Loading summary

Transcript7 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign.
[00:05]
B
Nation. It's Tuesday, August 4th in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm Luann Riley and this is your wake up call. I am so excited to be here again this morning. If you weren't with us yesterday, I am excited and honored to be with you this week. And we're going to be in the book of James. We are taking some of the teachings from this book and just looking at a few verses this week. And if you missed yesterday, I would just encourage you to go back and listen because we talk about how James really wants us to grow up in our faith and to grow up spiritually. And my special guest, Bethany has such a beautiful voice leading us in hymns this week. So thank you for being here. Thank you for starting your morning this way. Thank you for meeting with Jesus, with me, and just allowing me to be part of this sacred space together. So let's enter in with consecration. Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. Praying in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. So let's go to the word of God together. So hear the word of the Lord. We're in. James, chapter 1, verses 2, 3 and 4. Consider it pure joy. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, let perseverance finish its work so that you may be be more mature and complete, not lacking in anything. So consider this. James does not ease us into his letter. He drops us right off into the deep end, right out of the gate into one of the most difficult parts of faith, the trials that we face. And James gives us the bad news right up front. He doesn't say if you face trials. He says when you face trials. I think a difficult part of our faith in is that following Jesus doesn't exempt us from pain or from disappointment or loss or uncertainty or struggles. Because faith isn't a promise that everything will go our way. We live in a broken world and eventually life presses in on each one of us. And so the question isn't whether trials will come. The question is what those trials will produce in us. James tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance, endurance. And developing endurance means we can't do it without being challenged. It's not developed in comfort. We don't Build spiritual strength by avoiding hard things. It is formed as we walk through difficulty with God one day at a time. And no one escapes life without trials, although some are more challenging than others. But here's the good news, the news that has gotten me through some of my hardest days. The good news is this. Jesus has carried you through 100% of your hardest days. Sometimes I put unnecessary pressure on myself to handle trials the right way. I often, often think that mature faith can mean that I don't doubt or question or feel overwhelmed or cry. But James doesn't say that we have to make it through trials perfectly. He tells us that we have to persevere and let perseverance finish its work. And so sometimes endurance simply looks like not giving up. It looks like waking up again, praying again, opening scripture again, showing up to worship again, and choosing not to walk away from God. When life becomes hard, you may not feel strong, but you are still here. And staying with God is part of how he is strengthening you. Endurance is what makes us strong. We don't want a potato chip faith, one that crumbles when pressed. And I know that you know what it's like to have a bag of chips that turns into nothing but full crumbs. That's not what we want our faith to be like under pressure. We want to be tough, like beef jerky, seasoned, durable, and able to last through the journey. And the difference is letting endurance do its work. Potato chip faith just crumbles under pressure. But beef jerky faith endures. And I am pretty sure I wrote this after a trip to BUC EE's. And if you don't have a BUC EE's where you can also get beef, beaver nuggets and beef jerky. I am so sorry, but if you come to Texas, I promise I will take you. James says that the result of persevering in trials is that we become mature and complete, not lacking in anything. And complete doesn't mean flawless and doesn't mean that we'll never struggle again. It means whole. It means that our faith won't be shallow or fragile or easily destroyed under pressure. It is a faith with depth, strength, and staying power. Now, I'm not saying that your trial is good simply because it hurts, but it doesn't have to be wasted. God can use it to deepen your trust, strengthen your endurance, and make you whole. So when the pressure comes, lean into God. He may be doing some of his deepest work in you. Stay with him. Let endurance finish its work and trust. God is growing a Faith in you that can last. Let's pray. Faithful God, you know the weight that we carry and the places where we feel tired, uncertain or worn thin. Meet us there. Hold us steady when we want to give up and help us, trust that you are still at work, even when we can't see form in us a deeper faith, a patient endurance, and a heart that stays close to you. Make us whole in the places where life has left us fragile. Amen. So I have a couple of journal prompts this morning as we continue in James. The first is this. Where are you most tempted to give up, pull away, or rely on yourself? And what might it look like for you in this season for endurance to finish its work? I mentioned here in our reflection about this pressure that I can put on myself to make sure that I handle things the right way, that I suffer. I talk a good bit about my suffering in my teaching. I have a chronic illness, which I'll talk about later this week as well, just a little. And I think there was a time when things were so, so hard and I felt so much guilt and shame that I wasn't Christian enough or I didn't enough faith to be able to just find joy all the time, or to not doubt or to not wrestle or to not feel abandoned from God in those dark times. And I think there's so much hope in this passage for us when we're in trials and suffering, because there is purpose to them. There are. There's a strength and an endurance that comes from them. And there's no pressure from God that we don't cry and doubt and struggle. In fact, the Psalms are full of God's people just crying out to God in these times. And so if you're in that season, I just want to encourage you that there's no right way except leaning into God and bringing yourself honestly to him as many times as you need to and just knowing that there's grace for you and just pat yourself on the back for not giving up, for just staying with it day after day and walking through difficulties with God. Okay, it comes today, maybe the best part of our morning, which is hearing Bethany sing the hymns and you getting to sing along with her. And so I will now transition over to Bethany for our morning song.
[09:12]
C
Good morning. So our nation growing up, my church in high school had an annual talent show called soon and Very Soon. It had every act of talent you can imagine. Puppetry, tap dancing, handbells, singing, you name it. It was intense, full of weeks of rehear, multiple performances, and the show would end each time with the high school youth singing soon and very soon. I did not know how much this hymn would come to mean to me until my freshman year in high school, when one night I received an email from our senior pastor stating that one of our fellow high school youth had lost his life in a car accident. I wish I could tell you that my faith carried me through, but in that moment, my faith crumbled like a potato chip. At his celebration of life, the senior pastor showed the very last picture that was taken of Andy, and it was at church that night, just before the accident. The picture was Andy with his head down, bowed in prayer. And as we ended his celebration of life, singing soon and very soon, I realized that in Andy's last moment on this side of heaven, he was praying to his savior. And when he entered his eternal home, that same savior was welcoming him with open arms. We all have trials and struggles in this life. We're going to have potato chip moments, beef jerky moments, and everything in between. But one day we will have no more crying, no more burdens, no more struggles. And soon, and very soon, we will see our king. Today we will be singing hymn 6:29, soon and very soon, from our seedbed hymnal, our great Redeemer's praise.
[11:09]
A
Soon, and very soon we are going to see the king soon, and very soon we are going to see the King soon, and very soon we are going to see the king Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're going to see the king no more crying there we are going to see the king no more crying there we are going to see the king no more crying there we are going to see the king Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're going to see the king no more dying there we are going to see the King no more dying there we are going to see the King no more dying there we are going to see the king Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're going to see the king
[12:45]
C
Amen for the awakening. I'm Bethany Johnson.
[12:49]
B
And I'm Luann Reilly.
[12:51]
C
And we'll see you on the field.

