. And I said, you know, I don't want you to lie, but I don't want to be here when they bend him. So I got in the car and I was like, jesus, Jesus, please. You know, I saw like the, the headlines, Youth pastor's wife breaks window. I was like, try to shame myself. I felt really guilty. I prayed everything and promised away my firstborn child. And then I wait and I see the maintenance truck. We finally leaves. I come in and my husband looks at me and goes, you must really love God, or you must. No. He said, God must really love you or you must have been praying. I was like, I was praying. I was praying. He said, well, well, when the maintenance guy came, addison, who was 2, opened the door and the maintenance man sees the broken window and he sees Addison and he's like, whoa. And John starts walking in the room. The maintenance man's pulled out the sofa and behind the sofa is a Tonka truck. And he's like, he picks up the Tonka truck, He looks at Addison, he looks at John and he said, say no more. This is why we have insurance. These kind of things happen. And John was like, started to say, no, it's not my two year old, it's my wife. It's my 29 year old wife that did this. Our 28 year old wife. And the guy was like, say no more. No, seriously, it's no problem. Just put some plastic over this and we'll replace the window. And I remember thinking, see, John shouldn't have uncovered me like this brain, like my brain. And then I had my second child. And then my second child. I was just like. Like I couldn't get anything done. I was staying home full time. We have one car. John's leaving every day. He's coming back. He's like, what do you do all day? And I'm like standing there with my nursing flaps down and a baby in my arms and one on my leg and a spank spoon in my hands. And I'm like, john, people are calling, saying they're going to commit suicide, and I am offering to join them. I'm like, what is going. Do not ask me what I'm doing all day. And. And one day, my son came down the stairs. Addison. And I no longer saw a child. I saw. This is the one keeping me from getting anything done. This is an enemy. And I grabbed him. And I was storming up the stairs with Addison, and I thought, what do I do so he doesn't get off his bed just so I can take a shower, you know, before the baby wigs? What do I do? And my brain was like a storm. And I remember I lifted Addison up eye level, and I heard a voice say, slam him into the wall and put him on the bed. Then he'll know not to get off the bed. And I thought, yeah, that's what I need to do. And I lifted my son up eye level, and I saw something I'd never seen before. He was not afraid of what I was going to do because he had no idea what I was going to do. He was afraid of me. And when I saw the terror in my own son's eyes, it broke me. Because I grew up in an emotionally and physically abusive household. And every time my mom hit me, slapped me, kicked me, slammed me into a wall, I made myself a promise. I will never treat my children this way.
Ari
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
And here I was, a born again pastor's wife, getting ready to slam my son into the wall, and I just completely broke. I mean, I just. I completely broke. I put him down. I didn't hurt him. I put him down. And I just went downstairs and I said, oh, God, it's me. It's not my husband. He's not here. It's not. My parents are not here. It's not the Sicilian. It's not the Apache. It's not because I lost an eye to cancer. God, it's me. I have a real problem with anger. And I don't know if you've ever cried until there's just nothing.
Ari
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
And in the stillness, I heard, because you're no longer justifying this, I'll take it out of your life.
Angela
Wow.
Lisa Bevere
And then he brought up an incident that I'd never forgiven my mom for. Just one. Just one I'd hidden in my heart. I was like, I forgave her of everything, but just one, from when I was 7. And what I didn't forgive my mom for is what I almost did to my son. And God said, call your mom. Call your mom. Now she's a Christian. My parents are divorced. I call her, and I'm crying, and I say, mom, I almost hurt Addison today. And I realize now it's because I never forgave you. And I really felt like the Holy Spirit said specifically cite the incident. So I described the incident, and she dispersed into tears. And she said, that is the one thing I've never been able to forgive myself for. What's the parable? Sins that we retain, never retained. And the sins that we remit, they're remitted. We prayed together. We said that this pattern of sin is broken. And I remember I called one of my friends and I said, I'm just so. I almost hurt my son. She was like, but you didn't. And I said, oh, but, yeah. And so I was forgiven. Of course, when I confessed it to God, when I confessed it to my mom, there was healing. But then when John came home, I told him, and then there was accountability. And that was when the work started. And that was actually the first thing I ever shared, was how God set me free from anger with forgiveness. And I used to just lay in my bed, and I would be like, God, I want to be slow to speak, quick to listen, slow to wrath, put a watch over my mouth. And it was the beginning of a walk and journey towards freedom for me. And then there was other. Like, I don't notice this. God takes care of one thing. He's like, no.
Ari
I can't take you anymore.
Lisa Bevere
Like, wait, just give me. Can I have a holiday? He was like, you asked for excavation. You asked for excavation.
