

Dwell Differently
Natalie Abbott & Vera Schmitz
If you were our friend, and if we could look you in the eyes and see your struggles and know you fully, and if we could only give you ONE thing—we'd give you God’s Word. There is more power and love and truth in one verse than in a thousand other words. So, let us help you memorize God's words in a simple, easy way. We hope you'll love listening in while we chat about what our verse means, why it matters, and how it intersects with our daily lives.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 23, 2024 • 37min
BONUS SERIES: Dwell on These Things, Ep. 1 // Melissa Kruger - Experience Real Joy
"In the midst of a world that's not right, we drink from the well—which is Christ—and we have refreshment in a dry and weary land."— Melissa KrugerToday's Episode: How do we find joy? Real, deep joy in joyless circumstances, in dry seasons or dark places? On today's episode, Melissa Kruger walks us through the journey of finding joy. Spoiler alert: joy isn't discovered or mustered, it's given to us when we abide in Jesus. He is the source of all safe and solid joy, not our circumstances. It's both a practical and a beautiful conversation that will encourage you to find true joy in Jesus. Today's Verse: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" — Philippians 4:4The Dwell on These Things Series: We’re talking about the 6 verses in our new Scripture memory Bible study with some of our favorite people! We’re talking about joy, peace, a firm mind, and the nearness of God himself. And we’re also talking with vulnerability and compassion about the things that plague our hearts, keep us up at night, and give us anxiety. Want more? Get the Dwell on These Things Bible study today!Today's guest: Melissa Kruger serves as vice president of discipleship programming for The Gospel Coalition (TGC). She’s the author of multiple books, including The Envy of Eve: Finding Contentment in a Covetous World, Growing Together: Taking Mentoring Beyond Small Talk and Prayer Request, Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age, and Wherever You Go I Want You to Know. Her husband, Mike, is the president of Reformed Theological Seminary and they have three children.Support Our Show: Review our show on Spotify or Apple. Links from today's show: Find out more about Melissa at MelissaBKruger.com.Get your own copy of the Dwell on These Things Bible study. Discover the simplest way to get God's Word in your head and heart: Dwell Differently’s monthly membership!Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. GeSupport the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Oct 16, 2024 • 45min
Revelation Doesn't Have to Be Scary // Jen Wilkin
"Whatever is going to happen—whatever the literal next things are that happen in my life—this symbolic vision of God means that in the end, it's going to be alright. I can trust the God who made time to steward time all the way to its conclusion." — Jen WilkinToday's Episode: Does the book of Revelation intimidate you? Maybe even scare you a little? Or do you wonder how it could relate to your life in the slightest? On today's episode, Jen Wilkin acknowledges the scary and the weird in Revelation while pointing our hearts to the true purpose of the book: reassurance. The God who is holy and mighty is coming back to make all things right, and we can take great comfort in this knowledge. But this book and our memory verse isn't just about the future. Jen helps us consider how we can live faithful lives in the present as we trust in our everlasting, powerful, returning God. It's a conversation that you won't want to miss!This month's memory verse: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who is, and was and is to come." —Revelation 4:8b Today's guest: Jen Wilkin is an author and Bible teacher from Dallas, Texas. Her passion is to see others become articulate and committed followers of Christ, with a clear understanding of why they believe what they believe, grounded in the Word of God. Jen is the author many books and Bible studies. Find her at JenWilkin.net and learn more about her latest Bible study, Revelation, at lifeway.com/revelation.Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Support Our Show: Leaving us a review is the best way to encourage us and help other people find our show. Links from today's show: Get a copy of Jen's Revelation Bible study.Find out more about Jen here.Check out Natalie and Vera's new Bible study, Dwell on These Things: Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God's Word. Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. Get them sent to your inbox free every Monday!Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Oct 7, 2024 • 40min
Transformed by Scripture Memory // Elizabeth Hyndman
