The Scott Sauls Podcast

My Most Personal Book So Far 02.06.2026 2min

In this episode, Scott Sauls shares personally about struggles like perfectionism, drivenness, shame, and the exhausting attempt to find worth through achievement. He also shares the invitation Jesus gives to every overextended, over-functioning heart: to stop striving for an approval that has already been freely given. Drawing from Psalm 23, Luke 15, and themes from his newest book, The Mercy King, this episode is for anyone who has succeeded and still felt empty, failed and wondered if God was disappointed, or carried shame while struggling to receive grace. The good news is not that we finally run hard enough toward God. It is that his goodness and mercy have been pursuing us all along.

Words I Wish I Hadn't Said 28.05.2026 10min

In this episode, Scott Sauls explores why gossip can feel satisfying in the moment while quietly damaging the soul. Drawing from Scripture and personal experience, he looks at the difference between healthy processing and sinful gossip. When does venting become gossip? Why do we use another person’s failures to manage our own hurt? And how can confession, repentance, and the grace of Jesus lead us toward healing? The path out of gossip is not merely trying harder to control the tongue. It begins with honesty, confession, and receiving the grace of God that refuses to perpetuate sins He has already forgiven. Scriptures referenced: Proverbs 16:28; Psalm 141:3; James 3:6; James 5:16.

We All Want Justice (Until We Don't) 19.05.2026 9min

We all demand justice until it shows up at our own front door. In this episode, Scott Sauls works through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18, the bishop and the silver candlesticks in Les Misérables, and the cross itself, drawing on Fleming Rutledge, Isaiah 53, and Psalm 130. The real question underneath every cry for fairness: are you willing to receive what justice would require of you, or would you rather be rescued by mercy? VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website, Essays, Socials: http://scottsauls.com

The Sickness That Poses as a Virtue 04.05.2026 14min

Workaholism is the most socially acceptable addiction in our culture. Nobody stages an intervention for it. Nobody tells you to get help. Instead, we get rewarded with raises, promotions, and applause. In this episode, Scott Sauls draws from his forthcoming book The Mercy King (Zondervan, June 2026) and a clinical study from the University of Bergen to expose what compulsive working actually is: a slow form of self-enslavement. Scott also describes the three chapters of the workaholism story many of us are living inside, and the invitation Jesus offers to anyone who feels tired from their own striving. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Easter Monday: What's Next After Easter? 06.04.2026 6min

Easter Monday brings us back to everyday life. The resurrection has happened, but the disciples still have to work, eat, and move forward. This is where most of us live. Not in dramatic moments, but in ordinary days. This episode explores what it means to live in light of the resurrection in real life. Faith is not only about belief, but about how we work, love, and serve in daily rhythms. If Jesus is alive, then nothing we do in love is meaningless. This is where resurrection becomes personal and practical. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Easter Sunday: What Resurrection Means for Your Life 05.04.2026 7min

Easter Sunday is the turning point of the Christian story. The resurrection of Jesus is not only about what happens after we die, but about what is already happening now. It signals the beginning of a new kind of life and a restored world. This episode explores the deeper meaning of resurrection and why it changes how we think about fear, suffering, purpose, and hope. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then nothing is beyond renewal and nothing is without meaning. This is not just future hope. It is present reality. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Silent Saturday: God Goes Quiet - Then What? 04.04.2026 5min

Silent Saturday captures the space most of us know well. A space where prayers feel unanswered, clarity is absent, and God seems quiet. The disciples lived this reality without knowing what would come next. This episode explores what it means to remain in that tension. Faith is not always confident or clear. Sometimes it is simply staying present in uncertainty without giving up. If you have ever struggled with waiting, doubt, or the silence of God, this reflection offers a grounded and honest perspective on what it means to trust in the in between. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Good Friday: Why Jesus Didn't Save Himself 03.04.2026 5min

Good Friday forces us to reconsider everything we believe about power, suffering, and love. As Jesus hangs on the cross, he refuses to save himself, even though he has the power to do so. This episode explores the meaning behind that choice. The cross reveals not weakness, but the most deliberate and costly expression of love. A God who absorbs violence and responds with forgiveness instead of retaliation. If you have ever struggled to understand suffering or questioned where God is in it, this reflection offers a profound and challenging perspective. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Maundy Thursday: How Jesus Redefined Power 02.04.2026 7min

Maundy Thursday captures a moment that reshapes how we understand power, leadership, and love. On the night before his death, Jesus kneels and washes the feet of his disciples, fully aware that they will soon betray, deny, and abandon him. This episode explores the deeper meaning behind that act. It is not performance or symbolism, but a revelation of what true love looks like in action. A love that serves without condition and gives without needing return. If you want to understand the kind of life Jesus invites us into, this is essential. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Spy Wednesday: Judas and Spiritual Drift Warning Signs 01.04.2026 6min

Spy Wednesday is a quiet day on the surface, but something decisive is unfolding in secret. Judas, one of Jesus’ closest followers, moves toward betrayal through a series of hidden choices and compromises. This episode explores how spiritual drift happens slowly and often unnoticed. It is not driven by doubt or honest questions, but by unexamined motives and growing self deception. If you want to understand how small decisions shape the direction of your life, this reflection offers a sobering and necessary invitation. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Holy Tuesday: How Jesus Handled Hostile Questions 31.03.2026 8min