Ari
Lord.
Lisa Bevere
Okay, don't. Don't use excavation. It was a horrible horror choice. It felt like a Holy Spirit in the moment.
Ari
Right, but it's like, lifelong, right? Like, you still are going, right? Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
Oh, absolutely. There was. I mean, I can blame it on jet lag or whatever. I flew home from Austria Monday and Tuesday. I woke up, and I saw something, and I was like. And I kept it inside of me. And I was like, what? Seriously? I've already done this. I've already done this. And, you know, I've already done this. I've already done this. And normally what I'll do is I'll tell my husband, because my husband is. He has been the catalyst for more growth in my life than anybody else. And, you know, and I. I guess you can tell another woman and there might be understanding, like, oh, yeah, I felt that way, too. I. For me, I don't want an excuse. I actually want someone to hold my feet to the Fire and say you're better than that. That is not. You're too mature of a Christian to be even like, carrying around those thoughts. Lisa, you're 65 next month. You do not get to behave that way. And I'm like, okay. But he calls me higher. He doesn't shame me. He doesn't call me out. And I'll actually just say it to him like, you know, the Bible says confess your sins one to another, that there's healing. Like if things grow in the dark, where there's no conversation, where there's no opportunity and lose its power. Yeah, absolutely. Confession is so powerful.
Ari
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
I was listening to an interview with a priest that was saying that. What was the thing he said, one confession is way more powerful than like five exorcisms or something. He said, when you repent, repentance is always the door to freedom. Amen. Yeah.
Angela
So good.
Ari
Oh, this is so good. Sorry.
Angela
At least you just took me on a whole journey. Don't know where to go. Nobody ever talks about anger. Nobody ever talks about the things that are, like, really embarrassing and the things like the fact that you would share that you held up your child and had the thought to hurt him.
Lisa Bevere
This is my very first book. I wrote this.
Angela
Like, do you understand what that does for people who go through that on a daily basis? And I got incredibly touched by that because I know what it's like to deal with anger myself.
Lisa Bevere
And you probably had it when you.
John
Were little against you.
Angela
Right. And so it's just like, it is so healing to hear something like that. To know that sometimes in moments of like, deep rage and anger and like, just being uncontrollable, like you are so deeply, deeply hurt and like, it's a place to explore. And like, every time something like that happens to you, bring it to the Holy Spirit, bring it to Jesus, and like, finding the origin of whatever incident that caused like this deep rooted issue to take place. Like, that is the power, you know, that's where you find freedom.
Lisa Bevere
And I think too many people make excuses, right? Like, we've given a lot of excuses to people to not get free. And I remember I was crying out, God, set me free, set me free. And one day he said, what do you think I've left undone? I gave the life of my son completely that you would be completely free. And you just pick and choose. And he was like, you need to surrender all of your life to me. You don't get to keep excuses. Because as long as you. As long as you don't Own a mistake. It owns you. As long as you say, oh, it's my mom, or, oh, it's my dad, or, oh, it's this, or, you know, like, I had. I had a resume. It was like, I lost an. I had cancer when I was five. My parents were crazy. My mom was crazy. You know, I grew up abused. My dad was an alcoholic. You know, I was a bit. I had a list. And God was like, you are not defined by what was done to you. Yeah, you are defined by what was done for you. And he was like, you are living less. And, you know, here, think about it. I'm the privilege of being the mom of four sons. I would not give the life of any of my sons. But Jesus was the only begotten son of God, and he gave the life of his son freely. What if I gave the life of one of my sons and then somebody was like, yeah, think. No, I don't want everything. I just want to go to heaven when I die. I don't want to bring people to heaven. I don't want to witness. I don't want to learn more about your son who died for me. I don't want any of that. I would be like, okay, my son should have only been beaten. He should not have. Like, if you are not willing to surrender all of your life. And, you know, we were singing a song in Australia, and there's songs we're in worship where we're crying out. We're saying, God, I want more of you. And I will often hear him say back to me, if you want more of me, I want more of you. Like, he's like, give me more. If you're saying you want more of me, make room. Yeah, through obedience. And obedience is the highest form of worship at the end of the day. And warfare at the end of the day. It really is spiritual warfare is one in obedience, not one with just praying and disobedience. You've got to have obedience behind your prayer. You've got to have humility behind your prayer. And, you know, the anger thing with women has been stirred up for a really long time where women are being told they're a victim, told they're a problem. So we've got the church telling women to be quiet. And then we have the culture silencing women. And I mean, sexualizing women. So silencing in the church, sexualization in the culture. And then women are like, what am I? What am I? Am I silenced and unsexual? Am I sexualized and loud? And so we have to understand that women were first formed by God to be an answer to the problem that it's not good that man be alone. And women were created to be an answer to be embraced, not a problem to be controlled. And it was God who said, I need the woman to have voice. See, she was always in the man, but it was God who said, I'm going to bring her out. And there are things for the man to speak to, and there are things for the women to speak to, speak to. And we have made the mistake of using our voices against one another instead of the things that God gave us authority to speak to as women and as men.
