In Totality with Megan Ashley

Episode 93: Faith Under Fire: When Trust Becomes a Test
Date: October 21, 2025
Guests: Megan Ashley (Host), Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell

Main Theme

This episode is a deeply honest conversation about suffering, faith, and spiritual maturity. Megan Ashley and her pastor, Pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell, dig into what it truly means to trust God when life doesn’t make sense—when “faith is under fire.” Through personal stories, biblical examples, and vulnerable reflections, they discuss how God uses suffering and delayed answers not only for His glory but for the shaping of mature, Christlike character. Listeners are challenged to view hardship as fertile ground for growth, obedience, and deeper intimacy with God.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Challenge of God’s Timing in Suffering

• Megan’s Struggle with Unanswered Prayer

  • Megan shares her ongoing battle over her kids’ school situation and the emotional toll of not sensing God’s intervention on her timeline.
  • She references the biblical story of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood to illustrate the tension between urgent needs and God's seemingly slow response.
  • Quote (Megan, 07:11): “Because what was urgent to Jairus wasn’t urgent to Jesus.”

• Pastor Mitchell on Divine Delays

  • He connects this to the story of Lazarus, pointing out how Jesus intentionally waits so God’s glory can be maximized.
  • Quote (Mitchell, 08:30): “All this timing sets up an opportunity for God to be glorified...God’s timing sets up an opportunity for the Lord to get glory. And in our suffering, we can’t see that.”

2. Mature Faith is Forged Through Endurance—Not Comfort

• Pain and Maturity

  • Both Megan and Pastor Mitchell reflect on how enduring struggles over years has shaped their spiritual strength, not just their public “mountaintops.”
  • Mitchell emphasizes the New Testament’s focus on maturity and formation over personal happiness.
  • Quote (Mitchell, 14:03): “At the basement of the New Testament ... God is more concerned about us looking like His Son than us being happy. It is a journey in character development.”

• The Price of Platforms

  • Public ministry often comes with unseen private suffering. Envy of others’ influence ignores the costly path behind the scenes.
  • Quote (Mitchell, 19:14): “There is no anointing without a price paid. Men and women are not made on mountaintops. They are made in the secret place.”

3. Suffering Linked to Character-shaping and Intimacy with God

• Examples from Real Ministry
  • Megan and Pastor Mitchell recall the enormous spiritual warfare and personal cost involved in organizing significant Christian gatherings, such as the Acts 2:42 conference.
  • Suffering is not wasted—God forges intimacy, character, and deeper trust through it.
  • Quote (Mitchell, 29:01): “What you paid to get in the room cannot even compare to what they paid in private for you to be in that room.”

4. The Call to Serious, Sacrificial Christianity (Romans 12)

• Defining a Serious Christian Life

  • Megan asks for Pauline clarity on what it means to live “in totality”—to offer one’s whole self as a ‘living sacrifice.’
  • Quote (Mitchell, 38:44): “A serious Christianity for me is a Christianity that’s lived on an altar as a complete sacrifice as unto the Lord ... a yes without compromise and a yes without a back door.”

• Reverence and Surrender

  • The discussion pivots to the lack of reverence for God in Western Christianity and how a full grasp of God’s holiness and the weight of the cross compels total surrender.
  • Quote (Mitchell, 45:49): “In light of what Christ has done for you on the cross ... the only right response to Romans 1–11 ... is a life of complete surrender.”

5. Navigating Growing Ministry and Fame

• The Burden and Stewardship of Influence

  • As both Megan and 2819 (Mitchell’s church) experience exponential growth, they share about the responsibilities and temptations that come with a growing platform.
  • Mitchell’s Exhortation (62:10): “As God continues to elevate you, stay humble, fight for purity, remember who gave you this platform ... the higher he takes your platform, go lower in humility and purity.”

• Crowds and Motives

  • Pastor Mitchell addresses both those who come to the church hungry for God and those attracted by hype. His response is to steward revival and trust God to change hearts, regardless of people’s reasons for coming.
  • Quote (Mitchell, 58:33): “Let them come for hype ... if they stay long enough, their hearts will be transformed.”

6. Journal Prompt for Deeper Reflection

• Practical Application (65:36):
  • “Reflect on something you’ve gone through that has been very difficult and traumatic ... write what did you learn going through that? How did God shape your character? ... Or for those currently suffering, write about what you sense God may be doing in you in this moment, and how you can better embrace suffering for the glory of Christ.” (Mitchell, 65:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Suffering and Maturity

  • “There is no maturation without suffering, pain, hardship, trials—it does not exist. And if we would embrace that in our country, we will get to the place of maturity where we look over our shoulder and be like, ‘Lord, thank you for what you allowed me to go through ... you have formed something in me that would not have been formed had I not gone through that.’” (Mitchell, 17:12)

• On Pain’s Role in Ministry

  • “My ministry is a mountaintop, any metric that can be measured ... that has not brought me complete satisfaction in my soul. Intimacy with Christ in my prayer closet ... and the character it takes to sustain a ministry at this level—that character came from 12 years of pain when nobody knew my name.” (Mitchell, 18:04)

• On Surrender in Romans 12

  • “Your real worship is submitting and sacrificing and presenting your body as a living sacrifice. That’s what’s been the difference.” (Megan, 45:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• God’s Timing in Suffering & Biblical Stories: 03:41–09:51
• Pain & Maturity and the Role of Suffering: 12:49–19:40
• The Hidden Cost of Platforms & Ministry: 19:40–24:35
• Acts 2:42 Conference: Behind the Scenes Suffering: 26:48–34:09
• Romans 12 & Serious Christianity: 36:14–46:41
• Handling Growth, Hype & Stewardship at 2819: 49:41–61:35
• Personal Discipleship & Stewarding Your Platform: 62:01–64:54
• Journal Prompt for Healing & Growth: 65:36–66:43

The Tone

• Authentic, candid, sometimes tearful, but ultimately hopeful and grounded in a love for God and a hunger for spiritual depth.
• Both Pastor Mitchell and Megan Ashley keep it real about their struggles, doubts, and the hidden battles behind their public faith and leadership.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Embrace Suffering as Transformation: Trials are not the exception but the context in which God forges faith, maturity, and deeper dependence on Him.
• Do Not Covet Others’ Platforms: Visible influence is built on unseen pain and perseverance.
• Serious Faith Requires Total Surrender: God desires the entirety of your life—no compromise, no ‘back door’—rooted in awe of His holiness and the reality of the cross.
• Stewardship Over Ownership: Whatever ministry, audience, or platform you have, remember: you’re a steward, not an owner—stay humble and pure.
• Reflection Is Crucial: Slow down and process your pain; see how God is shaping you through it and give Him glory on the other side.

Closing Journal Prompt

Reflect on a difficult season you’ve walked through:

• What did God develop in you through it?
• How did your view of Him change?
• For current hardships, ask: What might God be forming in you right now?

A rich, honest, and practical episode for every believer wrestling with suffering, success, and the true cost of faith.