Holy Tuesday reveals a side of Jesus we often overlook. Under constant pressure, criticism, and traps, he responds with clarity, composure, and truth without becoming defensive or harsh. In a culture that rewards outrage and quick reactions, Jesus embodies a better way: engaging without attacking, standing firm without needing to dominate. This episode explores what that looks like in real life, and why it may be one of the most compelling demonstrations of faith in today's us-against-them world. VIDEOS:http://youtube.com/scottsaulsADDITIONAL INFO:Website: http://scottsauls.comEssays: http://scottsauls.substack.comSocials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Holy Monday: Jesus Flips Tables in the Temple 30.03.2026 7min

Holy Monday is one of the most surprising moments of Holy Week. In the temple courts of Jerusalem, Jesus overturns the tables of the money changers and disrupts a religious system that had turned worship into a marketplace. Why did Jesus react so strongly? And what does this moment reveal about his heart? In this episode, we explore the deeper meaning behind the temple cleansing and why Jesus showed fierce opposition to self-serving systems that exploit the vulnerable. Holy Monday reminds us that faith should open the door to God—not close it. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Palm Sunday: The Crowds Get Jesus Wrong 29.03.2026 7min

Palm Sunday begins Holy Week with celebration—but it also reveals a profound misunderstanding about the kind of king Jesus came to be. In this episode, Scott Sauls reflects on the moment when crowds welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem with palm branches and cries of “Hosanna,” believing he would overthrow their oppressors and restore their nation. Yet within days, those expectations collapsed when Jesus chose the path of suffering and the cross instead of political power. This conversation explores the tension between the Messiah people wanted and the Messiah who actually came—and what Palm Sunday still exposes about our own expectations of God today. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Why Did Jesus Eat With Rejects? 26.03.2026 8min

Why did Jesus spend so much time eating with people respectable society rejected? In the Gospels, Jesus regularly shares meals with tax collectors, sinners, and outsiders—people the religious establishment avoided and often condemned. But in the ancient world, table fellowship carried deep meaning. To eat with someone was to extend dignity, belonging, and relationship. In this episode of That’s a Great Question, Scott Sauls explores why Jesus intentionally welcomed the “wrong” people to his table and what those surprising meals—from Levi’s feast to the Last Supper—reveal about the heart of God’s kingdom and the radical reach of grace. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

What Happened in Jesus' Hidden Years? 24.03.2026 7min

Most people focus on the final week of Jesus’ life. But what about the thirty years before his public ministry began? In this episode, Scott Sauls explores the hidden years of Jesus leading up to Holy Week. From the temple encounter at age twelve to his baptism and wilderness testing, the Gospels reveal a deeper story of preparation and identity. Drawing from Scripture and theological insights, this conversation helps listeners understand why Jesus’ quiet early years were an essential part of the mission that would ultimately lead to the cross and resurrection. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

What Do You Do When Someone Ghosts You? 19.03.2026 9min

Being ghosted by someone can be confusing and deeply painful. In this episode, Scott Sauls explores why ghosting wounds us so profoundly and what a healthy response actually looks like. Drawing from psychological research on rejection, Brené Brown’s work on belonging, and the honesty of the Psalms, he offers practical guidance for navigating the silence without losing your dignity or self-worth. If you’ve ever been left wondering what happened in a relationship, this conversation provides clarity, compassion, and hope. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Why Do People You Love Most Trigger Your Deepest Fear? 17.03.2026 8min

Why do the people closest to us sometimes trigger our deepest fears? In this episode, Scott Sauls explores the strange vulnerability that comes with love. Drawing from Psalm 62 and the life of Henri Nouwen, he explains why we often place expectations on human relationships that only God can carry. The result can be anxiety, insecurity, and fear of loss. But Scripture points to a deeper foundation for identity and security—one that frees us to love people fully without asking them to be our ultimate source of stability. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Is Health Anxiety Trapping You in Worst-Case Thinking? 12.03.2026 8min

Knowing Scripture doesn’t always quiet health anxiety. Psalm 139 offers something deeper than information - it offers the steady presence of a God who fully knows us and does not turn away. Through the story of missionary David Brainerd, who suffered chronic illness and died at 29, this episode explores how peace can coexist with unresolved fear. Being fully known by God is not exposure - it is shelter. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

Why "Do Not Be Anxious" Isn't What You Think 09.03.2026 6min

Many believers assume that if anxiety lingers, they must be failing spiritually. But in Matthew 6, Jesus’ words “Do not be anxious” are not a demand for emotional perfection. They are an invitation into the attentive care of a Father who already holds tomorrow. Drawing from the Sermon on the Mount and Søren Kierkegaard’s reflections on anxiety, this episode reframes worry - not as a test you must pass, but as a doorway into trust. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls

How To Thrive Where You Don't Feel At Home 05.03.2026 6min

Many people who love their country feel like strangers in it right now. They vote and feel misrepresented. They engage and feel displaced. Scripture speaks meaningfully to this. In 597 BC, God sent a letter to exiles in Babylon and told them to build, plant, and pray for a city that was difficult for them and that they never chose to be part of. This episode explores what faithful displacement looks like for Christians navigating political homesickness today, and why the restlessness you feel may be less of a problem, and more common, than you think. VIDEOS: http://youtube.com/scottsauls ADDITIONAL INFO: Website: http://scottsauls.com Essays: http://scottsauls.substack.com Socials: https://linktr.ee/scottsauls