Angela
I. So you just. On the topic of spirituality, and you. Everyone that I talk to about you kind of describes you as one of the most powerful and prophetic female voices of our generation. And when I hear about John, your husband, I just hear he's just one of the most respected men out there. Like, he really is. He has so much authority on his life. That's all I hear about John. Can you tell us a little bit, our listeners, and specifically us, so we could teach. This is more for us than it is for anybody else.
Lisa Bevere
You guys are so precious.
Angela
Just, like, about spiritual formation, Like, I know it's intimacy with Jesus. I know it's. I heard John say something in a sermon or a video where he was like, I prayed for years, by the way. I see this all the time. John, who's here? My John. We both have John's. Our johns are very similar. John makes fun of me because I bring it up all the time. But your John said something like, I was asking God for the longest time, show up in my meeting. Show up when I speak. Let your power come into a room. Let your power fall.
John
And it just wasn't happening.
Angela
And then finally, he was like, father, you told me you were gonna come. What is going on? And he's like, son, you tolerate sin. You tolerate sin in your own life and in the lives of others. In your mouth, in other people's mouths. Like, until. And so basically, essentially, until you clean up this area, like, don't expect my power to fall. It can. But it's just.
Lisa Bevere
He'd also prayed some other prayers. We had prayed that God would never bless us or empower us beyond our character to carry it. And so God was like, I heard that. So, you know, we're like. We've seen people that have mistaken the gift of preaching or the presence of God on their life to be the approval of their character, and they forget that the gift is always about the people. It is never a validation of the minister. And so when you begin to get confused, you think, oh, yeah, it's me. I can live by different rules. I can sin in private. And then I get up on the stage and I have the most powerful meeting I've ever had. There's a lot of ministers that John and I, sadly, have had opportunity to sit with. They were confused. They're like, but, yeah, I did this. But then I got up and I did that. And I said, well, that's because you were confused. You thought it was about you.
Ari
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
And so, you know, God in his mercy, works through us to touch lives. But as soon as we begin to think his touching lives through us is about a validation of us, we're in trouble. And so we had prayed those prayers that God would deal with everything hidden, that God would not, because we are under leaders that we saw do those things that we're like, no, no, no, we don't want to. We don't want that. You know, we don't want to have our marriage break up. We don't want to find ourselves in bed with somebody or with drugs or, you know, embezzling or whatever the thing might be. Like, we don't want to do that. And yet at the same time, we. I want to share this because I feel like your generation is going to lose some costly things if they don't be. If they're not able to make some separations.
Ari
Yes.
Lisa Bevere
So there's been a lot of shaking with ministers recently. And when that thing happens, of course it shakes everybody because we're all part of the same body. And one of the ones really upset our staff because we were a little bit closer to this particular one. And I came in. In the office, and they were like, how can somebody do that and then build this? We don't understand. We don't understand. And I was like, holy Spirit, help me. You know, And I said, all right, what if you were starving and somebody gave you a loaf of bread, and then you found out later that the person that gave you a loaf of bread had done something absolutely horrific? I said, does that make the bread bad? And they said, no, no, the bread would still be good. And I said, but does the good bread make what they did right? And they said, no. I said, this generation has to learn to separate the two. And so, you know, God can do something beautiful through somebody, but that doesn't mean he validates those other things. And so to be able to be wise stewards, we're gonna have to separate those two things. I mean, you know, there's been some horrible things happening with some worship leaders and people. Like, we're not gonna sing those songs anymore. Well, then don't sing David's songs either. Yeah, he was an adulterer and a murderer, so. Like what? Like what? God actually anoints us and heals and ministers life through us in spite of us, right? He really does.
Angela
Yeah. It's the scripture that talks about. Some people preach with selfish ambition, some with pure motives, but regardless, Christ is preached. And I think it's so beautiful how that no matter how messy we are, it doesn't make it okay, but it's just like. It just proves the power of the gospel, that no matter what we do or what we are, like. Like there's still transformative power in the gospel itself. Like, it's not us. It actually proves that it has nothing to do with us. And it's all Jesus in the gospel. So. Yeah. And so maybe just about spiritual formation. What advice can you give to people?
