Comparison doesn’t stay small; it’s a sin that grows and slowly steals our joy. Today, Dot and Cara are walking through John 21:20–23, where Peter looks at someone else’s calling and Jesus responds, “What is that to you? You follow me.”

Together, they unpack why comparison is a form of bondage and how security in our identity brings freedom. If you’ve ever wrestled with comparing your story, your prayers, your kids, or your life to someone else’s, we hope this conversation helps re-center your heart on Jesus and reminds you where peace is found.

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Intro (00:00)
• Start by writing down John 21:20-23 (0:13)
• Knowing we are loved by God gives us freedom from comparison (3:45)
• Why would God take time to warn us against comparison? (8:10)
• Comparison doesn’t stay in its lane, it’s a sin that grows (9:42)
• God is at work in different ways in each of our lives (12:01)
• In comparing our lives to one another’s, we falsely give credit or blame (16:26)
• Comparison steals our gratitude and joy for what God is doing in our lives (19:26)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: John 21:20-23 (ESV) “Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” So the saying spread abroad among the brothers[a] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

In part two of this conversation, Dot and Cara move from theology to everyday life, asking how being a child of God actually changes our normal, everyday lives. They talk honestly about how remembering who we belong to reshapes the way we pray, trust, forgive, and walk through hard moments. This episode is an invitation to let the truth of spiritual adoption move from your head to your heart. Grab your Bible, a pencil, and a cup of coffee, and join us.

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Intro (00:00)
• Start by writing down Romans 8:15-17 (0:13)
• How does this truth change our lives, practically speaking? (2:08)
• We have to move this truth from our heads to our hearts (5:06)
• Remembering this truth gives us confidence and allows us to forgive (9:06)
• Claiming this truth in the middle of our day relieves fear and anxiety (11:41)
• Being a child of God means security and eternal protection (13:20)
• This becomes your reality as you apply it daily (19:56)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: Romans 8:15-17 (ESV)
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

What does it actually mean to be a child of God, and why does that understanding matter so much? In this first part of a two-part conversation, Dot and Cara dig into the theology behind spiritual adoption and identity, unpacking what Scripture teaches about being welcomed into God’s family. They explore the difference between being created by God and being a child of God, and why understanding that distinction brings security, freedom, and peace. Grab your Bible, a pencil, and a cup of coffee, and pull up a chair with us!

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Intro (00:00)
• Start by writing down Romans 8:15-17 (0:13)
• This truth changed the way Cara viewed herself (1:58)
• There is a distinction between being created by God and being a child of God (4:20)
• Sin creates separation from God (8:25)
• We are all walking around wondering, ‘who am I?’ (12:15)
• Child of God means accepted, adopted, and embraced in the family of God (17:39)
• This understanding changes everything (19:20)
• The Spirit in you is evidence you are a child of God (25:20)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: Romans 8:15-17 (ESV) “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

As we step into a new year, many of us are thinking through how it should be different or better from the last. Today, Dot and Cara discuss a simple but significant question; what does it mean to be faithful with what God has given us? Using Jesus’ parable of the talents, they explore what it means to live from a place of trust, surrender, and stewardship. This conversation invites you to stop measuring your life by output and ask instead if you are walking faithfully in the circumstances you’ve been given. Grab your Bible, a pencil, and a cup of coffee, and pull up a chair with us.

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Intro (00:00)
• Start by writing down Matthew 25:22-23 (0:08)
• This story is not about money - it’s about using what you’ve been given (3:30)
• Each year the Bowens choose words for the year & share them together (4:25)
• This story is about faith and trusting God (5:31)
• Parable applies not just to gifts and abilities, but to hardship, singleness, family struggles, even unmet expectations (9:45)
• Daily, Dot reflects on how she stewarded the day given to her (13:05)
• We get caught up in what we don’t have rather than what we have (16:00)
• There’s nothing facing us that God has not already equipped us for (18:30)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: Matthew 25:22-23 (ESV) “And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Today Dot and Cara turn from the younger son to the older brother. Looking at Luke 15 and sharing insights from The Prodigal God by Tim Keller, they explore how we can “do all the right things” and still miss the Father’s heart. This Christmas, what if we let God expose both the prodigal and the older brother in us so we can receive His grace? Grab your Bible, a cozy drink, and maybe your Christmas hat too and settle in for this hope-filled conversation.

