In Totality with Megan Ashley

Episode 103: Best of Season 2: 2025 Recap

Released: January 13, 2026

Overview

This special “Best of” episode, hosted by Megan Ashley, compiles the most resonant and impactful segments from 2025. Through raw vulnerability and deep theological wisdom, Megan and her guests revisit key themes around wholehearted devotion to God, real faith in difficult seasons, sanctification, Christian community, obedience, and identity. The episode is rich with scriptural insights, honest storytelling, and memorable moments of encouragement for believers navigating life’s complexities while striving for holiness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fasting and Dependence on God

[00:00–08:00]

• Megan shares how fasting strips away her distractions and reveals her dependence on God, exposing where she seeks satisfaction apart from Him.
• Quote (Megan, 02:53):
  "Every single time I would get before Him and get in His presence, something miraculous would happen. I would not be hungry, I would not be bored, I would not be anxious... I was getting the living water, the bread of life."
• Megan emphasizes that spiritual maturity means seeking God not for the feelings, but out of reverence—He deserves our consecration regardless of how we “feel.”
• Examining biblical figures not as role models but as testimonies to God’s consistent, trustworthy nature.

2. Discernment in Receiving Correction & Walking the “Slow Way”

[08:05–14:00]

• Yana explains that wise correction should come only from those who themselves receive correction ("someone who doesn’t receive correction should never be allowed to correct you" - [08:43]).
• The value of the wilderness journey, using the Israelites’ 40-year trek as God’s way of building trust and faith—"The faithfulness of God builds man’s trust in God." ([10:19])
• Shortcuts in spiritual life are contrasted with "the slow way" God often chooses for deeper dependence and readiness for bigger spiritual leaps ([11:04-12:20]).

3. God’s Love and Desolation Seasons

[14:21–21:00]

• Megan shares honestly about spiritual dryness and “desolation,” learning that pursuing God is about His worthiness, not simply for emotional highs ([21:00]).
• We are called to lay down our will for God’s, echoing the story of the rich young ruler: "You want the benefits of eternal life, but you don’t want the disciplines of what it means to live with an eternity mindset" ([22:37]).

4. Learning Through Suffering & Vulnerability in Grief

[25:00–26:28]

• Megan shares her heartbreak through her son Caleb’s autism diagnosis, wrestling with anger and doubt, but also testifying to God’s presence in the midst of her grief.
• "There is a fruit that we can only eat during grief... nourishment that we can only get in grief." – Paraphrased from a John Piper quote ([24:50]).

5. Relational Wisdom, Pacing, and Godly Dating

[26:28–34:38]

• Yana recounts her story of meeting her husband, illustrating intentionality, patience, and pacing in relationships as a counterpoint to cultural hurry.
• "Our culture doesn’t know pace…You don’t give time to discover mystery" ([29:28-29:40]).
• The beauty of waiting and honoring commitments before God shines through in Yana’s wedding story ([32:29-33:13]).

6. Parent-Child Dynamics & Faith in the Darkest Times

[35:38–41:31]

• Candid conversations between Megan and her mother about battling severe anxiety and suicidal ideation.
• The importance of humility, a “sober mind,” and praying God’s word, especially in seasons overwhelmed by fear and comparison ([40:22]).

7. The Goal of True Holiness; Friendship with God

[41:31–44:50]

• The aim of the Christian life is holiness, not perpetual happiness—friendship with God is cultivated through both the resurrection and the suffering ([42:38]).
• "You can’t just glory in the resurrection but also in the fellowship of His suffering. That’s how you become friends with God." – Yana ([42:44]).

8. Integrating God’s Word and Emotional Health

[45:00–56:01]

• Deep dive into how idolatry of emotions, entitlement, lack of patience, and self-reflection all challenge spiritual growth.
• Guarding your heart is presented as an active, vigilant process—"The heart is more deceitful than anything else" ([57:47]), emphasizing that cultural mantras like “follow your heart” are dangerous.