Lisa Bevere
Read the Word. I. I mean, I. There's no.
Ari
There's exactly.
Lisa Bevere
Read the Word. I mean, if you do not read scripture. Scripture is alive. It facets your life. It gives you the ability to discern, you know, between motive and intent and thought and soul and spirit. It is the word of God that reads us. And, you know, if you don't read the Word, you will be deceived. And we're living in a time period where our minds need to be renewed. We just came out of COVID where everybody thought entertainment was for everything, and they dulled their spiritual sense. They're watching fornication. They're watching adultery. They're watching perversion. They're watching. They're being entertained by things that they no longer have authority over. So when you partner with something in entertainment, you actually need to actually say, forgive me. And then you need to get back your spiritual authority in some of these areas, but you will not like. So the Word is the sword. Sword of the spirit. It is invincible. It is invisible and is eternal. And so God gives us the ability to renew our minds. And yet so many people are studying their past. And what Philippians says, it says, forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead. Most people are straining for what is behind and forgetting what is ahead. They are so busy living in their gazing of their trigger world. You know, like, I get it, but trigger is a signal that God wants to heal something in your life. You don't live in a place of constant agitation. And your generation, I believe, is so attacked by the enemy. Because there is an incredible call in your generation. And so, you know, when I get a chance to speak to the young people, I say, the enemy is not attacking you guys because you are victims. He is attacking you guys because you are threats. And he does not attack or go to steal what people do not have or what is not a risk. And so in my Sicilian mindset, it was probably an Albanian, it's probably an Italian. In my mindset, if I get attacked, and again, I'm not talking about saying something stupid or ungodly, I'm saying if the enemy comes against me, I have decided it's because I'm a threat. And the attacks on our lives, the enemy will use our history, but he's ultimately after our destiny. And so the attacks on our life have more to do with who we might be in the future than who we have been in the past. And so for me, that past, like, I'm like, paul, I'm gonna count it all done. Like, if God can use it and redeem it. And I can say to somebody, I understand that sin has pleasure for a season, but not life forevermore. Like, it will drive you, it will corrupt you, it will distort truth, and we don't want that for you. And so, yeah, I very much have a passion for the millennials and the Gen Z's and the Gen Alphas, because I. I am very aware of the attack is because they're a threat.
Angela
It's so true.
Ari
So good.
Angela
Just really quick back to the Word. Can you just give us. No, just because I think. What do you suggest in reading the Word? Like, because obviously girls go on Bible. We're obsessed with the Bible. We both met Jesus through scripture. Basically how I've heard people say the best thing to do is read one chapter a day. Read two chapters a day. Some people say, read as much as you can and don't stop. Do you listen to Commentary? How would you suggest we study Scripture?
Ari
And where do you start?
Lisa Bevere
Yeah, when I was a brand new baby Christian, I started with the Gospels. I mean, I started right away in the New Testament because I was really upset about some story about this guy coming out and said they'll sacrifice anything. The first thing comes to me, I was like, so angry about this. And they'll take Testament. I was like, no. So I was like, I need to get a relationship with Jesus first. I do. John is very disciplined where he reads Old Testament psalms, proverbs, and a New Testament Chapter every single day. I tend to be more like, I'm going to deep dive into the book of Isaiah. Like, I'm going to, like, live in the book of Isaiah. And it could be for.
Angela
Oh, I love that.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah. And I'm also very topically driven, so I'm like, okay. I really feel like the Holy Spirit's speaking to me about this, so I might go and do a search to a commentary and be like, everything on this topic, and then I'm going to study everything on that topic. But everybody. It's different seasons. So if you're just starting, I think Psalms, Proverbs, New Testament is a beautiful place to start. I think they're gonna lose their way in Leviticus. They're gonna be like, what? But I do think that there's magnificent stories in Genesis. I think you have to know your origin. I think you have to know the story of God. Is it.
Angela
It's the best.
Lisa Bevere
Oh, I love that so much.
Angela
It's the best is because it's so rich and people are just like, Genesis, weird. I'm not gonna go there.
Lisa Bevere
No, I agree with you.
Angela
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
I always. I always. I always include the origin story in all of my books. You can't. You can't not.
Angela
Yeah, yeah. So good.
Ari
Can we. So your new book, the Fight for Female, I'm so excited. We're so excited to read it. Could you.
John
Fight for female?