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: The Wake-Up Call

Episode Title: Built to Endure
Host: Luann Riley (Guest: Bethany Johnson)
Date: August 4, 2026
Podcast Description: Daily encouragement to awaken our hearts and lives to Jesus, centered around scripture, reflection, and communal prayer.

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode, “Built to Endure,” explores what it means to develop spiritual endurance and maturity through life’s trials. Centered on James 1:2–4, Luann Riley guides listeners to embrace perseverance as a necessary process, not a failure of faith. The episode seeks to encourage honest engagement with struggle, resist the pressure to “handle things right,” and discover joy (not in pain itself, but in what God forms in us through difficulty). Bethany Johnson closes with a powerful personal story and the singing of hymn “Soon and Very Soon,” enriching the theme of hope and resilience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

“Dropped in the Deep End”—James on Trials

Timestamp: 01:30–05:50

Luann notes that James “does not ease us into his letter, he drops us right off into the deep end… one of the most difficult parts of faith, the trials that we face.”
- Quote (02:10): “He doesn’t say if you face trials. He says when you face trials.”
Trials are a certainty, not an exception, for followers of Jesus.
Following Christ “doesn’t exempt us from pain or from disappointment or loss or uncertainty or struggles.”
Faith is not a guarantee that all will go well; life will press in on everyone eventually.

Endurance Over Perfection

Timestamp: 05:51–07:30

James calls for perseverance, not for perfection.
- Quote (06:32): “James doesn’t say that we have to make it through trials perfectly. He tells us that we have to persevere and let perseverance finish its work.”
Luann reassures listeners that mature faith is not about never doubting, never feeling overwhelmed or crying—rather, staying with God and enduring is key.
“Endurance simply looks like not giving up… waking up again, praying again, opening scripture again, showing up to worship again, choosing not to walk away from God.”

Potato Chip Faith vs. Beef Jerky Faith

Timestamp: 07:35–08:53

Luann uses a vivid metaphor:
- Quote (07:50): “We don’t want a potato chip faith, one that crumbles when pressed… We want to be tough, like beef jerky—seasoned, durable, able to last through the journey.”
She humorously notes inspiration from a trip to Buc-ee’s (Texas convenience store famous for beef jerky).
The point: Tests reveal the strength and depth of our faith.

The Outcome: Not Flawless, but Whole

Timestamp: 08:54–09:25

Persevering leads to being “mature and complete, not lacking in anything.”
“Complete” in James’s sense means whole, having a faith with depth, not flawless or free of struggle.
Trials can have purpose: “God can use [pain] to deepen your trust, strengthen your endurance, and make you whole.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Luann (06:05): “Jesus has carried you through 100% of your hardest days.”
Luann (08:30): “Potato chip faith just crumbles under pressure. But beef jerky faith endures.”
Luann (09:23): “When the pressure comes, lean into God. He may be doing some of his deepest work in you.”