"When I start to feel anxious about something, I have trained myself to be like, 'What is true? Is this true? Is this thing that you're worrying about...is it true?' And then going to the other passages of Scripture that I have memorized or that I'm familiar with and thinking, 'Okay, what is true? What is true is that God is good. What is true is that God fulfills all of his promises.'" — Elizabeth HyndmanToday's Episode: We are co-releasing today's episode with Lifeway Women's Marked podcast. Hear about the transformational power of memorizing God's Word with Elizabeth Hyndman, Vera Schmitz, and Natalie Abbott. They share stories from their own lives that you won't want to miss! Today's guest: Elizabeth Hyndman leads Lifeway Women Academy, edits Bible studies, and cohosts the MARKED podcast. A Nashville native, grammarian, traveler, and tea drinker, Elizabeth can be found on Instagram @edhyndman.The MARKED Podcast by Lifeway Women is a podcast for women who are marked by a hunger for God’s Word, a longing to impact culture, and a desire to discover and live out God’s calling in their lives. In each episode, Elizabeth Hyndman talks about what God is doing—how He has and is marking each of us.Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Support Our Show: Leaving us a review is the best way to encourage us and help other people find our show. Links from today's show: Check out Natalie and Vera's new Bible study, Dwell on These Things: Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God's Word. Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. Get them sent to your inbox free every Monday!Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Oct 2, 2024 • 23min
Revelation 4:8b Deep Dive // A Peek into Heaven
"Right now we can join in that worship and sing out with those angels, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.'" — Natalie AbbottToday's episode: Natalie is talking about Revelation 4:8b, which tells us, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who is, and was and is to come." It's a peek into the throne room of God and the perpetual worship of his heavenly creatures. Natalie walks us through what this verse tells us about the character of our God, why these specific names are used, and how this verse fits not only into the book of Revelation, but into God's bigger redemptive story and our lives. This month's memory verse: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who is, and was and is to come." —Revelation 4:8b Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Support Our Show: Leaving us a review is the best way to encourage us and help other people find our show. Links from today's show: Check out The Pour Over, Natalie's go-to source for concise, unbiased news from a Christian perspective.Check out Natalie and Vera's new Bible study, Dwell on These Things: Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God's Word. Memorize 11 new verses in Natalie and Vera's book, Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth.Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. Get them sent to your inbox free every Monday!Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Sep 25, 2024 • 41min
Why Am I Suffering? // Vaneetha Risner
"When you realize God meets us in the pit, that's a way that we can really glorify God, not for what he does, but for who he is." — Vaneetha RisnerToday's Episode: So often in our suffering we ask this question, "If God loves me, why did this happen?" On today's episode, Vaneetha Risner (who is no stranger to suffering), encourages us to ask a different question. She reminds us that we are loved by God and therefore should ask, "Because God loves me, why did this happen?" Vaneetha helps us see how God meets us in our suffering, how our suffering is not without purpose, and how we can grow in hope through it all. This month's memory verse: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23 Today's guest: Vaneetha Rendall Risner writes and speaks about suffering. She is the author of several books including a Bible study, Desperate for Hope, and her memoir, Walking Through Fire. Vaneetha and her husband Joel live in Raleigh, NC where she writes at her website https://www.vaneetha.com about struggle and loss and the breathtaking way Christ meets us in it.Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Support Our Show: Leaving us a review is the best way to encourage us and help other people find our show. Links from today's show: Find out more about Vaneetha on her website.Listen to Held by Natalie Grant—the song that Crystal Wells wrote about the loss of Vaneetha's newborn son. Check out Natalie and Vera's new Bible study, Dwell on These Things: Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God's Word. Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. Get them sent to your inbox free every Monday!Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Sep 18, 2024 • 24min
Faithful Because...