Ari
Could you talk a little bit about it? I would love to talk about feminism and what God thinks about it.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah. Well, first of all, God loves women, you know, And God did not create woman just to be. She was an afterthought. She was a necessity. And I think too often women think, oh, I'm just for the man. Well, it's together. It's not this. The man is amazing and the woman is an afterthought. It's male and female both captured the image of God. Matter of fact, Adam and Eve were Ish and Ishah. Their names were so closely related that that's how they saw one another. It's kind of like two sides of the same coin. But then the fall happens. And, you know, with the fall, now all of a sudden, there's a break between the male and female. There is a, you know, dominion turns into domination and manipulation, order changes to chaos, multiplication change to division. And there's this fall. But there's also this prophetic word that God says, I'm going to put enmity between the woman and the serpent. And you think about that. If God puts enmity which is an unresolved hatred and hostility that the longer it grows, the greater it becomes. God actually puts the woman on his side. And it's so crazy. People wanna just like, they freak out, like, oh, my gosh, what's she saying? I'm like, there's only good God and evil Satan. So when God prophesied to Eve that her seed, which was Jesus, was going to crush the serpent's head, but he was also gonna bruise her heal. He was prophesying through the woman. He was prophesying the redemption that we see in Mary. And, you know, we see this battle goes on. It starts with one woman, Eve, and a serpent. Then it becomes the woman who is Israel, then specifically Mary, and then collectively the bride or the church. And so now we've got a dragon. In the book of Revelation, and in Revelation, chapter 12, verse 17, it said, and then the dragon was enraged with the woman and went to make war against her children. And if you look at what is happening in the culture right now, there is a war on our children, and there is a war on what it means to be a woman. But it's not the man doing it. It's a dragon doing it. And the enemy has tricked male and female into thinking that we are enemies instead of allies. And so we are using our voices against one another when they should be used on the serpent. Like Jesus said, it is written. That's what we should be saying. We don't yell at each other. It is written. We say to the serpent, it is written. And Jesus had to take back every area that Adam had lost. And so that's, you know, when you see him in the desert, he takes back every area that Adam had caved in. And so now there's that battle that the men have fight and there's a battle for women to fight. I don't know if you guys can even show this, but I had gone to a coffee shop in Franklin. It's the Christian bubble, wearing a T shirt. The future is male and female. And I had guys like, thank you. Thank you for including us in the future. I'm like, you're welcome. Yeah, I've got you. I had women saying, I want that T shirt. So I thought, everybody's happy. So I take a selfie. I should have brought it for you. I took a selfie with the T shirt and I just wrote, the future is male and female. Because without male and female, there is no Future.
Ari
That's right.
Lisa Bevere
922 comments later, people blew up on me. This could have Been like all lives matter. You are a homophobe. You are a transphobe. You are a Karen. You are a bigot. You are a demon of hate. I mean, people just freaking out on me, screaming back and forth. And then the people that were attacking me got attacked by the people who love me. So, like, now everybody's fighting. And I thought, wait a minute. When there is this much of a disproportionate response to something that is just your parents, like, something is going on. So I just type in to my laptop. What is the origin of the quote, the future is female? And it goes to a Washington Post article, and it is from a lesbian separatist group called Labrys. Labrys. I thought, what is Labrys? Well, it's the two headed acts carried by the Greek and Roman goddesses. And it was part of a presentation called what a Welder Stike Would Wear. And they said that the quote, the future's female, was a call to war, an invocation, and a spell to cast. They said that. And I'm like, what in the world? And about that moment, my grandson, who lives down the street from me, comes into my house, and I'm pretty sure this is what happens. They're like, mom, I'm hungry. Mom's like, no, you can't have food. He goes to the grandma's house, and the grandma, of course, gives him food. And so he's in my pantry eating. And I said, asher, what are your thoughts on the quote, the future is female? And he said that I'm unnecessary.
Ari
Wow.