9. Conviction, Shame, and the Fullness of the Gospel

[59:56–63:14]

• Handling conviction versus shame—knowing God as Savior, not just Judge ([60:57]).
• "I don’t think we’ve been trained and discipled to know that we have to go to war on shame. That is just as demonic as sexual sin." – Yana ([63:09]).

10. Christian Content Consumption & Responsibility

[64:00–68:53]

• Megan and Yana confront the problem of Christian content that doesn’t foster true love for God or neighbor—highlighting accountability not just for content creators, but also consumers ([65:12]).
• "If you’re not living your true worship, then what you are experiencing is emotionalism." – Megan ([69:00]).

11. Worship Beyond the Surface & True Discipleship

[69:18–72:13]

• The call to integrate worship into daily life, not just Sunday gatherings—serving, forgiving, and honoring others showcases real worship ([70:08–70:28]).
• "It’s just like take yourself out of the center of your life…He wants to be the center of everything." ([72:13–72:21])

12. Dangers of Self-Discovery vs. Finding Purpose in God

[73:15–77:42]

• The story of the Prodigal Son is used to illustrate the peril in seeking identity apart from God.
• "Sin is not just breaking the rules, but putting yourself in the place of God." – Tim Keller (Megan relays at [77:15]).

13. Idolatry, Diluted Gospel & The Need for Discernment

[77:42–81:15]

• Lena dissects how culturally relevant, “mixed” worship creates idolatry, paralleling Aaron and the golden calf—the devil’s strategy is often mixing falsehood with truth.
• "The devil isn’t trying to eradicate Jesus. He’s trying to bring something else with Jesus. A diluted Jesus." – Lena ([80:28]).

14. Endurance, Suffering, and the Christian Life

[81:50–90:00]

• Megan’s analogy of the electric bike ride illustrates endurance: the Spirit empowers the difficult journey of sanctification, but we must still participate. It’s not easy, but future glory makes the suffering incomparable ([84:57-86:26]).
• "The Christian life is not just hard, it’s impossible. Only Christ can live it through you." – Adrian Rogers, quoted by Megan ([85:00]).

15. Sacrificial Worship & The Priority of Christ’s Presence

[90:53–93:41]

• Worship is costly, and real worship involves sacrifice—time, resources, and obedience, not just songs or gatherings ([90:59]).
• Megan shares God's response: "I just want you at my feet…keep returning, keep running back to My feet" ([93:02–93:41]).

16. Building Safe, Transformational Communities

[94:52–99:16]

• Yana introduces the four S’s of community: Seen, Soothed, Safe, Secure.
• "For some odd reason we think we stop needing the four S’s when we become adults... we’re still growing and learning." ([95:54])
• The vital role of safe relationships in church and life, avoiding betrayal of trust and gossip.

17. Discipleship and Modeling Faith for Our Children

[100:19–103:21]

• Discipleship begins with parents modeling delight and authenticity in loving and following God.
• Obedience should be rooted in love, not fear, and lived out daily—“my mom’s example taught me more than her words.” ([100:19–101:30])

18. God's Faithfulness in Our Weakness

[103:21–106:42]

• Profound reflections on God being “for us,” not only in victory but in brokenness—His power is made perfect in weakness ([105:25]).
• "He didn’t die to make us perfect. He died to make us holy." – Yana ([105:25])

19. Resolving Shalom (Peace) after Hurt—The Fight or Flight of Forgiveness

[138:36–144:07]

• Shalom-avoidant vs. shalom-demanding responses after being hurt: are you protecting your peace or seeking repayment?
• "We're not called to protect our peace. That's not a command in scripture. We're called to make peace." – Yana ([139:55])

20. Identifying the Voice You Listen To

[144:07–148:10]

• Whose voice shapes your identity—God, self, others, or the enemy?
• "Distractions begin to look like opportunities when you are not listening for God's voice." – Lena ([145:26])