Prayer and Reflection

Timestamp: 09:26–10:15

A heartfelt prayer asks God to meet listeners in weariness, form patient endurance, and bring wholeness.
Journal prompts for further reflection:
- Where are you tempted to give up, pull away, or rely on yourself?
- What might it look like for endurance to finish its work in your life this season?
Luann shares her vulnerable struggle with chronic illness, guilt, and the mistaken pressure to appear joyful and unwavering in faith. She reassures listeners that God desires honesty rather than performance.

Personal Story & Hymn: Bethany Johnson Shares

Timestamp: 10:15–12:45

Bethany recounts her high school church’s “Soon and Very Soon” talent show.
- She describes the sudden loss of a friend (“my faith crumbled like a potato chip”) and the impact of seeing that friend’s final photo in prayer before his death.
- The story ties back to the episode’s theme: trials come, faith is sometimes fragile, but hope remains.
Quote, Bethany (11:05): “We all have trials and struggles in this life. We’re going to have potato chip moments, beef jerky moments, and everything in between. But one day we will have no more crying, no more burdens, no more struggles. And soon, and very soon, we will see our king.”
Bethany leads hymn 6:29, “Soon and Very Soon,” emphasizing hope and ultimate endurance in Christ.

Important Timestamps

00:05–01:10 – Luann welcomes audience; sets week’s James theme; brief prayer of consecration
01:11–02:10 – Reading of James 1:2–4
02:11–05:50 – Discussion of trials as a universal reality
06:00–07:35 – On endurance and God’s sufficiency in our struggle
07:36–08:53 – Potato chip vs. beef jerky faith analogy
09:26–10:15 – Prayer and journal prompts
10:15–12:45 – Bethany’s story and hymn “Soon and Very Soon”

Conclusion

“Built to Endure” invites listeners to accept struggle as a tool for forming durable faith, relying on Christ’s presence rather than self-sufficiency or spiritual performance. The episode’s blend of scripture, personal testimony, honest encouragement, and uplifting music creates a supportive and hope-filled space for all who face trials, offering the deep reassurance that God works to make us whole, strong, and enduring through every season.

Memorable Closing:

Bethany (12:45): “Amen for the awakening. I’m Bethany Johnson.”
Luann (12:49): “And I’m Luann Riley.”
Bethany (12:51): “And we’ll see you on the field.”