Lisa Bevere
Do you know the suicide rate for a young man, 25 to 34 has never been this high? I sat next to a man on the plane yesterday. He has two beautiful daughters, just brilliant daughters. He said, in four years, I haven't been asked on a date. And he showed me pictures of. They're beautiful girls. Men are being emasculated, and women are, you know, like, I want the men to be strong. No, we don't want them strong. I mean, it's just like this crazy thing. And somehow in the whole scheme of it, we have forgot that God created us to be an answer, to be a multiplier, not to be a divider, that we are the ones that come alongside and take what's not good and make it so very, very good. And so now the men have been emasculated, pushed aside, labeled toxic, and now the women are being attacked and actually partnering with the enemy about the man is the problem, when he's not the problem, nor is he our Answer. Jesus is the answer. And so we need to get it to the right place. But when the enemy gets the women, they're the last line of defense for the children. And right now we have a generation that is being told their formation is a mistake. And when you think your formation is a mistake, it's really hard to trust God with your transformation. And so we need to actually speak that yes, we understand it's uncomfortable to be human. It's uncomfortable. But we have a high priest named Jesus who understands and yet never, never sinned. Who. I mean, and people like freak out about this, but they need to think about what Jesus actually did. Jesus was the son of God. And Philippians says that he set aside his divine privileges, took off his divine form, emptied himself his divine identity, took on the nature of a servant and became us. He became us. He became the Son of man so that we could become like him. So he was like, I'm going so we could be in Christ. I don't believe we're gods, but so we can be in Christ. And so I have to wonder if there's anybody that's ever been uncomfortable in the human flesh. I'm guessing it was Jesus because he was the Son of God. Like we've known. I've never known anything but this. But he had been in glory with his Father and he said, I'm going to become them so they can become one with us. And so we need to understand that we have a whole generation that is being told they're a mistake. And we need to say, we can't just say what's wrong. We need to say, let me introduce you to the one who understands and can make things right.
Angela
What a beautiful revelation. If anybody was uncomfortable in his own skin, it was Jesus. And that's why he understands everything, even something like that, gender dysphoria. And nothing we can't bring to confusion. Like even he could even understand that. Which people who are probably in that position would probably never think in a million years somebody like Jesus could understand them. But he can. It's just, it's devastating what people go through.
Lisa Bevere
It really is we're supposed to live Christ centered. You know, when we only think about ourselves, it's very. People don't understand. It's very Luciferian. Satanists don't say worship the devil. They say worship self. And I mean like we don't, we get confused and it's self, self, self. I mean I have so many people say I just need to focus more on self care. I'm like The Bible is self care. Like, I'm not saying, I'm not saying be a, you know, don't take care of yourself, don't sleep, don't eat. Right. But the Bible is self care. And if you have a crazy mind, I don't care how much essential oil you do and long baths, you. You're gonna still have a crazy mind. Like in the bathtub, you'll have a crazy mind like you. You need to. You need to renew your mind. You know, and I've been through menopause, and that is when a mean lady is in your head saying things like, punch your husband, just punch him. And I was like, oh, no, I can renew my mind because it will take you emotionally hostage. And too many people are emotional hostage on political issues, on whatever they're, you know, and think about. The enemy has just been isolating people. And there was two. There was two epidemics released. There was Covid and cowardice. People lost their voice. People shut down. And you guys know, I know that you've experienced, I've experienced you use your voice, you're allowed to use it just so far. But if you go too far, then the enemy's like, I'm gonna shut you down. And a lot of people, they cave to that. And what they do is they shut themselves down. The enemy doesn't have to cancel them, they cancel themselves. And what we need to do is this more. We need to have courageous, constant conversations that honor God and bring people into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And that is how the early church started. Not mega churches. I'm not against megachurches, but it said they went from house to house and discussed the apostles doctrine and broke bread with one another. And there are people right now watching your podcast and eating, watching your podcast at school, watching your podcast, and they're finding themselves where you guys were, you know, in college or, you know, just. I mean, I know that you went through an eating disorder, right? Yeah, I hated my body and I had broken relationship with my parents. I just imagine if when my parents were divorced for the first time, someone had come to me when I was 12 or 13 and this awkward young girl living in Oshkosh, by gosh, overall, so that nobody knew I wasn't wearing breasts. I wonder if somebody would have come to me and said, you know what? You're probably born in the wrong body. I would have said everything else in my life is wrong. And that is what's happening to this generation. They've had their hope stripped away. They've had Curses spoken over them. They've been indoctrinated with a hopeless senseless that humans are a problem. I forced myself to watch the Matrix coming back from Australia and I thought, wow, the whole AI thing, I mean, I'm not against AI. I'm against the wrong use of it. I'm against people counseling with it.
Ari
People want to counsel with the AIs.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah. Mark Zuckerberg said since people are lonely, they should just have AI as a counselor. Oh my God. Like a collective consciousness. I'm like, how about the creator of the universe? How about I go to him?
Ari
That's crazy.
Lisa Bevere
Really weird.
Angela
The connection between the Holy Spirit and ChatGPT. It's been like, it's on my mind heavily recently.
John
I'm just, just.
Angela
Yeah, just the reliance on or the replacement of the Holy Spirit. Like things that you would say, hey, Holy Spirit, like, what is the answer to this question? And like allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal something to you rather than just being like, chat gbt, what's the answer? Which is like so tempting because you want it right away and you don't want to wait on the Lord.