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Intro (00:00)
• Start by writing down Luke 15:25-32 (0:14)
• It’s easy to forget what we have been saved from (3:14)
• Like the Pharisees, we forget we need a Savior (7:00)
• Both sons were using the Father for their own sake (11:00)
• We think the story is about actions, but it's about their hearts (14:15)
• Remember the context of this story is the disciples and the Pharisees (19:00)
• Ask God to protect you from a judgmental heart (23:30)
• None of us deserve it or could earn it, but we get to receive the Father’s love (25:00)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: Luke 15:11-19 (ESV)
““Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in.

His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’

And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller: https://amzn.to/44Qrj71

What does the prodigal son have to do with Christmas? In this episode, Dot and Cara look at Jesus’ parable in Luke 15 through the lens of the Christmas story and the “prodigal God” who lavishly gives us everything, even His own Son. They talk honestly about our desire to live life on our terms and the grace that awaits us when we turn back to the Father. This conversation will remind you that Jesus left heaven to bring you home, so grab your Bible, a cozy drink, and settle in with us.

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Start by writing down Luke 15:11-19 (0:08)
• God was recklessly extravagant by giving us Jesus (3:39)
• We all have a bit of the older son and a bit of the younger son in us (6:55))
• The word ‘prodigal’ means recklessly extravagant (11:41)
• This story is a picture of God’s love for us through Jesus (13:00)
• The younger son doesn’t care about the Father’s provision (22:32)
• We tend to hide behind shame and guilt and can get comfortable there (24:39)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’

Reflecting on Galatians 4:4–5, Dot and Cara unpack the difference between chronos (our day-to-day, chronological time) and kairos (God’s appointed, intersecting moments) and share honestly about their fear of wasting time, singleness, and aging. This conversation invites you to loosen your grip on the clock and trust that God has not forgotten you. Grab your Bible and a journal and settle in with us!

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Start by writing down Galatians 4:4-5 (0:08)
• God brought the idea of time to Dot and Cara simultaneously (4:07)
• Time isn’t passing us by, we are moving through time (7:40)
• Moses’ life shows us that time is not wasted even when we don’t understand (11:10)
• God’s timing is perfect (15:35)
• Jesus had to be born at the time He was to fulfill prophecy (20:27)
• Our faith is our response to what God is doing (22:59)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV)
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”

Jamie Winship's "Time Isn’t Running Out" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABuYaHGx438

Today Dot and Cara are talking about the life-changing practice of gratitude, not just as a holiday tradition, but as a daily spiritual discipline. Starting with Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, they share how giving thanks protects our hearts from bitterness and helps us remember God’s goodness in difficult seasons. If you’ve struggled to find something to be thankful for this year, this conversation is for you. Grab your Bible and a journal, and join us as we discuss what it means to live with a heart of gratitude.

Got a question about today’s episode or something else you’d like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know!

Episode recap:

• Start by writing down 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 (0:08)
• The practice of gratitude has helped Cara more than any other discipline (3:00)
• You can acknowledge when things aren’t good and give thanks simultaneously (6:11)
• We can give thanks because God always meets us where we are (9:35)
• Remembrance is a key to gratefulness (13:08)
• You can practice something you don’t fully understand (18:54)
• You don’t have to wait until you feel like it (20:54)
• Ask God to help you see what to be thankful for (22:50)
• Cara is finding thankfulness in quiet Thanksgivings with just her mom and dad (27:11)

Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.

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Scripture Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”