"I just want to be faithful because he is so faithful." — Vera SchmitzToday's Episode: How do you hold on to hope? That's what Natalie Abbott and Vera Schmitz are talking about on today's episode. They discuss how easy it can be to lose hope when our hope is placed in our circumstances, our tendency to slowly drift away from God, and his faithfulness to forgive us and restore us when we return to him. They also give us two practical tips for how we can remain faithful over time. It's a great conversation—one you won't want to miss. This month's memory verse: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Get our FREE weekly devotional email: Dive deeper into this month’s verse!Support our show: Leaving a review not only encourages us, but it also helps other people find our show. Links from today's show: Memorize and study Philippians 4:4-9 in Vera and Natalie's new Bible study, Dwell on These Things: Transform Your Heart and Mind by Memorizing God's Word. Check out Natalie and Vera's book, Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth.Don't miss out on the Dwell Differently companion resources (temporary tattoos, verse memory cards, a necklace, etc...).Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Sep 11, 2024 • 38min
Pivot with Purpose and Hope // Katherine Wolf
"I also give myself permission to dream new dreams for my life and to not be wedded to the dreams from when I was a child...I have the ability to pivot into the story that God is writing and not be insistent on a story that's no longer available...God is on the move in this story right in front of my nose if I have eves to see that." — Katherine WolfToday's Episode: Everything doesn't always work out the way we hope it will. Certainly, Katherine Wolf's life didn't go as planned. As a new mom in her twenties, Katherine suffered a stroke that nearly took her life and did taking many of her abilities. Yet, she is one of the most hope-filled people you could meet. She shares today about how she was able to pivot from her expectations and learned to embrace her new "assignment from God" with hope. She shares about living with purpose in the right now, being emotionally agile, escaping the "what if" loop, and dreaming new dreams. It's a conversation you won't want to miss.This month's memory verse: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23 Today's guest: Katherine Wolf Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Support Our Show: Leaving us a review is the best way to encourage us and help other people find our show. Links from today's show: Find out more about Katherine here.Check out Katherine's devotional, Treasures in the Dark: 90 Reflections on Finding Bright Hope in the Hurting.Read an article by Katherine where she quotes Sir Richard BakerListen to "Steadfast" by Sandra McCrakenStart memorizing Scripture with your family with the Dwell Differently Family Membership. Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. Get them sent to your inbox free every Monday!Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Sep 2, 2024 • 22min
Hebrews 10:23 Deep Dive // Jesus, Our Best Hope
"This is the hope that we long for: the throne room of God himself. It is a better country, a heavenly one. It is the place we belong. And you have been invited in." — Natalie AbbottToday's Episode: Jesus is our best hope. In him, we've been given access to God the Father. And because this is true, it should profoundly affect our lives. Listen today as Natalie Abbott teaches us how our theology (or what we believe about Jesus) has practical implications for how we live. Hear about how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament promises, how that changes everything for how we live right now, and how he welcomes us into the throne room of heaven itself. This month's memory verse: "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." — Hebrews 10:23Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Support Our Show: Leaving us a review is the best way to encourage us and help other people find our show. Links from today's show: Memorize 11 new verses in Natalie and Vera's book, Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth.Dig deeper into this month's verse in our weekly devotionals. Get them sent to your inbox free every Monday!Check out The Pour Over, Natalie's go-to source for concise, unbiased news from a Christian perspective.Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Aug 28, 2024 • 15min
Truth When You're Anxious
"Whatever you're anxious about, it's real. Don't feel dumb or ashamed because other people don't deal with the thing you're dealing with in the same way that you're dealing with it." — Vera SchmitzOn today's episode: All month long we've been considering the perfect peace of God. And today, we're going to get practical and look at how we can fight for peace when we're anxious by using God's Word. Anxiety is something Vera has struggled with over the years in big and small ways. You won't want to miss her honest conversation and practical advice. Today's episode is from the Overcome Podcast, where Vera and Natalie discuss chapters from their book, Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God's Truth. Today's verses: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." — Isaiah 26:3 "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." — 1 Peter 5:7Links from today's show: Get Hosanna Revival's Prayer Journal that Vera loves so much!Check out Natalie and Vera's book, Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth.Don't miss out on the book's companion resources (temporary tattoos, verse memory cards, a necklace, etc...).Check out The Pour Over, Natalie's go-to source for concise, unbiased news from a Christian perspective.Support the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.

Aug 21, 2024 • 23min
Creating Habits of Peace
"The promise of the peace of God is so much greater than we can even comprehend. And the beauty of that promise and the culmination of that promise is the very thing our hearts long for." — Natalie AbbottOn Today's Episode: How do we find the peace of God in all circumstances, in our difficult things and in our mundane everyday lives? That's what Dwell Co-founders and sisters Vera Schmitz and Natalie Abbott are discussing today. They talk about their own experiences of God's peace, the full promise of God's peace in our verse, and how we can practically establish patterns in our everyday lives to promote peace. This month's memory verse: "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." — Isaiah 26:3Memorize Scripture with us: Find out more about the easy button for Scripture memory, Dwell Differently’s monthly kit!Get our weekly devotional email: Dive deeper into this month’s verse.Support our show: Leaving a review not only encourages us, but it also helps other people find our show. Links from today's show: Natalie and Vera wrote a book! Order your copy of Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth today!Hosanna Revival's 5 Year Prayer JournalSupport the showFollow Natalie & Vera at DwellDifferently.com and @dwelldifferently.