Lisa Bevere
Chat GDP doesn't have the Holy Spirit.
Angela
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
And it's not life. And the word of God is Amen. Amen.
Ari
That's been the biggest thing right now. Chachi bt, they're using it for sermons and stuff.
Angela
AI sermons. What do you think?
Lisa Bevere
I mean, I think it's good for research, like, Right. But I don't want it to replace the Holy Spirit in my life. I don't want to sound brilliant in my own strength and not be led by the Spirit. And people don't. I mean, Paul was like, hey, it's not the persuasive conversation. It's not this. It's the power of God.
Ari
Yeah.
Angela
It's. It's like to let chat GBT replace. Like, I think what we've seen is people chat gpting or aiing, like heartfelt messages or like anything that is like supposed to be your own heart centered, formulated opinion. And you use AI to get there. And it's like, oh, that. Actually, you didn't say that. It just gets really tricky like that. You know what I mean?
Lisa Bevere
So, I mean, I think like if you're writing a business letter, you can run it through ChatGPT to like get. Make sure it's professional. I am horrible at grammar punctuation.
Ari
Me too.
Lisa Bevere
Absolutely horrible. I always say I'm horrible. And so like I, I don't use chat. I don't know how. I'm not against it. I just have never used it.
Angela
Yeah.
Lisa Bevere
So I would call my team and say, hey, I'm writing. I'm going to be researching dragons. Can you just print out everything on dragons? It gave me hardly anything. Yeah, it gave me hardly anything.
Ari
Oh, wow.
Lisa Bevere
The Holy Spirit gave me way more.
Angela
I believe it. I believe it. Well, Lisa, we love you so much. I wish I could sit here and talk to you all day because I. First of all, I've cried three times just listening to you talk.
Lisa Bevere
So real.
Angela
Yeah.
Ari
Thank you for being so real.
Angela
You are so real, so special, so genuine, and you're just powerful and like. Do you mind if I call you a few times a day?
Lisa Bevere
No, you guys can call.
Angela
Okay, cool.
Lisa Bevere
Yes.
Angela
You need my number, Especially because I'm marrying a job.
Lisa Bevere
I know. It's so hard. I'd be like, I'm not you. I'm not you. You're perfect. I'm not you.
Angela
Listen, if you know how many times I look at him and go, you know what? I'm Lisa, you're John. I'm sorry, I don't know what you're.
Ari
I felt like I was listening to you. You with John this whole time.
Angela
You should hear. I'll never forget. She goes, you said the funniest thing one time in a sermon. I couldn't believe you said it. You're just the best. You. Literally, I imagine you getting on stage.
John
And just like every religious spirit in.
Angela
The room breaking, because it just can't be in your presence. You get on stage and you're like, yeah. And so I meet John Bevere, and he's this, like, sweet, kind, virginal young boy. And here I am, a crazy hoe. I was like.
Lisa Bevere
When you said a crazy hoe, I.
Ari
Was like, that's my girl.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah, I was. You know, but I'm not still. The good thing is.
Angela
No. The ho.
Lisa Bevere
No more.
Ari
I'm just saying, like, how real you are. I was just saying. I was like, no.
Lisa Bevere
And people are like, what did she just say? What did she just. But that's. To me, I. I feel like I am a poster child for redemption.
Angela
Yes.
Ari
Yes, you are.
Angela
So are we, sister. Found it.
Lisa Bevere
We've never.
Angela
We've also never said ho on here. That was the first.
Lisa Bevere
I feel glad that I could bring that to your audience.
Ari
Love you so much.
Angela
Thank you so much for being here, angel.
Lisa Bevere
Oh, I love you guys. All right, well, have to come back.
Angela
Absolutely. You will.
Ari
You promise you'll come back?
Lisa Bevere
100%.
Ari
Okay.
Lisa Bevere
Yeah. Or you guys come to Franklin and.
Angela
We'Ll come to Franklin.
Lisa Bevere
No. Because I like you. Can we. Can. We can use our studio. Make it your studio.
Angela
Okay.
Ari
Because we're gonna be there next month.
Angela
We are gonna be there next month, actually.
Ari
And Franklin.
Lisa Bevere
When?
Angela
I'll give you the dates.
John
I think June.
Ari
June 12th.
Lisa Bevere
I'll be in Italy.
Ari
She's gonna be in Italy.
Angela
Well, thanks for the invite. Can we come? All right, guys. We love you so much.
John
Give me a hand.
Angela
Sorry. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May he make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he turn his face towards you and give you peace.
Ari
Shalom.
John
Shalom.
Angela
We can't stop saying it.