21. Sanctification: Process, Pain, Participation

[133:45–164:11]

• Sanctification is cooperative—you participate, but only the Spirit transforms.
• Megan wrestles with the “frustration” of sanctification’s slow pace and pain, ultimately learning to delight in obedience and stewardship.
• "Delight in obedience. It is a privilege that we get to participate in the work God is doing in the earth." – Megan & Yana ([161:56–164:13])

22. Filtering Life Through the Gospel

[164:35–168:41]

• Real discipleship means evaluating every response, emotion, and action through the lens of the cross—“What would Jesus do?” isn't just a slogan but a posture of heart ([167:14–168:41]).

23. Hope Anchored in Eternity Amid Suffering

[121:46–128:48], [152:20–155:54]

• Theological hope is not wishful thinking for present circumstances but confidence in ultimate restoration (“there will be no more tears, no more suffering” – [153:51]).
• Suffering is formative for character, and the Western church must re-embrace this truth for spiritual maturity ([126:26–127:06]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "He's after the holiness and for us to be holy as he says, 'Be holy as I am holy.'" – Megan ([07:09])
• "Someone who doesn’t receive correction should never be allowed to correct you." – Yana ([08:43])
• "The shortcut will never teach you that kind of trust." – Yana ([12:41])
• "We have God's history in our hands … you can be trusted." – Megan ([05:00-07:00])
• "God is maturing you so that you will pursue Him because He's holy, not just for the feelings." – Megan ([20:30])
• "Sin is not just breaking the rules, but putting yourself in place of God." – Tim Keller, relayed by Megan ([77:15])
• "The devil isn’t trying to eradicate Jesus. He’s trying to bring something else with Jesus. A diluted Jesus." – Lena ([80:28])
• "Our purpose is to love God, love our neighbor, make disciples of all nations. Your assignment may look different, but the purpose is the same." – Megan ([120:13])
• "You are not supposed to trust this heart because it is deceitful. I don't even know the contents of my heart, only God does." – Megan ([57:47])
• "There is a fruit that we can only eat during grief that stores all the nourishment we need.” – Megan ([24:50])
• "Delight in obedience ... it is a privilege that we get to participate in the work God is doing in the earth." – Megan & Yana ([161:56–164:13])
• "We're not called to protect our peace. We're called to make peace." – Yana ([139:55])
• "If you're not living your true worship, what you are experiencing is emotionalism." – Megan ([69:00])
• "He didn't die to make us perfect. He died to make us holy." – Yana ([105:25])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Fasting & Spiritual Hunger: 00:00–08:00
• Correction & Spiritual Growth: 08:05–14:00
• God’s Love, Desolation & Willingness: 14:21–22:37
• Grief & Suffering: 25:00–26:28
• Intentional Dating & Pace: 26:28–34:38
• Parenting & Faith in the Dark: 35:38–41:31
• Friendship with God & Holiness: 41:31–44:50
• Guarding Your Heart & Emotions: 45:00–57:47
• Shame, Condemnation, Gospel: 59:56–63:14
• Christian Content & Worship: 64:00–72:13
• Self-Discovery vs. God’s Purpose: 73:15–77:42
• Idolatry & Diluted Worship: 77:42–81:15
• Suffering, Hope, Fortitude: 121:46–128:48
• Sanctification & Delight in Obedience: 133:45–164:11
• Filtering Life Through the Gospel: 164:35–168:41
• Hope in Eternity & Present Suffering: 152:20–155:54

Conclusion

In this “Best of” Season 2 recap, Megan and her guests model the process of wrestling authentically with faith’s challenges—holding fast to God’s faithfulness, forming Christian character through suffering, and shining as wholly devoted, hope-filled believers “in totality.” The encouragement to delight in obedience, endure sanctification, and anchor hope in eternity rings constantly: Christians are called to live for God and with God, whatever the cost, for His glory alone.