Episode Summary:

Have you ever noticed how Easter morning feels light and bright? It’s not necessarily because the sunrise seems extra colorful or because the church lilies release their fragrance. It’s because something shifts inside us and whispers, “Hope is still alive.” This hope isn’t fragile and it doesn’t evaporate when bills pile up or when anxiety keeps you awake in the night or when the ache you prayed would be gone is still there.

We’re talking about resurrection hope, the nitty gritty kind that Jesus bought for us the moment he walked out of the tomb. Easter has everything to do with the battles happening in our minds and emotions. Today, Rev. Jessica Van Roekel and I talk about the kind of hope that transforms us. It’s not pastel colored nor is it a once-a-year kind of hope, but an everyday hope.

Quotables from the episode:

Jesus didn’t just rise for the world; he rose for you.
Resurrection isn’t only a historical and theological event. It’s a mental and emotional revolution.
The power that resurrected a dead body is the same power God places in our inner world to bring back to life hope, peace, and joy when they feel gone. Yet Christians often live like Easter is a spiritual anniversary, not their present reality.
Easter isn’t a bandage. It’s a breakthrough and it announces the defeat of our mental and emotional battles.
Resurrection hope doesn’t promise me an easy life, but it does promise me God’s presence, which settles my anxious heart.
That reminds me that resurrection hope means the darkness is not permanent.
But the empty tomb is God’s megaphone saying, “Shame doesn’t get to define you.” Jesus didn’t walk out of that grave dragging your failures behind him.
Every disappointment is just Friday and every breakthrough is Sunday.
Easter is not a holiday we recognize once a year. It’s the reality we live in, and it transforms every inner battle, not by removing struggle, but by giving us a power greater than the struggle.

Scripture References:

Romans 8:11, NIV “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”
2 Corinthians 12:10 “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong”
2 Corinthians 2:3-5 reminds us, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”
Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Romans 8:11, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

Recommended Resources:

Reframing Rejection: How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everything By Jessica Van Roekel
Sacred Scars: Resting in God’s Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out To God When Pain Overwhelms by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Today is Going to be a Good Day: 90 Promises from God to Start Your Day Off Right by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Breaking Anxiety’s Grip: How to Reclaim the Peace God Promises by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Breaking Anxiety’s Grip Free Study Guide
Free PDF Resource: How to Fight Fearful/Anxious Thoughts and Win
Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Hope Prevails Bible Study by Dr. Michelle Bengtson
Free Webinar: Help for When You’re Feeling Blue

Social Media Links for Host and Guest:

Connect with Rev. Jessica Van Roekel:

Website / Instagram / Facebook

Connect with Dr. Bengtson:

Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple

Co-Host:

Jessica Van Roekel is a worship leader, speaker, and writer who believes that through Jesus, personal histories don’t need to define the present or determine the future. She inspires, encourages, and equips others to look at life through the lenses of hope, trust, and God’s transforming grace. Jessica lives in rural Iowa surrounded by wide open spaces which remind her of God’s expansive love. She loves fun earrings, good coffee, and connecting with others.

Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson

Audio Technical Support: Ashton Bengtson

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