Podcast
Seeking Approval Podcast
Hosted by Dr. R.C. Smelcer - Gilead Baptist Church · EN
Seeking Approval is a Bible-based podcast that deals honestly with one of the quiet struggles many believers face: the desire to be accepted, affirmed, and approved by people rather than resting in the approval of God. In a world driven by opinions, applause, comparison, and constant noise, this podcast turns the listener back to Scripture for clarity, conviction, and peace.
Each episode opens the Word of God and addresses real-life pressures through sound biblical teaching, thoughtful reflection, and practical application. The focus is not on self-esteem, popularity, or performance, but on learning what it truly means to stand approved unto God. Topics include people-pleasing, identity in Christ, spiritual confidence, handling criticism, and living faithfully without chasing affirmation.
This podcast is designed for believers who want to grow deeper in their walk with the Lord, strengthen their spiritual foundation, and learn how to live with conviction in a culture that constantly demands compromise. The goal is simple: less striving for approval from man, and a greater confidence in the approval that comes from God alone.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
SA Ep57 - How to Stand Again (Part 3)
Mar 900:28:56Tap to summarizeSend a textHow to Stand Again Part 3 SummaryIn this episode, we walked slowly through Psalm 42 and examined the anatomy of spiritual despair. We saw the first layer of spiritual dryness, a thirst for God that feels unanswered. We saw continual weeping, where sorrow becomes routine. We saw public shame, where suffering is turned into accusation. We saw painful memories that make the present feel like exile. And we saw overwhelming circumstances, wave after wave crashing over the soul. Depression is often layered. Spiritual, emotional, social, and circumstantial pressures can stack until the heart feels submerged. But the psalmist does not deny his condition, and he does not glorify it either. He begins to fight back with truth. And in the next episode, we will learn how to do what he did, speak to our own soul instead of letting our soul speak to us.
Transcribe →SA Ep56 - How to Stand Again (Part 2)
Mar 600:35:09Tap to summarizeSend a textHow to Stand Again Part 2 SummaryIn this episode, we confronted the quiet lie that real believers never struggle. Scripture tells a different story. Moses was overwhelmed by the weight he carried. Elijah collapsed after a great victory. Jonah wrestled with disappointment. David was cast down and disquieted in his soul. Paul admitted he was pressed above strength and despaired even of life. Hannah wept in bitterness of soul. Naomi spoke from deep grief. These were not weak people. These were not shallow believers. These were people who knew God. Their valleys did not mean their faith was fake.We learned that depression is not always sin. Sometimes it is exhaustion, grief, trauma, physical depletion, or spiritual warfare. At times sin may be involved, and the heart must be examined honestly, but we must not assume that every dark season is rebellion. Most importantly, we saw that God did not discard them in their darkness. He sustained them. He fed them. He strengthened them. He restored them. And their valleys became part of their testimony. So if you are walking through a dark valley, remember this: the presence of struggle does not mean the absence of God. If He did not discard them, He will not discard you.
Transcribe →SA Ep55 - How to Stand Again (Part 1)
Mar 500:30:13Tap to summarizeSend a textHow to Stand Again Part 1 SummaryIn this first episode of How to Stand Again, we begin carefully. Before we diagnose anything, we open the Word of God and listen to Psalm 42, where a faithful worshiper finds himself cast down and disquieted, unable to understand why his soul feels so heavy. We acknowledge that spiritual depression is not imaginary, not always sinful, and not always simple. We walk through clinical and spiritual indicators from mild discouragement to severe crisis, speaking plainly but compassionately. We address trauma and PTSD as real experiences that affect both body and soul, and we show how Scripture recognizes deep emotional anguish without dismissing it. This episode is not about magnifying darkness, but about shining light into it. We are not studying sorrow for its own sake. We are learning to recognize where we are so that we can begin moving toward hope. Like the psalmist, we may not yet understand why we feel cast down, but we can still say, “Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him.” This series is not about how deep the valley is. It is about how faithful the Shepherd is.
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