Podcast Summary: Girls Gone Bible – Featuring Lisa Bevere
Release Date: May 17, 2025
In this heartfelt episode of Girls Gone Bible, hosts Angela Halili and Arielle Reitsma warmly welcome renowned Christian author and speaker, Lisa Bevere. The conversation delves deep into Lisa's personal journey of faith, her struggles with anger, her roles in ministry alongside her husband John Bevere, and her insights on contemporary issues such as feminism and the influence of technology on spirituality.
At the outset, Lisa shares her rich cultural heritage, revealing her Albanian and Italian roots. She discusses recently obtaining dual citizenship with Italy, a heartfelt gesture to honor her grandfather's legacy as a refugee who never attained U.S. citizenship.
Lisa Bevere [01:07]: "I have dual citizenship with Italy. It’s a way to apologize and honor where my grandfather came from."
This connection to her ancestry not only strengthens her identity but also deepens her understanding of heritage and belonging.
Lisa recounts her transformative journey from being raised without a Christian upbringing to becoming a devout believer at the age of 21. She vividly describes the moment of her conversion during a tumultuous period marked by personal struggles and familial dysfunction.
Lisa Bevere [10:20]: "I was raised to be an exceptional heathen. I got radically saved at 21 and grabbed ahold of the word of God like it was a lifeline."
Meeting her future husband, John Bevere, played a pivotal role in her spiritual awakening. Their immediate connection and shared faith set the foundation for their ministry partnership.
One of the most poignant segments features Lisa opening up about her battle with anger. She shares a deeply personal incident where she almost hurt her young son during a moment of intense rage, stemming from unresolved childhood trauma and an abusive upbringing.
Lisa Bevere [44:07]: "I almost hurt Addison today. And I realize now it’s because I never forgave you."
This confession leads to a powerful conversation about forgiveness and redemption, emphasizing the importance of confronting past wounds to achieve true healing.
Lisa and the hosts engage in a robust discussion about the biblical roles of men and women in ministry. Lisa challenges traditional interpretations that limit women's roles, advocating for a more inclusive understanding based on scripture.
Lisa Bevere [36:25]: "Preaching is a command. We are people that should preach with our lives. The idea of a pulpit did not even happen till a couple thousand years ago."
She argues that both men and women are called to preach and teach, emphasizing that the focus should be on the message of Christ rather than the gender of the messenger.
The conversation shifts to spiritual formation, where Lisa underscores the critical role of reading and engaging with the Bible. She offers practical advice on how to study scripture effectively, recommending starting with the Gospels and Psalms for those new to their faith journey.
Lisa Bevere [62:42]: "Read the Word. Scripture is alive. It facets your life and gives you the ability to discern between motive and intent."
Lisa emphasizes that scripture not only guides believers but also renews their minds, enabling them to navigate life's challenges with divine wisdom.
Lisa introduces her new book, The Fight for Female, exploring the intersection of feminism and Christian faith. She articulates a vision where men and women are allies in combating societal issues, rather than adversaries, drawing from biblical narratives to support her stance.
Lisa Bevere [68:10]: "Women were created to be embraced, not to be controlled. Jesus is the answer."
Her insights highlight the importance of understanding the biblical roles of both genders and fostering a collaborative environment grounded in faith.
A timely discussion emerges around the role of technology, particularly AI like ChatGPT, in spiritual practices. Lisa expresses concerns about relying on artificial intelligence for spiritual guidance, advocating instead for seeking wisdom through the Holy Spirit.
Lisa Bevere [80:04]: "ChatGPT doesn’t have the Holy Spirit. It’s not life. The word of God is."
This segment underscores the importance of maintaining a personal and spiritual connection with God, rather than turning to technological substitutes for guidance and comfort.
As the episode draws to a close, Lisa Bevere reflects on the challenges and triumphs of her ministry journey. She encourages listeners to embrace their pasts, seek redemption, and engage deeply with scripture to foster spiritual growth and resilience.
Lisa Bevere [53:02]: "Repentance is always the door to freedom. God takes care of everything hidden."
The hosts express their gratitude for Lisa's candidness and profound insights, emphasizing the transformative power of her testimony and teachings.
This episode of Girls Gone Bible with Lisa Bevere offers a profound exploration of faith, personal transformation, and the intricate dynamics of gender roles within Christianity. Lisa's vulnerability in sharing her struggles and victories provides listeners with both inspiration and practical guidance for their own spiritual journeys. Her emphasis on the power of scripture, the necessity of forgiveness, and the importance of aligning one's life with divine purpose resonates deeply, making this episode a valuable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of faith and personal growth.