Loading summary

Transcript7 lines

[00:00]
A
Foreign.
[00:05]
B
Nation. It's Tuesday, August 4th in the year of our Lord 2026. I'm Luann Riley and this is your wake up call. I am so excited to be here again this morning. If you weren't with us yesterday, I am excited and honored to be with you this week. And we're going to be in the book of James. We are taking some of the teachings from this book and just looking at a few verses this week. And if you missed yesterday, I would just encourage you to go back and listen because we talk about how James really wants us to grow up in our faith and to grow up spiritually. And my special guest, Bethany has such a beautiful voice leading us in hymns this week. So thank you for being here. Thank you for starting your morning this way. Thank you for meeting with Jesus, with me, and just allowing me to be part of this sacred space together. So let's enter in with consecration. Wake up, sleeper. Rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you. Jesus, I belong to you. I lift my heart to you. I set my mind on you. I fix my eyes on you. I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice. Jesus, we belong to you. Praying in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. So let's go to the word of God together. So hear the word of the Lord. We're in. James, chapter 1, verses 2, 3 and 4. Consider it pure joy. My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, let perseverance finish its work so that you may be be more mature and complete, not lacking in anything. So consider this. James does not ease us into his letter. He drops us right off into the deep end, right out of the gate into one of the most difficult parts of faith, the trials that we face. And James gives us the bad news right up front. He doesn't say if you face trials. He says when you face trials. I think a difficult part of our faith in is that following Jesus doesn't exempt us from pain or from disappointment or loss or uncertainty or struggles. Because faith isn't a promise that everything will go our way. We live in a broken world and eventually life presses in on each one of us. And so the question isn't whether trials will come. The question is what those trials will produce in us. James tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance, endurance. And developing endurance means we can't do it without being challenged. It's not developed in comfort. We don't Build spiritual strength by avoiding hard things. It is formed as we walk through difficulty with God one day at a time. And no one escapes life without trials, although some are more challenging than others. But here's the good news, the news that has gotten me through some of my hardest days. The good news is this. Jesus has carried you through 100% of your hardest days. Sometimes I put unnecessary pressure on myself to handle trials the right way. I often, often think that mature faith can mean that I don't doubt or question or feel overwhelmed or cry. But James doesn't say that we have to make it through trials perfectly. He tells us that we have to persevere and let perseverance finish its work. And so sometimes endurance simply looks like not giving up. It looks like waking up again, praying again, opening scripture again, showing up to worship again, and choosing not to walk away from God. When life becomes hard, you may not feel strong, but you are still here. And staying with God is part of how he is strengthening you. Endurance is what makes us strong. We don't want a potato chip faith, one that crumbles when pressed. And I know that you know what it's like to have a bag of chips that turns into nothing but full crumbs. That's not what we want our faith to be like under pressure. We want to be tough, like beef jerky, seasoned, durable, and able to last through the journey. And the difference is letting endurance do its work. Potato chip faith just crumbles under pressure. But beef jerky faith endures. And I am pretty sure I wrote this after a trip to BUC EE's. And if you don't have a BUC EE's where you can also get beef, beaver nuggets and beef jerky. I am so sorry, but if you come to Texas, I promise I will take you. James says that the result of persevering in trials is that we become mature and complete, not lacking in anything. And complete doesn't mean flawless and doesn't mean that we'll never struggle again. It means whole. It means that our faith won't be shallow or fragile or easily destroyed under pressure. It is a faith with depth, strength, and staying power. Now, I'm not saying that your trial is good simply because it hurts, but it doesn't have to be wasted. God can use it to deepen your trust, strengthen your endurance, and make you whole. So when the pressure comes, lean into God. He may be doing some of his deepest work in you. Stay with him. Let endurance finish its work and trust. God is growing a Faith in you that can last. Let's pray. Faithful God, you know the weight that we carry and the places where we feel tired, uncertain or worn thin. Meet us there. Hold us steady when we want to give up and help us, trust that you are still at work, even when we can't see form in us a deeper faith, a patient endurance, and a heart that stays close to you. Make us whole in the places where life has left us fragile. Amen. So I have a couple of journal prompts this morning as we continue in James. The first is this. Where are you most tempted to give up, pull away, or rely on yourself? And what might it look like for you in this season for endurance to finish its work? I mentioned here in our reflection about this pressure that I can put on myself to make sure that I handle things the right way, that I suffer. I talk a good bit about my suffering in my teaching. I have a chronic illness, which I'll talk about later this week as well, just a little. And I think there was a time when things were so, so hard and I felt so much guilt and shame that I wasn't Christian enough or I didn't enough faith to be able to just find joy all the time, or to not doubt or to not wrestle or to not feel abandoned from God in those dark times. And I think there's so much hope in this passage for us when we're in trials and suffering, because there is purpose to them. There are. There's a strength and an endurance that comes from them. And there's no pressure from God that we don't cry and doubt and struggle. In fact, the Psalms are full of God's people just crying out to God in these times. And so if you're in that season, I just want to encourage you that there's no right way except leaning into God and bringing yourself honestly to him as many times as you need to and just knowing that there's grace for you and just pat yourself on the back for not giving up, for just staying with it day after day and walking through difficulties with God. Okay, it comes today, maybe the best part of our morning, which is hearing Bethany sing the hymns and you getting to sing along with her. And so I will now transition over to Bethany for our morning song.
[09:12]
C
Good morning. So our nation growing up, my church in high school had an annual talent show called soon and Very Soon. It had every act of talent you can imagine. Puppetry, tap dancing, handbells, singing, you name it. It was intense, full of weeks of rehear, multiple performances, and the show would end each time with the high school youth singing soon and very soon. I did not know how much this hymn would come to mean to me until my freshman year in high school, when one night I received an email from our senior pastor stating that one of our fellow high school youth had lost his life in a car accident. I wish I could tell you that my faith carried me through, but in that moment, my faith crumbled like a potato chip. At his celebration of life, the senior pastor showed the very last picture that was taken of Andy, and it was at church that night, just before the accident. The picture was Andy with his head down, bowed in prayer. And as we ended his celebration of life, singing soon and very soon, I realized that in Andy's last moment on this side of heaven, he was praying to his savior. And when he entered his eternal home, that same savior was welcoming him with open arms. We all have trials and struggles in this life. We're going to have potato chip moments, beef jerky moments, and everything in between. But one day we will have no more crying, no more burdens, no more struggles. And soon, and very soon, we will see our king. Today we will be singing hymn 6:29, soon and very soon, from our seedbed hymnal, our great Redeemer's praise.
[11:09]
A
Soon, and very soon we are going to see the king soon, and very soon we are going to see the King soon, and very soon we are going to see the king Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're going to see the king no more crying there we are going to see the king no more crying there we are going to see the king no more crying there we are going to see the king Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're going to see the king no more dying there we are going to see the King no more dying there we are going to see the King no more dying there we are going to see the king Hallelujah. Hallelujah. We're going to see the king
[12:45]
C
Amen for the awakening. I'm Bethany Johnson.
[12:49]
B
And I'm Luann Reilly.
[12:51]
C
And we'll see you on the field.