Thriving with Chronic Illness

Scripture tells us we were created on purpose for a purpose, and that purpose doesn’t change just because we’re sick. In fact, these could be our most eternally significant moments yet. In this episode, Jennifer Slattery helps listeners untangle their identity and value from their purpose and encourages us to seek God’s heart for every moment as we seek to live as a life-giving blessing, whatever our challenges or circumstances.Discussion questions:1. In what ways have you allowed your identity to become entangled with what you do or don’t do?2. How can “identity confusion” hinder us from living with impact today?3. In what ways has God used your weakness to reveal His strength? 4. How might your insufficiency reveal God’s all-sufficiency and thus proclaim the gospel? 5. Who might God want to love through you during your current season? 6. What does it mean for you, in your current season, to manage well the life God has given you?7. When living for Christ, why is it important to surrender the life you currently have rather than focusing on the life you wish you had?Visit Jennifer online at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com, find her ministry at http://whollyloved.com. Connect with her on:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JenSlatteInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Episode Image Credit: Getty/Malte Mueller Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Chronic illness, for many, leads to depression. For some of us, our depression has a medical cause and might even be a symptom of our illness. Others of us have fallen into a depressive mindset because we’ve lost sight of hope. And still others of us might be battling depression, and anxiety, because we haven’t given ourselves the time and space to grieve. In this episode, Jennifer Slattery discusses the importance of grieving with truth and hope and learning to feel our deepest emotions with Jesus.Discussion questions:1. If you struggle with depression, have you determined or investigated whether your depression has a biochemical cause, is a symptom of your illness, stems from lack of hope, or from failure to fully grieve?2. Have you fully grieved all you’ve lost because of your illness?3. Do you feel you’ve grieved for as long as is necessary? 4. How can you “feel with Jesus”? 5. What might it look like to grieve in truth? 6. What might it look like to grieve with hope?7. What thing(s) do you tend to place your hope in?8. Why is it important to center our hope in Christ rather than health or circumstances?Visit Jennifer online at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com, find her ministry at http://whollyloved.com. Connect with her on:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JenSlatteInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Episode Image Credit: Getty/Malte Mueller Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If you have a chronic illness and are struggling with grief and loneliness, and looking for support, this episode is for you.In this episode, Jennifer Slattery talks about her journey through the stages of chronic illness grief: denial, bargaining, depression, all the way to acceptance.Discussion questions for Chronic Illness and Grief:1. What verse or passage most resonated with you in this episode?2. What are some things you feel you’ve lost due to illness? 3. Have you grieved those things? 4. What do you think Jennifer meant when she encouraged listeners to feel with Jesus? 5. Why is it important to relinquish what was (our old life and abilities) to accept what is? 6. Where are you on the journey to acceptance, and do you want to move forward?7. In what ways has or can your illness draw you closer to God?Visit Jennifer online at http://jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com, find her ministry at http://whollyloved.com. Connect with her on:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/JenSlatteInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/slatteryjennifer/Episode Image Credit: Getty/bsd555 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.